We are just about out of soap around here, so it’s time to make more. I am not so daring as to actually make the soap, since I have the tiniest of kitchens, the vent fan doesn’t work, and I don’t have a hazmat suit.
;/
For a great soap recipe, that I will eventually try myself when the circumstances are different and I have the equipment, please see this and this great post on Kathy’s site. She also has some great links on that second post that give more information about soap making.
What I do is make melt and pour soaps, which means I am starting with a soap base and then adding what I want to it. I use nice ingredients that I can control for the most part, and I know that the soap is soap and not detergent, which is what most commercial bar soaps that you buy in the supermarket are made of. I mean, would you ever consider using a bar of Zest to wash your hair? No, me either, but this stuff is wonderful and will make a great shampoo in a pinch.
Now I know there’s the whole “Real Soap” vs. “M&P” debate out there, which is about as useful as the Knitting vs. Crochet argument. All have their place.
I thought I would share what I do, since this was all shared with me about a year ago from a work colleague and friend who gave a group of us a work a lesson and shared her knowledge and supplies with us. She taught us several techniques that she uses, including adding all kinds of crazy things like this amazing soap she makes with coffee grounds that smells like a sweet cappuccino!
I split 2 cases of soap with a friend shortly after we learned how easy it is to make soaps. I’m still working on that first case of soap, but am almost ready to either try actually making soap, or buy some more M&P. I’ll decide after I finish up the last batch. I’ve experimented a little. My last batch used lavender buds from my garden (supplemented by some from the whole foods market) and lavender essential oil. It made a great soap for hand washing, but not for the shower, because the little buds would come off the soap and stick to the skin, which isn’t really pleasant when you aren’t awake yet. But you learn what works and what doesn’t.
Here I’ll make my favorite soap of the ones I’ve invented – sort of a citrus soap that ends up looking like a jello salad. You know the one with the coconut and lime jello and cool whip or something? I’ve made it before with Grapefruit scent and red soap too, and it looks good enough to eat.
So here’s how I do it.

Gather your supplies: Fragrances, dyes, a mold to hold the finished product. I usually mold my soaps in household objects, such as a Rubbermaid drawer organizer, or some containers I picked up at the Marukai 98 Cents Superstore. (The Japanese have a container for just about everything, so that’s a great place to look!) I’ve put links below to the vendor where I bought the fragrances and dyes, and the soap bases.

More Supplies: Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, a bench scraper and cutting board.

More Supplies: A microwave safe mixing bowl and rubber scraper.

I’ll be using half clear soap base, and half white. Use the bench scraper to chop the clear soap into chunks. This helps it melt easier in the microwave. Melt on about 60% power for about 3-4 minutes, depending on your microwave. You don’t want to see steam pouring off the top, you just want it melted so there are no solid chunks left.

Here it is all melted. I’ve added two drops of yellow dye and one of blue. Mix slowly and adjust the color if needed.

am going for a lime jello color, and this works for me. It’s all mixed up. Depending on what you are going to do with the soap, you may wish to add a fragrance or additives now. In this case, I added a fragrance “Ginger Lime” to the soap, but no additives. They will come later. When I am making a bigger batch, I won’t add the fragrance to the clear soap base, so that I can add it to other soaps that do have a fragrance.

Pour your soap into a mold while it’s still warm (not hot!). Let it cool for a bit, till it becomes solid. At this point, I am done for the night because I am tired. I will let this mold set overnight, sitting on the counter. In the morning, I’ll throw it in the refrigerator so it will be cool when I get home from work tomorrow, and can continue with the project.
Some sources for supplies:

• Wholesale Supplies Plus

You’ll find fragrances and dyes here, along with the actual soap. This is the only vendor I have used, and I have had great service from them, but I am sure there are others out there that offer the same types of products.

• White Soap Base
• Clear Soap Base