Learn to make beautiful bath and body products from scratch. Here you find free tutorials for making cold process soaps, bath bombs, body butters, face masks, serums and a lot more.
Today I’m going to show you how to make soap in this detailed step by step guide to homemade soap making. This beginners tutorial will walk you through how to make soap with lye (cold process method) and you won’t even have to buy a special mold – we’re upcycling an empty Pringles can 😉 Hope you enjoy making these beautiful round soaps as much as I have 🙂
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the different types of soap molds out there, then this guide is for you. I discuss the pros and cons of each type of soap mold and give you lots of helpful tips and additional information on suppliers.
By now you probably have a couple of soap batches under your belt and you’re really digging this craft. Now, you want to take a step up from your plastic containers, Pringles cans (although I really still like to use them) or cardboard boxes. You’re in the market for a proper soap mold. But, oh, all the options make your head spin?
I’m here to help!
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When I first started soap making I fell into this craft head over heels. I was so ecstatic to have found a hobby that was so fulfilling.
I had always been somewhat crafty, but now unlike before I was brimming with new ideas. The possibilities were endless and so were the soap making supplies I could purchase if I wanted to. Look around the internet, there are hundreds if not thousands of different soap molds, fragrance oils, essential oils, base oils, colorants etc. to choose from.
Being a newbie and wanting to get started right away I really didn’t think through what I really needed now and what I could add little by little in the future. So, on a whim one afternoon I placed a massive order and amongst basic things I bought stuff I really wish I hadn’t. Curious of what they were? Here we go:
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I’ve had this idea for a banana soap in my head for quite some time. Something like a banana cream pie soap maybe. But what would the end result look like and would I be happy with it? I started to do some research and saw a variety of banana soaps that ranged from very brown to very speckled to creamy yellow with few specks. Some soap makers reported the specks would disappear after a while. Well, I decided it was time to do my own little research project on using bananas in soap.
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It’s been a year since Tweak & Tinker first got launched into the wide spheres of the internet. This little soap making and skincare DIY blog has slowly gained readers from around the globe. I’m grateful for YOU, my reader, for stopping by, for taking the time to read a post (or two), for leaving a comment, for giving a thumbs up on social, simply for giving this new kid on the block a chance.
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If you’ve read my article “Soap Equipment I Wish I Hadn’t Bought Right Away” you know that I’m a no nonsense kinda girl. If I decide to spend my pennies on something it needs to deliver exactly what I want. I don’t like accumulating stuff that isn’t useful or doesn’t in some shape or form add value to my life.
…One of the most challenging things when you’re first figuring out how to make soap is – hands down – how to control trace. There’s quite a learning curve in seeing the different stages of trace in cold process soap. Your batter will normally go from emulsification to light trace (thin pancake batter) to medium trace (light pudding batter) to thick trace (pudding batter) the more you stickblend or the longer you let your batter sit….
Let’s face it: Soap making is a finicky craft. It takes time to find a recipe and method that gives consistently good results. Even then, you just have to add one new ingredient (e.g. honey) and – boom – soap volcano. If you manage to dodge all major soap catastrophes and get to the point where you want to try your hand at an intricate design, it’s the small details that can really make a difference….
Don’t you sometimes wish you could just putter around all day and when inspiration strikes leisurely weigh out your oils and whip up a batch of soap? I do. But that’s not my reality right now and won’t be for quite some time. If I don’t carefully plan and prep my projects nothing would ever get crafted and that would be sad.
When I’m planning to do a bunch of batches in the near future, I like to weigh out my oils all at once and prep my lye solutions ahead of time. That way on soaping day I can just grab the two and let the fun begin….
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I totally get it: You’ve never made soap before. You’re not sure if this is for you. You just want to dip your toes in without investing a ton in new equipment and ingredients. This is why I’ve compiled only the absolute essential things that you’ll need for your very first batch of soap.
You don’t want to make the same mistake as me and buy materials that you don’t end up using.…