BASIC COLD

PROCESS
SOAP
MAKING
GUIDE

BY AMANDA AARON
COPYRIGHT

THANK YOU FOR DOWNLOADING!

Copyright © 2020 by Amanda Aaron

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or

transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other
electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the
publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and
certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission
requests, write to the publisher at the email address below.

[email protected]
www.lovinsoap.com

Notice of Liability
All the recipes in this book, including base oil blends, essential oil blends and additive
suggestions, and process directions are provided without any success guarantee on
the part of the Author. The Author disclaims any liability in connection with the use of
the information in this book and is not responsible for wasted materials or damages
resulting from the use of the recipes, the process or from use of the final products
created by the recipes.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 02

INTRODUCTION

beneficial additives such as herbs and clays and

natural essential oils such as lavender and tea tree
that you can mix and combine to create  powerful
aromas. 

Many people with skin conditions, such as eczema,

or other sensitivities do well when using  gently
formulated handmade soap.  Many soap makers
I started making soap in 2008.  I was a craft junky. 
begin their soapmaking journey to help relieve their
Knitting, jewelry making, paper crafting and
skin condition or a family member's skin condition.
painting…I tried them all.  One day while browsing in
the local craft store I noticed the soapmaking and
Soapmaking is a bit like baking.  Just as every baker
candle aisle.  I bought all the supplies needed to
has their own recipe, technique and design for
make melt and pour soap, went home, made soap and
making a chocolate cake, every soap maker has
was hooked!  I soon started researching different
their own way of whipping up a batch of
soapmaking methods and ingredients and decided
soap.    Although this book provides you with my
that cold process soap was what I wanted to try
technique and process,  I encourage you to read
next.  I realized the skin benefits of using a more
other books and learn other techniques and
natural soap and my house soon filled with lavender
methods. You'll soon find your own rhythm and
soap, oatmeal soap, pumpkin soap and one of my
create a process all your own. 
favorites to make…coffee scrub soap.  Then I got
more into the design and aesthetics of soapmaking –
Always remember to make safety a top priority no
creating fabulous swirls and pieces of art using
matter what method you use. Before you make your
brightly colored micas and techniques modified from
first batch of soap, I recommend that you read this
paper marbling and painting.  Soap was my art
book from front to back to get an overall view of
medium.
the process.  I hope that this book serves you  as a
guide as you begin your journey into soapmaking.
No matter  your reason for jumping into the craft of
soapmaking, one thing is for  certain...your skin will
thank you.  What we put ONTO our bodies is just as
important as what we put INTO our bodies.  When

Happy Soaping!
you make your own soap you are able to control
what you put onto your body by choosing skin loving
oils and butters such as olive oil and shea butter,

Amanda

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 03

A BRIEF HISTORY

Along with beer making and prostitution, Prior to the modern soapmaking of today,
soapmaking is one of the oldest industries in the soapmaking in the 1800’s and early 1900’s was a
world.  And because of this, the beginnings are a bit utilitarian household chore.  It was standard for
speculated.  There have been ancient recipes and families to make soap to both bathe with and to use
descriptions of soapmaking found throughout early for household cleaning.  Soap was traditionally
civilizations.    made by boiling together lard, rendered and
cleaned  from butchered animals or from grease
The earliest evidence of soapmaking dates back to drippings collected throughout the year,  and
2200 B.C.  A Mesopotamiam clay tablet from that homemade lye (liquid potash)  which was made
time was found and had a primitive soap recipe and from  pouring water over  ashes and collecting the
directions inscribed on it.  The formula consisted of brown liquid that was leached out. 
cassia oil, potash (lye from hard wood ash) and
water.  This didn't make a hard soap like we have today; it
made  a soft or gel-like soap.  The soft soap  was
There are records of Babylonians making soap for a stored in a barrel or other container  and scooped
living.  Wealthy Babylonians would have servants out  for use.    The soft soap was made into a hard
who rubbed their body with soap made of animal soap by adding salt and boiling it down.  
fats, water and ashes.  The servants would then pour
water from jars to rinse them off. "Lye soap!  That'll scrub your hide clean
off!"
The more common (and fictional) legend of
soapmaking’s beginnings is from around 1000 B.C. in It was difficult to determine the strength of the
Rome.  There are many variations.  Animal sacrifices homemade lye and soap would sometimes come out
were made on Mount Sapo (a fictional hill).  Fats "lye heavy".  Often described as harsh or biting,
from the burnt animals would mix with ash and many people remember this type of soap when they
somehow made it down into the Tiber River clay think of homemade lye soap.  Nowadays we are able
(with the help of rain, perhaps) where clothes were to accurately calculate the amount of lye needed to
being washed.  It was quickly realized that clothes saponify an oil or mix of oils.  We make soap that is
washed at this spot were getting cleaner and the superfated which means there is a bit of oil left
connection was made between the fat, ashes and unsaponified to give our soap conditioning
water. properties.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 04

WHAT IS SOAP?

Soap is an emulsifier and surfactant. You’ve probably

heard of the term emulsifier. An emulsifier is a
substance that creates an environment in which
water and oil can mix.

Soap cleans your skin by emulsifying oil and water

together. This emulsion suspends and lifts dirt and
grime. The emulsified mixture is then rinsed off,
leaving behind squeaky-clean skin.

In soapmaking, a combination of base oils, such as

coconut oil, olive oil and avocado oil, is mixed with a
lye solution. The chemical reaction, which then takes
place, is called saponification. After saponification,
we are left with completely new substance, soap!

Soap is made up of the salts of fatty acids, natural

glycerin and, because we superfat our soap, a bit of
unsaponified oils which give our soap emollient and
conditioning properties. There is no lye left in the
finished soap.

If you want to delve more into the chemistry of

soapmaking, I highly recommend reading Kevin
Dunn’s book, Scientific Soapmaking.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 05

EQUIPMENT & TOOLS

EQUIPMENT & TOOLS

You don’t need a bunch of specialty equipment when just starting out.  You might even have some
of these items available in your home.  Some of the items can even be picked up at garage sales or thrift
stores if you want to save a few bucks.

Keep your utensils and containers that are used for soapmaking separate from those that you use to cook
with.  Most people believe this is because of the sodium hydroxide; it has actually more to do with fragrance
and essential oils that you use.  You don’t want your mac and cheese tasting like patchouli and orange
essential oil.

Digital Scale – Most ingredients for making soap, especially the oils and lye, need
to be weighed using a scale.  I recommend getting a digital scale that plugs into
the wall.  One run with batteries only can be unreliable once the batteries start
running low.  You want a scale that has options for both grams and ounces.  Make
sure it has a tare button to zero out the weight of the measuring containers.

Mixing Utensils – Stick to spoons and spatulas made out of silicone, hard plastic
or stainless steel. Although mixing soap with a big wooden spoon is a romantic
notion, avoid wood as it can splinter over time when exposed to lye.  You don’t
want splinters in your soap!

Stick Blender – You will need a stick blender or immersion blender to blend the
soap.  Although this isn’t necessary, it does help cut down on the mixing time to
bring your soap to emulsion and trace.  They come with plastic or stainless steel
shafts – either will work.  Be sure you get one with a detachable shaft to make
cleanup easier.

Soap Mold – Soap is fluid when poured.  You will need something to hold it as it
hardens overnight. There are many types of molds you can use for soaping
ranging from more expensive wooden loaf and slab molds to inexpensive “found”
molds including Pringles cans, yogurt cups and shoeboxes. My favorite mold is a
10” silicone loaf molds from Bramble Berry. But if you are just starting, you can
line any type of box with freezer paper.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 06

EQUIPMENT & TOOLS

Containers for Making Your Lye Solution – I

recommend using only stainless steel or heavy duty
plastic.  Paint mixing plastic containers from the
hardware store work great. 

WARNING: Do not mix your lye solution in a glass

container. Even though Pyrex is known for never
shattering, I’ve heard stories of soapers who have
had containers shatter over the years, due to lye
etching the glass and causing week spots. I would
stay away from Pyrex or any glass for making your
lye solution.

Containers for Weighing out Oils and Mixing Soap – I

recommend using a stainless steel pot, a large glass
measuring bowl, a bucket or heavy duty paint mixing
containers.

WARNING: Do not use aluminum containers or

utensils. Sodium hydroxide reacts with aluminum,
creating hydrogen gas, so make sure that the only
metal you use is stainless steel.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 07

BASE OILS & BUTTERS

BASE OILS & BUTTERS

Different oils give soap different properties once saponified. Some oils create soft soap; some create hard
soap. Some create a soap that is mild and conditioning and some create a soap that can be drying (stripping
too much natural oil from the skin). It is important to use a mixture of oils to balance out the properties of
your finished soap.

Base oils and butters can be found locally but I recommend purchasing from soap suppliers to save money.
Refer to the supplier list for supplier suggestions.
 
Soapmaking oils and butters are comprised of a blend of fatty acids. These different fatty acids create soap
with unique characteristics and varying degrees of lather, hardness, shelf-life…etc. Here are some common
fatty acids and the oils in-which they are found in high percentages.

You don't need to memorize all of this or even really understand it at the moment! As you make more soap
and start formulating your own recipes, that's when you'll need to fully understand fatty acid profiles. If
you'd like to get a jump start on creating your own recipe, I highly recommend my Formulating eCourse!

Lauric Acid & Myristic Acid Palmitic Acid

   
Oils high in lauric & myristic acid create a soap with Oils high in palmitic acid create a soap with a long
a long shelf-life and abundant (but fleeting) lather. shelf-life and a stabilizing-creamy lather. These
These soaps tend to strip oil from the skin, and when soaps tend to be medium cleansing, neither
used in high amounts, create a soap that leaves your stripping the skin or leaving it too oily after use.
skin feeling tight and dry. Palmitic soaps are hard and full-bodied soaps that
  last a long time in the shower.
Oils include: Coconut Oil, Palm Kernel Oil and  
Babassu Oil -Primary oils include Palm Oil.
-Secondary oils where palmitic acid makes up the
second highest percentage in the oil’s fatty acid
profile include Tallow, Lard, Avocado Oil, Emu Oil,
Neem Oil and Rice Bran Oil.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 08

BASE OILS & BUTTERS

Stearic Acid Oleic Acid

   
Oils high in stearic acid create a soap with a stable Oleic acid creates soaps with a medium to long
shelf-life and low-creamy lather. Stearic soaps are shelf-life and low to medium lather. The lather
mildly cleansing and gentle on the skin. They create created is conditioning and moisturizing. Most the
hard and full-bodied soaps that last a long time in oils available to soapmakers are high in oleic acid or
the shower. at least contain some oleic acid.
   
-Primary oils include Sal Butter and Cocoa Butter. - -Primary oils containing oleic acid include Shea
Secondary oils where stearic acid makes up the Butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango Butter, Lard, Tallow,
second highest percentage in the oil’s fatty acid Avocado Oil, Emu Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Canola Oil,
profile include Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and Mango Sweet Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Olive Oil,
Butter. High Oleic Sunflower Oil, High Oleic Safflower
Oil, Jojoba Oil and Macadamia Nut Oil.
Ricinoleic Acid
  Linoleic Acid & Linolenic Acid
Ricinoleic acid is unique in that only one oil contains  
a high percentage. Castor oil contains 90% ricinoleic Oils high in linoleic acid and linolenic acid have a
acid and on its own creates a soap with almost no short shelf life and should be used in small
lather. Castor oil has solvent properties and when percentages in your recipe or your soap could
mixed with other oils, creates a soap that more develop rancidity. These oils contribute to a
easily dissolves, which increases the lathering ability conditioning lather and a silky feeling in soap.
of the soap.  
  -Primary oils include Soybean Oil, Cotton Seed Oil,
-The only oil containing ricinoleic acid is castor oil Grapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil, Canola
Oil and Hemp Seed Oil.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 09

SODIUM HYDROXIDE (LYE)

SODIUM HYDROXIDE (LYE)

It wouldn’t be a “lye” if I told you that ALL soap is
made with sodium hydroxide.  You can
occasionally find this at your local hardware
store.  Just make sure you are getting 100%
sodium hydroxide.  But to be extra careful and
save money, I recommend purchasing it from a
supplier. Sodium hydroxide is a highly corrosive
substance and safety precaution must be followed
when using it. We’ll go over safety in just a bit.

Where does sodium hydroxide come from? 

Sodium hydroxide (along with chlorine stemmed
from the same process) is the result of a salt
solution (sodium chloride in water) processed by
electrolysis.  Salt deposits are found all over the
world, some of the most pure deposits are found
underground.  The salt is mixed with water and
pumped from the earth as salt brine. It is then put
through the process of electrolysis to make
sodium hydroxide and chlorine.  Electrolysis is
basically a method of passing an electric current
through a liquid or solution.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 10

SODIUM HYDROXIDE (LYE)

LYE SAFETY!
Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic chemical.  Contact with skin and eyes can cause
severe irritation, burns and blindness.

When handling lye, you must wear safety goggles to protect your eyes and gloves to
protect your hands.  One splash of lye solution into your eye can permanently damage
your eyesight.  

Always make sure your environment is free from distractions including pets, children and
other family members.

When making your lye solution, always add your lye to the water- NEVER add your water
to the lye or a volcanic eruption can occur. One way to remember this is to say to yourself,
‘snow falls on the lake, lye falls on the water’. Make sure you mix your lye in a well-
ventilated area as it does let off fumes when first mixed with water.

An Important Note on Vinegar - If you’ve done some research on soapmaking you have
heard or come across that vinegar is often used to neutralize lye.  Though this is true, you
never want to use vinegar on your body to neutralize lye solution you might have splashed
on yourself.  This is because vinegar neutralizes lye by “flashing it out” and can cause an
even greater burn by doing so on your skin.  If lye has gotten onto your skin, simply rinse
off with cold water.  If lye has gotten into your eye, rinse with water and contact poison
control or go ahead a get to the emergency room.  Lye can permanently damage your eye
causing blindness.  No matter how comfortable you become with soaping, always wear
proper eye protection.  It only takes one splash to damage your eyesight forever. If you
spill lye on the counter or floor you can spray with a vinegar solution to neutralize and
wipe up with a paper towel. 

Bottom line:  If you get lye on your skin, flush with water. If you get lye on a surface,
neutralize with vinegar and rinse/wipe up with water.

Keep a copy of an MSDS for sodium hydroxide (your supplier can provide one) nearby and
the number to poison control written on it.  An accident probably won’t happen…but if it
does…you’ll be ready.  Make sure all of your family members (adults and kids) understand
the danger of sodium hydroxide and what it can do.  Clearly mark all containers that will
hold your lye solution so no one wondering through the kitchen on soaping day confuses it
for a beverage.  Again…not likely…but anything is possible

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 11

SCENTING YOUR SOAP

SCENTING YOUR SOAP:

ESSENTIAL OILS AND FRAGRANCE OILS!
Working with scents and aromas is a powerful thing.  Scents can evoke memories and emotions in a person
and that is truly part of the magic of soapmaking.  As soapmakers, the scents we choose for our soap reflect
emotions, memories, places and so many other things.  We’re inspired to make soap scented with a mix of
essential oils that makes us think of a perfume our grandmother used to wear, a garden we used to play in as
a child or maybe a mix of spicy oils that remind us of our mother’s kitchen around the holidays.  And when
someone else, even a complete stranger, holds that bar of soap to their nose and takes in the aroma they will
have their own reflection, journey back in time or memory conjured up.  And that is a powerful thing.  
      
Both fragrance oils and essential oils are used to scent soap.

Fragrance Oils
Fragrance oils are synthetic aromatic oils that are produced in a lab.  They are usually made up completely
from synthetic components or a mix of synthetic components and natural essential oils.  Fragrance oil
producers and perfumers are unlimited as to what aromas they can mimic and you'll find aromas that reflect
those naturally found such as lavender, peppermint, orange and more unique ones such as hot fudge sundae,
leather, cherry and even puppy’s breath! 

Usage in soap: 
Fragrance oils can typically be added to soap at .5 - 1 ounce per pound of oils.  Refer to the supplier’s
guideline and recommended usage rates.  If the supplier doesn’t have one, then I would start at .75 ounce per
pound of oils and go up or down from there.  Most reputable suppliers will be able to recommend usage rates
and also will be able to tell you how the fragrance oil reacts in the high pH environment of soap. 

There are some considerations when working with fragrance oils. 

Discoloration:  Some fragrance oils can discolor soap.  Vanilla or anything with vanilla can turn your soap
various shades of tan and brown.  If you choose any bakery type of scent that might contain vanilla, be sure
you keep that in mind when choosing your colorants.  A green colored soap scented with vanilla turns out to
be an ugly murky green tinted tan.  There are vanilla color stabilizers on the market but most are not stable
past a certain number of months and the soap will turn anyways.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 12

SCENTING YOUR SOAP

Acceleration:  Some fragrances can cause your soap to move fast, get thick quickly or even rice or seize
(totally harden up in the pot).  Floral and spice fragrances are notorious for acceleration.  Adding these types
of fragrances to the oils before adding your lye solution can sometimes help with this issue and give you
more time to work with fast moving fragrances. 

Overheating:  Some fragrance oils can cause your soap to heat up and sometimes overheat causing your soap
to crack or even mushroom out of the mold.  Just like acceleration, these are typically your floral and spice
fragrances but can also be random fragrances that come out of nowhere.  If you are working with a fragrance
oil that makes your soap hot, be sure you soap at cooler temps, don’t insulate your mold and you can even
put your soap in front of a fan or in the fridge or freezer to keep the temps down.   

It’s best to purchase fragrance oils from a supplier that tests their fragrance oils to ensure they work with
cold process soap.  Not all fragrance oils are created equal. You also want to make sure the fragrance oils you
purchase are cosmetic grade and body safe.  You will run across fragrance oils that are created for use in
candles or even some that are mixed with DPG (Dipropylene Glycol) for use in oil burners.  Don’t use these in
soap.

Essential Oils
Essential oils are oils extracted from part or the whole of a plant by distillation or expression. Some common
essential oils available to soapmakers are peppermint, lavender, tea tree, orange, patchouli, basil,
lemongrass, litsea, anise, plus many more.  Essential oils also have therapeutic qualities and just like
perfumers, soapmakers mix them together to create synergistic blends especially good for aromatherapy. 
Essential oils are considered a more natural way to fragrance soap. 

The topic of essential oils is too great and important of a topic for me to discuss in a basic soapmaking book. 
If you'd like to use them, I really encourage some further reading on the topic to learn their properties, uses
and contraindications.  There are several wonderful essential oil books out there.  I highly recommend books
by Robert Tisserand (www.roberttisserand.com) or Kayla Fioravanti (www.kaylafioravanti.com). 

Usage in soap:  Single essential oils or essential oils blends can typically be added to soap at .5-.75
ounces per pound of base oils. However, there are some exceptions. Oils that can be skin sensitizers, such as
cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and other spices, should be used in tiny amounts, if at all.

I recommend using the Essential Oil Calculator, eocalc.com, to determine safe usage amounts in your soap.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 13

SCENTING YOUR SOAP

If you are new to soapmaking, here are some suggestions for essential oils to start with and blends to use in
your soap.
 
Lavender – I love lavender in soap. Lavender is balancing, relaxing and if you sell soap, your customers will
be asking for it. It blends with so many other essential oils and sticks well even on its own.

Peppermint – Peppermint is another oil that is great on its own or blends well with other oils. Peppermint is
great for all year round but is especially popular during the holidays. I also like an essential oil called
cornmint (wild mint). It is similar to peppermint but is sweeter to my nose. I always have either peppermint
or cornmint in my arsenal of EO’s.

Folded Orange Essential Oil – Who doesn’t like the smell of fresh squeezed oranges? Folded citrus oils seem
to have more lasting power in soap.

Litsea Cubeba – Litsea (also known as May Chang) is my personal favorite essential oil. It is lemon smelling,
bright and uplifting. It gives my soap that citrus smell without disappearing as quickly as some other citrus
oils. It comes from an evergreen tree.

Tea Tree – Tea tree is one of the most useful essential oils out there. I use it on scrapes and bites and other
skin issues. Tea tree is anti-bacterial and makes for a great acne soap. It blends well with many other
essential oils.
 
Lemongrass – Lemongrass is bright, refreshing, stimulating and great as a natural insect repellent. I love
100% lemongrass soap but it blends nicely with other oils.

Patchouli – I know, I know. Patchouli is one of those oils that you either LOVE or HATE. With a passion. It is
earthy and heavy, rich and dark. If you get patchouli, get aged patchouli. Patchouli is one of those oils that
gets better with time. Put 4 oz. into a dark amber jar and hide it somewhere in your house. Find it in a few
years. Even if you don’t like patchouli on its own, it is a must have for blending. It anchors and creates depth
and drama.

If you'd like more essential oil blend ideas for your cold process soap, check out our eBook Essential Oil
Blends for Handcrafted Soap!

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 14

COLORING YOUR SOAP

COLORING YOUR SOAP:

A RAINBOW OF CHOICES!
You don't have to add color to your soap; and if you're completely new, I recommend you make your first
batch without color. But when you're ready...there are many types of soap colorants you can use to color
your cold process soap.  Here are some of the more widely used types.

Mineral Pigments (Oxides and Ultramarines) - Once commonly mined from the
earth, mineral pigments are now usually lab created to insure stability in
production and purity.  Mined material would sometimes contain lead, mercury or
other harmful components. These lab created materials are considered “nature
identical” which means that their chemical makeup is the same as how they occur
in nature. 

Pigments color soap by suspension of their tiny particles throughout the soap
mixture. Pigments are stable in high pH mixtures and tend to stay true to their
color in CP or HP soap. Start with a quarter of a teaspoon per pound of oil and go
up from there to get the desired color you are looking for. Mixing can sometimes
be tricky; I recommend mixing the dry pigment with a teaspoon or more of oil or
liquid glycerin. If it is clumpy, simply break up the clumps with a pop sickle stick
or spoon. Use your stick blender to mix into your soap. Mixing by hand doesn't
work well with mineral pigments.

Mica - Mica is what gives cosmetics, paint and other products sparkle. Mica comes
in tiny flakes – the bigger the flakes the more surface area for light to reflect, the
mores sparkly it will be. Mica (which is naturally gray/cream) is colored using
mineral pigment or dye coatings. Micas can be hit or miss in the high pH of soap so
make sure the micas that you buy are cold process soap stable.  Micas colored
using dyes can bleed or migrate in your soap. I recommend using 1 teaspoon per
pound of oil and go up from there depending on how brightly colored you want
your soap. Mica mixes in easily by hand.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 15

COLORING YOUR SOAP

Cosmetic Pigments (Neons & Brights) - Cosmetic pigments are a category of colorants that are blends
of FD&C/D&C dyes, sometimes, mineral pigments, and plastic coatings (copolymer). These are typically
neons and ultra-bright colorants.

The plastic coating does three things:

It makes the colorant solvent resistant. This means that it can be used in nail polish, which is quite
popular these days.
It makes it heat resistant. So, if you soap goes through gel phase, it won’t affect the colorant.
It makes it non-bleeding and non-morphing. Dyes are notorious for bleeding and for
morphing in the high pH environment of cold process soap. By coating the dyes with
copolymer, the do not bleed or morph.

I recommend using 1 teaspoon per pound of oil and go up from there depending on how
brightly colored you want your soap. Cosmetic pigments do not mix into soap easily by
hand so mix with oil first, and then mix into your soap using a stick blender.

Dye & Lakes - Dyes (FD&C or D&C) and lakes (dye + metallic salt) can be used to color
soap. These are personally my least favorite type of colorant to use because they tend to
bleed and morph in cold process soap. You don't want to make a beautiful purple soap and
then wake up to a green soap. If you do go with dyes or lakes, be sure the supplier states
that they are okay to use in the high pH of cold process soap. Follow their usage rates as
various products contain different dye loads.

Natural Colors - Herbs, spices, charcoal and cosmetic clay make wonderful natural soap colorants. Not
only do you get color, but also many have wonderful properties that they lend your soap. Here are some
color ideas:

Purple/Pink/Red/Mauve – Alkanet Root, Madder Root, Yellow Dock Root, Rattanjot, Rose Clay
Purple/Blue - Indigo, Woad, Alkanet
Yellow/Orange/Peach - Turmeric, Annatto Seed, Paprika, Orange Peel Powder, Yarrow Powder, Ginger
Powder, Orange Clay
Brown/Tan - Cocoa, Rosehip Powder, Black Walnut Powder, Cinnamon, Chamomile Powder, Stevia Leaf
Powder, Witch Hazel Powder, Kelp Powder
Green - Nettle, Spirulina, Parsley, Comfrey Root, Spinach Powder, Rosemary, French Green Clay
Black/Gray - Charcoal

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 16

THE BASIC PROCESS

THE BASIC PROCESS:

COLD PROCESS SOAP
USING A SCALE: Accurate weighing of lye, oils and water is necessary for consistent and successful
soapmaking. If you’ve never used a scale before, practice weighing ingredients using the directions that came
with your scale. Place a container on the scale. Hit tare. By hitting tare, you are zeroing out the weight of the
container. You want to weigh only what you place into the container, not the container itself.

CHOOSE ANY RECIPE FROM THE BASIC COLD PROCESS SOAP RECIPES! I'm going to use My Favorite
Soap Recipe in this example.

Step 1: Weigh the water into a container. Gear up in your goggles and gloves
before you handle the lye. Do not attempt these steps until you have read the
section on lye safety. 

Place an empty water container on the scale and press tare.  This will subtract the
weight of the container and the scale should read zero. Weigh the water into your
container. Remove from the scale and set aside.

Step 2: Weigh the lye into a container. Place an empty container on the scale and
press the tare button. Weigh the lye into your container.

You should have two containers; one with water and one with lye.

Step 3: Mix the lye solution. Pour the lye into the water while stirring. It is very
important that you pour the lye into the water and not the water into the lye.  If
you were to pour the water onto the lye…a crust would form trapping vapors
underneath and the mixture would explode out of your container.  Remember
snow falls on the lake…lye falls on the water. 

Never use a glass container to mix the lye solution in, as it heats up quickly and
can cause a glass container to shatter.  Use either a stainless steel spoon or a
silicone utensil to stir.  Stir it…let it sit until it becomes clear (5-10 minutes) then
stir again to make sure all of the lye is dissolved. It will fume…so stand back while
stirring and stir in a well ventilated area

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 17

THE BASIC PROCESS

Now, we'll prepare our base oils.

Step 4: Weigh the hard oils & butters and melt. Hard oils are any oils that are
solid at room temperature, such as coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter and shea
butter. When doing small batches I like to measure out my hard oils into the
container that I will be mixing in. 

Set your container on the scale and press tare so that the scale reads zero.  Weigh
out your first solid oil.  Press tare so that the scale says zero and measure out the
next solid oil into the same container.  Repeat for each solid oil. 

Next we'll need to melt them. You can either use the microwave to melt the oils or
if you’re doing a big batch – melt the oils in a stainless steel pot on the stove.  Use
low-med heat.  Melt the oils just until melted and not longer.

Step 5 - Weigh the liquid oils. You can either weigh out the liquid oils directly
into the melted oils or you can measure them out into a separate container and
then add to the melted oils.  If you are new, I recommend measuring the liquid oils
out into a separate container. Here, I’m simply going to measure the liquid oils
into the melted oils.   

Place your container of melted solid oils onto the scale and press tare so it reads
zero.  Weigh out the liquid oils pressing tare between each one. 

Step 6 - Add the essential oil to the melted oils. You can either weigh the essential
oil into a separate container or you can place the container of oils on the scale,
tare the scale and add the correct amount of essential oil. Never measure
essential or fragrance oils into plastic or Styrofoam as it can eat through the
container.

Step 7 - Add any colors and additives. If you are making a single colored soap, you
can add your color at this point. If you have additives to add, you can add here as
well.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 18

THE BASIC PROCESS

Step 8 - Time to stickblend! Gear up in your goggles and

gloves if you took them off to prepare the oils.

Touch the outside of both the oil container and the lye
container.  They should feel warm but not hot.  If they feel
hot, then let them sit for a bit longer.  I typically don't
take temps but you certainly can and it's probably a good
idea when just starting out.  Aim for a temperature of 90-
110°F for the oils and lye.  If the lye is a bit cooler you
shouldn't have any problems...you just don't want it too
hot. They don't have to be the exact same temperature. As
long as each is in range, you're good to go!  

Pour the lye solution into the melted oils.  Stir as you pour
(you can use your stick
blender turned off).

Submerge your stick blender into the soap mixture and

pulse for about 5 seconds. 
Turn off the stick blender and mix manually for about 5-10
seconds.  Make sure you move your stick blender around
and are pulling the mixture from the bottom of the
container to the top.  Repeat until you reach trace.

How do you know if you've reached trace? Let me show

you on the next page!

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 19

THE BASIC PROCESS

A VISUAL GUIDE
TO TRACE
Trace is when your soap has emulsified and is thick enough to leave a mark on the soap surface when you
drizzle raw soap from a spatula or stick blender while mixing. Getting your soap mixed to trace will ensure
that it doesn't separate in the mold and that it becomes...soap!

The lye solution is added and stickblender The soap is starting to emulsify. You can tell
turned on. by the color starting to change. We know its
not done yet because you can clearly see oil
separated either floating on top or as
streaks throughout the mixture.  Keep
mixing.

The soap is nice and emulsified. It is similar The soap has traced. You can visually see
in color and there is no oil floating on top. soap sit on the surface of the mixture when
You could probably pour this into the mold, drizzled off a spatula or stick blender.
but to be certain, mix until a clear trace has
shown.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 20

THE BASIC PROCESS

Step 9 - Pour the soap into your mold.

Step 10 - Cleanup. When you pour your soap into the mold make sure you use a
silicone spatula to get out every bit of soap that you can from the container.  If
you have a bit left over, keep a small container like a yogurt cup or single cavity
mold available for overflow.  Never pour raw soap down the drain.  Wipe all of the
raw soap from containers and utensils then wash everything as usual with an oil
cutting cleaner. 

I know some people that use cloth towels to wipe everything down, leave them to
sit until the next day and launder as usual once it’s turned into soap.  I’ve run into
issues with this, as soap has oils left unsaponified. You don’t want that oil buildup
in your washer.

Step 11 - Unmold your soap. Most soap can be unmolded 24 hours after being
poured.  Soap that is high in soft oils might need an extra 24 hours to harden up
enough to unmold and cut.  Soap that is high in hard or brittle oils might be ready
a bit sooner.  If your soap went through gel phase then it might be ready to
unmold sooner than soap that did not going through gel phase.

If you're using a silicone mold, gently pull the sides of the mold away from your
soap and see if it is clean. If any soap is sticking, let it sit longer. You can also
press on the soap a bit. It should be firm, like a firm cheddar cheese. If it is soft
like butter, let it sit longer.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 21

THE BASIC PROCESS

CUTTING YOUR SOAP

Once unmolded, your soap can be cut.  There is no right way or wrong way to cut soap.  It is simply a matter
of preference.  You can cut it into chunks or bars.  Try a couple of different shapes and widths and see what
feels best in your hand.  To cut soap you can use a stainless steel knife or my favorite tool, a pastry cutter.

There are also many cutters on the market that help with consistency and cutting even bars. Here are some
examples of soap cutting tools.

A simple miter box with a straight pastry A miter box with a vegetable crinkle/wavy
cutter can be used to make clean and smooth cutter can be used for unique wavy cuts.
cuts.

This is a multi-bar cutter that uses guitar The cut soap!

strings to cut a whole loaf of soap with one
swoop.  These are bit more expensive but
are great for getting consistent and perfect
cuts of soap.

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 22

THE BASIC PROCESS

CURING AND STORING YOUR SOAP

Cold process soap needs to cure 4-6 weeks.  During the cure time, water evaporates making your soap harder
and longer lasting in the shower.  Also during this time, the last bit of saponification takes place making your
soap less harsh and much nicer to use.
 
Soap is best cured in a cool dry area with plenty of air circulation.  Line up the soap in rows making sure that
the bars are not touching.  If your curing rack is metal, make sure it is stainless steel and not aluminum as
there can be a tiny amount of active lye upon cutting.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE MADE SOAP!

WHAT'S NEXT?

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 23

VIDEO SERIES

BASIC COLD PROCESS SOAP VIDEO SERIES!

Now that you've read about the process, it can be really
helpful to watch a video of the process! You can even soap
along with me...pausing and playing the videos as you go! I'm
a visual person and video really helps me learn!

Grab Basic Soapmaking Mini Course

for only $7! (Regular price is $49)

SIGN UP!
This offer is only available for a limited time!

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 24

COLD PROCESS SOAP
RECIPES

BASIC COLD PROCESS SOAP RECIPES!

These are some of my favorite recipes to get you started!

Basic Body Bar Basic Body Bar - More

This soap recipe is a great recipe for Bubbles
beginners. It has a wonderful mix of oils
This bar contains a higher amount of
that create a bar that is hard, bubbly and
coconut oil, which will produce more
emollient. This is pretty much my go-to
bubbles than the basic body bar.
recipe when making soap for family,
 
friends and myself. It is also the recipe I
Base Oils & Scent
use in most of my soapmaking classes.
Coconut Oil - 342 grams (38%)
 
Olive Oil - 270 grams (30%)
Base Oils & Scent
Avocado Oil - 72 grams (8%)
Coconut Oil - 306 grams (34%)
Rice Bran Oil - 126 grams (14%)
Olive Oil - 306 grams (34%)
Shea Butter - 90 grams (10%)
Avocado Oil - 72 grams (8%)
 
Rice Bran Oil - 126 grams (14%)
Lye Solution
Shea Butter - 90 grams (10%)
Lye - 129 grams
Fragrance - 30 grams
Water - 258 grams
 
Lye Solution
Lye - 127 grams
Water - 254 grams

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 25

COLD PROCESS SOAP
RECIPES

BASIC COLD PROCESS SOAP RECIPES!

Basic Body Bar - More Basic Body Bar - Trifecta

Moisture This is a classic formula for creating a
wodnerful bar of soap. I'll provide it for
This bar contains a higher amount of olive
both lard/tallow and palm oil.
oil, which makes the bar less stripping of
 
your skin’s natural oils. It will not have as
Lard or Tallow Soap
much lather as the previous two bars but
Base Oils & Scent
will be gentler.
Coconut Oil - 297 grams (33%)
 
Olive Oil - 306 grams (34%)
Base Oils & Scent
Lard or Tallow - 297 grams (33%)
Coconut Oil - 270 grams (30%)
 
Olive Oil - 342 grams (38%)
Lye Solution
Avocado Oil - 72 grams (8%)
Lye - 130 grams
Rice Bran Oil - 126 grams (14%)
Water - 260 grams
Shea Butter - 90 grams (10%)
 
Palm Oil Soap
Lye Solution
Base Oils & Scent
Lye - 126 grams
Coconut Oil - 297 grams (33%)
Water - 252 grams
Olive Oil - 306 grams (34%)
Palm Oil - 297 grams (33%)

Lye Solution
Lye - 131grams
Water - 262 grams

BASIC SOAPMAKING | WWW.LOVINSOAP.COM PAGE 26