How to make an Organic Soap at home
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The most used title of many hubs from us, HubPages writers begins with ‘how’.
This hub is not an exception. It is also related to many ‘hows’ that are featured in HubPages.
Many brands of commercial soaps are in the market. There are lye-based soap and others claim to be organic ones.
I’ve also made lye-based soap for my investigatory project in my high school years. It corroded some parts of my hands when it accidentally penetrated my gloves. And you cannot bear the fumes when you heat it and mix with other ingredients, such as essential oil, caustic soda, salt, etc. Even if you use mask, you can still inhale the dangerous fumes of lye.
Making organic soap may solve several problems at home, like the budget in buying commerical soap including your skin problem. Why? Because the main ingredients are all organic fruits and vegetables.
You can try these ingredients:
a) carrots - rich in Vitamin A and beta carotene and the juice is good for skin rejuvenation or prevent wrinkles and skin pigmentation
b) banana - rich in potassium and you can apply it at the scalp of your head to reduce thinning hair
c) papaya - rich in Vitamin D and papaine and the mashed flesh is used as facial mask and skin softening agent
d) kalamansi or lemoncito (small lemons) - is rich in Vitamin C and contains alpha-hydrolic acid that helps whiten our skin
e) virgin coconut oil - is rich in natural fatty acids that cures skin rashes or inflammation
If we combine these organic ingredients, it is possible to create a new but non-commercial soap that you can make at home.
We will reduce now the ingredients for the conventional soap-making at home. We can now remove caustic soda that is abrasive or irritating to the skin. We will remove it because we’re making a bath soap that is both user-friendly and good for the environment.
We will never add lye because it is also a dangerous agent if not handled properly. I remember using it in the chem lab that almost destroyed my hand gloves when it melted, just like caustic soda.
Repurposing our bath soaps can also be an alternative. If you have babies at home, it's dangerous to handle commercial lye. Or better yet, you can use ashes of burnt rice straws as an alternative.
My alternative procedure in soapmaking
- For Saponification. Instead a group of natural oil (such as lavender, coconut oil, camphor oil and other herbal extracts) that we can combine plus lard as an additive for aroma and as gel agent respectively.
- Your choice of essences. We will mix the featured organic fruits and vegetables (carrots, banana, papaya, kalamansi juice and coconut virgin oil) for the rest of the process.
- Cold Process. Put it in the available mold, as in rectangular pan then it harden for about a day. Then, divide it according to your liking. It can be a very good gift to your friends and neighbors. With a good explanation about the health benefits of the ingredients you have mixed, it can be an instant hit at your home. I’m sure, you can now start a good home business with this kind of organic soap.
What name should I call it? Travel Man’s Soap? Well, I have to register it first at SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) here in the Philippines in order to be legit. What do you opine?
What is needed for Basic soap making
Qualities of oil to be used vary from soft to hard soap products.
- Palm oil, beef tallow and lard produce hard but long lasting soap.
- Coconut, palm and corn kernel oil produce soap with huge amount of lather or bubbles.
- Olive oil, canola, sunflower and soy oil are good for moisturizer.
- Cocoa butter, shea butter, almond oil, hemp oil and jojoba are superb as moisturizer and use in making luxury soaps.
If you combine these oils, you can choose whether or not to use only vegetable oil or animal oil as well.
- 30% tallow, 25% coconut oil, 45 % olive oil (This will make a basic bar of soap)
- Try combining natural or herbal oils, like: 25% palm oil, 25% coconut oil, 25% olive oil, 15 % canola oil, 10% sunflower oil. This will also make a good recipe on soap making.
- By adjusting each percentage and adding less than 10% of castor oil, it will balance the lather and creaminess of the soap.
Commercial soap qualities
Did you ever noticed that some commercial soap are irritating to the eyes and not good for the skin. By making huge batches of soap commercially, the quality suffered.
Baby soaps are hypoallergenic (not abrasive to the skin) so I tend to use them.
Some bath soaps are so fragrant but hard to skin. I tried using soap that said it is for women's only. I don't think men's skin are different from women.
So, are you ready to try it at home? I tried one, too, but my budget at present can never supply for big batches. Experimenting is fun. We had all the laughs, frustration and success when making the soap recipes.
Organic Soap Making by VermontSoap
A Basic Soap Making Method Without Lye
One of those who commented in this hub, lilchoc, tried finding the answer why I didn't include lye in making my home-made soap. So, here's the basic procedure for those hubbers and offline HP readers who are interested to try this at home.
Repurposing a batch of Ivory soap by adding your own herbs and essential oils is a fun and easy way to create soap. You can start it at any time.
Supplies:
- ¼ cup water
- Dried and pulverized herbs
- Essential oil
- Approximately two cups shredded Ivory soap
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Glass plate
- Soap making mold (optional)
Instructions:
- Pour boiling water over your herbs.
- Add five or six drops of essential oil.
- Bring to a boil, stirring regularly.
- Pour mixture over the shredded Ivory soap.
- Mix well.
- Wait 20 minutes.
- Divide the mixture into several small balls or press into the selected soap making mold.
- Let dry for three to four days on a glass plate in an cool area of your home.
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Super great - and I like what 'thesailor' just said - this will be a perfect small business. I've given up on the supermarket soaps that are harsh and filled with tons of chemicals. There is in fact a company here in Brooklyn, that started a home based organic soap business - the soaps use the ingredients you mentioned - and are magnificent. But still I would want to know how to do this so I can try something unusual - once I know the basics you've listed here and the 'whys' I can play a bit.
And what a great project to do with children!
Thanks so much! Bookmarked!!!!
Thanks, BK Creative! I have fun writing it and doing it with my niece who pestered me by eating the banana and papaya. Nevertheless, I was able to make one by just using coconut oil and lard from pork. By the way, you can also bought lard (without the fried smell) from the market. It didn't hardened too much but still, it lathered and felt soft to the skin. I tried oregano leaves for the herbal essence. It seems that I can also cure symptoms of cold with Travel Man's soap.
This is really an interesting hub. There's a summer short course in school about soap making. I think I had to attend to the subject. Thanks for this, travel_man1971.
Thanks for giving me these organic recipes. Nice work.
You're welcome, Sandyspider. We shouldn't rely too much on what we bought from the store. If the ingredients are available, we can use it to make things possible at home, as in soap making. It is both practical and cheap, budget-wise.
where's the recipe? :O
I presented the ingredients in a conversation-like hub. Portioning will depend on you, pizza if you want to make a basic soap, luxury soap and so on.
"We will reduce now the ingredients for the conventional soap-making at home. We can now remove caustic soda that is abrasive or irritating to the skin. We will remove it because we’re making a bath soap that is both user-friendly and good for the environment.
We will never add lye because it is also a dangerous agent if not handled properly. I remember using it in the chem lab that almost destroyed my hand gloves when it melted, just like caustic soda."
How is soap made without using any lye?
@lilchoc: How about repurposing your bath soap that can be both harsh to your skin and your baby, if ever you have at home.
Handling a lye in a raw state can be corrosive. Thanks, for pinpointing the importance of lye as the major item for saponification.
Oh by the way, there are many kinds of soap,
1. Hard soap-using sodium hydroxide
2. Soft bath soap using lye or potassium hydroxide
3. Metallic soap like lithium or calcium soaps
The crude version of lye is the rice stalks or burnt ashes, when diluted with water makes an affordable alternative for commercial lye.
Thanks for asking. I corrected my error. My bad. LOL ^-^
What in incredibly informative blog. Thank you very much!
@Rich C: Thanks for incredibly liking this hub. Hope you enjoy making an organic soap as much as I do.
I bought soap recently that was made using 100 percent olive oil - no other ingredients. It doesn't lather up too much, but it feels nice and natural on the skin. Interesting article - thanks for posting it! :)
Thanks for the info, fojoshicat. I'm sure readers will include it as valuable as my hub.
where can i buy the ingredients & molders? do you any seminars or training conducted? tnx
I haven't done any seminars on soap-making since this is a home endeavor.If you want to buy the ingredients on-line, Amazon is the best site for you. For bulk production, grocery stores will surely help you find the ingredients you needed. Good luck!
how can i make my organic soap hard?
There are liquid soaps nowadays. You can still use it. Adjust the lard portioning. It's included here in my hub.
I do not think I am ready to make my own soaps as yet but I will soon. you did a great lens.
@bugslady8949: Thanks. Take your time. One day, you'll be craving to make one.
hello
I'm really impressed..
I also learned that I was curious about several months ago and at the end.
making soap is actually much simpler than you think.Thanks to this book (http://tinyurl.com/6a552gx )and loved ones in your own natural soaps gift I am doing. of course if you prefer you can have in a separate income.as well as very cheaper
Many thanks to everyone..:)
I still don't understand, Why should I use soap to make soap!
@pelinhestia: Thanks for the appreciation. Yes, making soap is simpler than we think. Thanks for the link.Readers will find it very useful.
@kafsoa: You should try this. Leftover soaps can be used instead of new ones, to make your re-purposed soap or a more organic soap.
What is rice stalks? where can I find it?
@cgl: It is the raw material for making an organic lye. Philippines is an agricultural country where farming and cultivating rice is the main job of the farmers.
It used to be an ingredient in making crude soap at the farm, made by Filipino farmers.
Excellent hub. Maybe i will try it someday. Great work
@ubanichijioke: Thank you for appreciating. Soap making at home is always an enjoyable thing to do. You can mix your own based from the ingredients I've mentioned here.
Thank you kuya for your wonderful post.. I am thinking of putting up a small business catering organic products and I'm glad i found your page..
@Jessica: Thanks for your appreciation on this hub. Good luck on your future business venture. I am sure it will be successful.
Hi, it's a lovely page. I was wondering - when you list the ingredients above, do you suggest using the melt-and-pour method or just mixing oils together and heating them up? I didn't quite understand. Thank you.
@China Mom: It's heating them up because you pour the boiling water unto it. Thanks for the clarification.
Thanks! I don't have ivory soap but I will try to do it with clear MP base I have and let you know it works out!
@China Mom: Thanks again. Yes, you can do it if you don't have ivory soap.
Great hub.I'm interested in all things organic and would love to try making my own soap, thanks for all the great information.
@Wild Butterfly: You're welcome. It's good to know that you're also applying what I've learned in making homemade soap.
we have an investigatory project at school, can i use this experiment at school? i'm from Philippines and i really love whitening soap that good for our skin.. so what do you think guys can use this thing?
Do you have schedule for soap making herbal/organic.kindly text me
09287804772.Thanks a lot
@student: Sure, student. You can use this. Take extra care when handling the ingredients. Yes, guys can use this thing.
@Leah M. Silva: Not for now. I don't demonstrate soap making in public but I can perform if time permits.
Thanks for trusting me with your cellular number.
I LOVE THIS POST. VERY HELPFUL! (and yes, it was intentionally in Caps :)
@Mice Aliling: A VERY BIG APPRECIATION TO YOU! THANKS A LOT!!!
I was getting SO discouraged. You have NO idea how many sites I looked at before I found yours. I really DONT want to use lye and all I found were sites that said you HAVE to. I was beginning to think I would never be able to make organic green tea soap. Thank you SO much for this!
Why not use glycerine to make soap?
we have lots of burnt rice stalks here. how am i going to add it to make a herbal soap? what is the procedure and ratio? thanks a lot.
@travel man: what is the procedure in making organic soap? 'cause we've tried to make it at home but we failed to make it.. can i give you my cp # in case of emergency.? 09488412297. no textmate please. tnx!
@Sandytoo: I'm glad you found my post on HubPages. I hope this helps.
@lily: Yes, it is also used for hypo-allergenic soap that is intended for people having highly-sensitive skin.
In this hub, the re-purposed soaps are like that.
@sherry: You can see the proportion of soap ingredients on the following:
Beginner 4.5 pound Soap Recipe - makes just under 4.5 lbs of soap
16oz Canola Oil
16oz Coconut Oil
16oz Palm Oil
6.9oz Lye (5% superfatted)
15.8oz Water
These ingredients are to be used in cold process in soap making.
Now, where would your burnt rice stalks go? Yo can use it instead of lye and use also the proportion.
I hope this answers your query or you can buy a soap making book for beginners at the nearest book store.
@student: Please read the lowest portion of my article, you'll find the re-purposing procedure in soap making.
Best of luck to you.
P.S. Right now, I don't have time texting you.I hope you understand.
Thanks for the post. I don't understand how repurposing soaps that are not organic will make an organic soap. Commercially made soaps have petro chemicals in them that I don't want to use. Wouldn't I be exposing myself to these chemicals if I use repurposed soap?
this is great! I will try this at home. where can we buy ashes of burnt rice straws? are there other organic alternatives available aside from rice straws?
sir, san po kau nakabili ng hemp oil? tga QC area po ako :)
Hi there, naka ilang trial nako ng soap pero di pa din tumigas, agn gamit ko Olive oil, coconut oil, Castor oil at soybean oil tapos me essesnce ako, tapos yung lye na nabili ko po eh liquid na, sinunod ko naman yung ibang instructions sa mga nabasa ko sa internet pero di ko pa din magawang mapatigas... Panu po kaya yun? Tsaka tama po ba yung nabili ko na lye? nakalagay sa knya water sodium hydroxide, pero di nakalagay kung ilang percent yung andun, Mr.Brown yung brand nung Lye, pa help naman po sir pls thanks... Project po ito thanks...
Thank you for your pos ...
I want to buy soap making tools such sa digital scale, hand blener, thermometer. so, if you can till the best brand and where to buy from?
sapondaer@gmail.com
anybody here who knows where to buy soap ingredients its really hard for me to find one. from my training they didn't give me the list please send it at dxnphil@gmail.com thanks
@centralplains81: No need for tiring yourself about it. Just follow the basic organic ingredients I've mentioned on my first text capsule plus lard and other organic essence, then you'll have your homemade organic soapa.
@Than: Hindi ako bumili ng hemp oil.You can try asking for virgin coconut oil, if it's that what you mean.
BTW, I'm from Bicol and right now, I am here in Paranaque City, Manila.
@Bart: Thanks for your account. Wala ka bang lard na dinagdag? I mean you can buy that commercial lard (usually added) for saponification or used as soap hardener.
You can try it again. Just omit the lye. You can use the organic ingredients I suggested here plus the melted lard for the cold process of soapmaking.
Good luck!!!
@Sapondader: I didn't included those utensils for soap-making here in my hub.
Regarding recommendation, I don't know if the brand we're using here in the Philippines are available at your area.
I hope you reply soon regarding this. I cannot email you right now. My apology. :D
@francis tudlong: Hey, kabayan. You can just follow my link below regarding your query.
http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/classifieds+dire
Good luck to you!!! :D
I am a bit confused and this may seem silly... I do not have to use animal product right? I like the idea of natural oils seeing that I have 4 young daughters ranging in the ages of 8 month twins and 2 and 4. Can I get a recipe that is simple using the oils?
Hello Authorhub, thanks for this wonderful piece, is there any way to make a body cream with almost thesame phenomenon..
Thanks for post such a valuable expiriment with conffidant
still i am not understand what is rice instead of lye what is the % need to use if we can get cleare procedure really apriciate
@laura dees: Sorry to keep you waiting for my answer. Don't be confused.
Just follow the procedure that I've written below my article.
It will never disturb your child-rearing episodes.
Thanks for dropping by. :D
@Dr cruse: I'm sure there is another procedure in making body cream.
(ALthough, I only concentrate in making home-made soaps.)
Here's I can suggest:
For the OILS: You will need either almond oil, apricot kernel oil, coconut oil, or butter or the much-hype Jojoba oil ( For a 120 ml body cream, you need 1.5 ounces for this or 35 ml.)
For the EMULSIFIERS/THICKENERS or WAX: 15 grams or 1/2 ounce is needed for xanthan gum, beeswax, palm stearic acid or vegetable emulsifying wax.
For the LIQUID part: 70 ml or 2.5 ounces of distilled water, florasols or green tea (You can avoid the last as it can stain on your clothes.)
You can choose your combination of ingredients based from the suggested materials above.
Thanks for dropping by Doc!!!
@jayakumar: 6.8 ounces (oz) lye is needed in order to produce home-made soap.
You can use the burnt rice straws with the same measurement.
thesailor Level 2 Commenter 2 years ago
This is a good start of a small business at home. Soap is needed everyday. It is one of the commodities that we should include in our what-to-buy list when going to market every weekend.