First Time Making Soap

So I made my first batch of soap recently, and I think it turned out pretty good! It is still in the "curing" stage which lasts 3-6 weeks. Over this period of time the bar hardens so that it will be nicer and last longer. Also, by this time all of the lye will be gone from the soap (all true soap must be made with lye). For my soap I used olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil and castor oil. I made my soap using the "cold process" method. For more information on making your own soap and great free recipes I highly recommend reading the Soap Queen Blog.  You can find great soap making tools from Brambleberry and Wholesale Supplies Plus.  I also recommend the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Natural Soaps" by Sally Trew. There is great information in this book on what types of oils you can use and what properties they add to the soap, as well as recipes. It was very easy and fun to make my own soap but be sure to research extensively on the proper use and procedures of using lye before trying to make your own.

Getting ready to make my soap, I am also wearing rubber gloves.  When using lye you have to be very, very careful.  If it comes in contact with your skin immediately pour vinegar directly on your skin before doing anything else and don't try to just wash it off with water, lye can eat through your skin.  Here is a great link on handling lye and a lot more videos on soap making.

Here is the soap right after I mixed it all together.

This is after letting the soap sit for 48 hours, now it can be cut.

All of the soap is cut and now must harden for 3-6 weeks.  It smells so good!