SOAP

MAKING
REGIEZ NOVEM P. IDULSA
Chemical Technician
Natural Products Research and Development Center
Central Mindanao University
 CON-
TENTS

01 History of Soap

02 Chemistry Behind Soap Mak-

ing
03 Soap Making Process

04 Methods of Soap
Making
01 History of Soap
History of Soap

1. Mt. Sapo
Soap got its name from an ancient Roman legend
about Mount Sapo. Rain would wash down the
mountain mixing with animal fat and ashes, re-
sulting in a clay mixture found to make cleaning eas-
ier. 

2. Ancient Egypt
Records show ancient Egyptians bathed regularly.
The Ebers papyrus, a medical document from about
1500 BC describes combining animal and vegetable
oils with alkaline salts to form a soap-like material
used for treating skin diseases, as well as for wash-
ing.
 Chemistry
02
of Soap Mak-
ing
 Soap

Is the result of the neutralization of an acid and a base. In

soap making, the acid is the oil and the base is the
soaping agent or the alkali.
 Saponification

Saponification is a process that involves the conversion of

fat, oil, or lipid, into soap and alcohol by the action of
heat in the presence of aqueous alkali. Soaps are salts of
fatty acids and fatty acids are monomers of lipids that
have long carbon chains.
 Materials

FAT ALKALI ADDITIVES

Oils (Palm Oil, Co- Sodium Hydroxide Essential oils,
conut Oil, Olive (Caustic Soda) or vitamins, extracts,
Oil and many Potassium fragrance and
more). Hydroxide (Caustic others.
Potash): Forms
could be in flakes
or pellets
 Hazards

Hydroscopic means a substance that

absorbs moisture in the air.
03
Soap Making
Process
Full-Boiled Process

• Large amount of alkali is combines with

oil and boiled to effect saponification
• Series of steps are done to remove the
impurities, neutralize any excess lye and
separate out glycerine for recovery.
• Soap is then grained out of the mixture by
the addition of brine solution. The mixture
will separate with the soap in the top
and the impurities, excess alkali and
glycerine on the bottom.
• Once separated, glycerine is recovered
Semi-Boiled Process

• Fats and oils to be made into soap

are mixed with sufficient amount
of alkali solution to effect
saponification
• External heat is then applied while
stirring the mixture continuously
• Glycerine is left in the soap
• Used in the manufacture of
transparent soap
Cold Process

• Lye and water are added to various

fats such as coconut oil, and stirred
until blend becomes soap.
• No external heat used
• Heat is generated by the
exothermic reaction between the
oils and alkalis is utilized to carry out
the saponification process.
• Mixture is allowed to stand in
containers where saponification
reaction proceeds at a slow rate.
 Methods
04
Soap Making
Basic Tools and Equipment

• Soap Molds
• Mixing bowls
• Stirrers
Basic Tools and Equipment

• Cutters
• Weighing Scale (For accurate Weighing)
• Plastic wares and measuring cups
Recommended Materials for Soap Making
Tools and/or Equipment

• Plastic
• Wood
• Rubber
• Teflon
• Silicon
• Stainless
• Or any material that will
not react with the
alkali
Saponification Value of Fat (SAF)

• A number that represents the

amount of alkali (NaOH/ KOH)
needed to completely saponify a
gram of specific fat or oil
• Makes use of common fats
molecular weight to come up
with a constant value used for
easier soap making
• Available as charts or tables for
soap making references
Solution Formulas

1. (Amount of oil) x (SAF

Value) = Amount of NaOH/
KOH

2. (Amount of NaOH/KOH)/0.33
= Amount of Caustic Solutions

3. (Amount of Caustic Solution)-

(Amount of NaOH/KOH) =
Amount of Water
Safety First!
SAF of Common Base Oils

Coconut oil (refined) – 0.190

Coconut oil (Virgin) – 0.1946
Olive Oil – 0.134
Palm Oil – 0.141
Base Oil Ratio

You can never go wrong with a 34/33/33

ratio. That’s 34% olive oil, 33% coconut
oil, and 33% palm oil.
They’re commonly used because they
complement each other well.
Palm oil acts as a secondary lathering agent
and hardens the soap, coconut oil is
cleansing and produces big bubbles, and
olive oil is moisturizing and gives bars
a silky feeling.
You can also have 30/30/30/10; 10% for
other oils
How to calculate how much of oil to use

1. Look for the dimensions of your mold.

2. The volume of your mold will determine how much of oil you
are going to use.
Example:
The mold in the picture measures: 3.5 inches
long X 3.5 inches wide X 2.5 inches deep.
When we multiply 3.5*3.5*2.5 we get: 30.6
oz. The 30.6 oz is the volume of the mold. This
is how much soap can fit into the mold.
1. Multiply the volume by 40%.
So, 30.6*.40 equals to 12.24 oz
or 347 g. The 40% consists of
35% for the water and 5% of
the sodium hydroxide, they
need room in the mold too.
2. Now you need to multiply, how
many molds you are going to
fill-up, and that’s how will you
start experimenting on the soap
formulation.
Experimental Calculation
Soap Making Best Practice

1.Do some research before getting started

Preparation is key when it comes to soaping.
First and foremost, it’s important to know
how to work with lye. Sodium hydroxide is
safe to use as long as you handle it properly.
It’s also important to research what
equipment you’re going to use, what recipe
you’ll be making, what colors and fragrance
you’ll use, etc.
Soap Making Best Practice

2. Prepare the ingredients and soaping area ahead of

time
Before getting started, arrange all the
tools you’ll need – whisks, bowls,
spoons – on your soaping area. Then,
make sure to disperse powdered col-
orants and measure your fragrance or
essential oil in a glass container.
Soap Making Best Practice

3. Testing new ingredients

Each ingredient added to the recipe will affect
the final bar of soap. For instance, adding a
high percentage of olive oil  makes softer bars
than a recipe with a high percentage of
hard oils, like coconut. Fragrance oils also af -
fect the soap. Certain fragrances
can accelerate trace or cause the soap to
separate or rice. That’s why it’s important to
test new fragrances, colorants or ingredients in
your recipe before making a larger
batch. You can see how the item performs and
adjust if necessary.
Soap Making Best Practice

4. Don’t get discouraged

Even with the best research and preparation,
mistakes can happen. It can be frustrating to
have a batch that didn’t turn out exactly like
you planned. Don’t get discouraged. Each mis-
take is an opportunity to learn and improve on
your next batch. Practice makes perfect.
The best part about soaping is there are so
many ways to save your batch.
THANK
YOU