Ready to dip your toes into how to make soap at home, but not sure where to start? These detailed instructions will teach you how to make soap from scratch step by step. I'm using a simple lemongrass homemade soap recipe to walk you through the entire soapmaking process from start to finish.
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Soap making can be a fun and rewarding hobby. Once you've got the basics down you can really get creative. Most importantly, making your own soap will allow you to customize your natural soaps to your personal preference.
In order to make soap, oils/fats need to be mixed with lye (sodium hydroxide or caustic soda). One is acidic the other alkaline. When the two come together a chemical reaction is kicked off - the so-called saponification process. Lye molecules will latch onto fat molecules and turn them into soap. Lye is a necessary ingredient in the soap-making process: without lye - no soap!
My goal in this tutorial is to give you the necessary skills and knowledge to work with lye safely and with confidence. Trust me it's really not that scary once you get over the initial hesitation. So, let's make cold process soaps!
Ingredients
- Lye (sodium hydroxide): you can purchase it in the form of flakes or beads - both are fine to use. At your local store, you might find it as a drain cleaner. Please follow safety precautions!
- Olive oil: one of the most common liquid oils to use in soap making. It is highly nourishing and makes for a mild creamy bar of soap.
- Coconut oil: adds bubble power and hardness.
- Tallow: an animal fat derived from beef. It's a great alternative to palm oil, a controversial ingredient linked to rainforest destruction and habitat loss. Tallow adds hardness and moisturizing properties.
- Lemongrass essential oil: essential oils are a great way to scent homemade soap naturally. Lemongrass essential oil is bright and citrusy and will not fade in the finished product. Alternatively, you could use fragrance oils that are artificially made.
- See recipe card for quantities.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you will I earn a commission if you decide to click through and make a purchase.
Essential Equipment
Important: if you’re using any tools from your kitchen you CAN’T use them again for food prep or eating. Whatever got in touch with lye, soap or essential oils has to become your designated soapy tool, you want to avoid any soap residue seeping into your food.
- Safety goggles and latex gloves
- Scale: It’s very important to have an accurate scale. You have to be able to measure your ingredients precisely otherwise you might end up with soap that has too much lye in it - not good.
- Soap Mold: This could be as simple as a bunch of empty yogurt containers or a small cardboard box lined with freezer paper. We’ll actually use an empty Pringles can when we make soap in this tutorial. Single-cavity silicone molds like this one are great for beginners too.
- Containers to measure and mix your lye: Thick plastic containers or stainless steel pitchers are good choices. You want to avoid aluminum since it will react with the lye. Glass is not recommended either since the water lye solution becomes very hot initially and may cause the glass to crack.
- Another container to mix and melt your oils: I like to melt my oils on the stovetop, so I “sacrificed” an old saucepan. You can melt oils in the microwave on 20-second bursts, too. For that, you will need a heat-resistant plastic bowl. I use these very cheap measuring containers I bought at IKEA.
- Stick blender/ immersion blender: buy a very basic one, like this one. You can make soap without a stick blender, but it will take hours of constant stirring.
- Thermometer: You’ll need a thermometer to check the temperature of your oils and lye solution. I splurged on an infrared thermometer which is easy to use and less messy. But you can easily get away with using a very simple one like this.
- Spatula: to scrape the bottom of your soap pot and texture the top. Use one that's made of plastic/silicone
- Small glass jar for measuring essential oils: perfect for this are clean empty food jars, you want to avoid plastic containers since essential oils can "eat" through plastic and seep out.
See recipe card for detailed equipment list.
Lye Safety Precautions
Lye is an alkali or caustic substance (with a high PH). It can burn your skin, damage your eyes or cause serious injury when ingested.
Here's a quick reminder however about the most important things to keep in mind when making lye soap:
- Soap in a well-ventilated area (crack a window or turn on a ceiling fan)
- Don't soap around kids or pets
- ALWAYS wear gloves, goggles, and a long sleeve shirt for the entire time you're making soap
- Always pour your lye into your water. Never the other way around!
- When lye is first combined with a liquid, fumes are released that shouldn’t be inhaled (you might choose to wear a mask, hold your breath, or turn your head to the side to breathe for that time)
- Keep in mind that the lye solution will initially become very hot
- Always keep lye solution out of reach of children and pets
- It's a good idea to run every soap recipe through one of the free lye calculators, like soapcalc, just to make sure everything's correct.
How to Make Homemade Soap
Prep work
- Prepare your work area: cover your work surface with old newspaper or freezer paper
- Gather all your equipment: gloves, goggles, containers or pots, freezer paper, Pringles can, tape, scale, stick blender, thermometer, oils, essential oil, lye, distilled water, spatula, plastic spoon, thick towel, cling wrap, small glass container
- Make sure all your equipment is nice and clean
Prep your mold
- Cut out a piece of freezer paper about 9 x 9 Inches
- Cut the bottom of the can off (the aluminum part)
- Firmly tape the cap on (you don't want any soap batter seeping out at the bottom)
- Line the can with the freezer paper - the plastic (glossy) side facing inward
Safety first
- Put on your gloves and goggles, make sure you’re wearing long sleeves
- Ensure that you’ll be undisturbed for the next 30 min
- Crack a window
Prepare lye solution
- Measure out your lye into a small plastic container
2. In a bigger container measure out the distilled water
3. Slowly while constantly stirring add the lye into the water. Never the other way around! There will be fumes while you’re doing this. As much as possible hold your breath, if you have to inhale turn your head to the side. Work swiftly and set your lye to the side when it is completely dissolved.
Melt oils
- In a small saucepan or microwave-proof container measure out coconut oil and tallow.
2. Melt coconut oil and tallow over low heat in a water bath or on short bursts in the microwave until fully liquid
3. Add olive oil
4. Checking temperature: Now comes the juggling part. You want to have your oils and lye solution both at about 110 Degrees Fahrenheit and ideally not more than 10 degrees from each other when you combine them. This means that you might have to reheat your oils slightly after a while.
5. Measure out the essential oil into a small glass container
6. Add essential oil to melted oils
Combine everything
1. Slowly pour the lye solution down the shaft of your stick blender. This will reduce any air bubbles trapped in your soap. Gently tap your stick blender to further release any air.
2. Carefully turn the stick blender on low, blend for 15 seconds, and check the consistency of your batter.
4. Once you see the soap batter leaving traces on top of the surface you’re done stick blending
5. Give it a good stir with your spatula
6. Carefully pour the soap batter into the prepared mold
7. Scrape all the soap from your bowl and give the mold some small taps to release any air bubbles
8. Seal the top of the mold with cling wrap
9. Cover with a heavy towel and let rest for 36-48 hours
Unmolding your soap
1. Peel off the tape and take off the cap
2. Slowly push the soap out of the can
3. Peel off freezer paper
4. Cutting soap into bars: Lay your soap on a flat surface. Holding a knife with both hands, shifting your weight evenly perpendicular to your soap, push down as straight and evenly as possible.
Curing
Let soap cure 4 weeks before using or gifting. Choose a place that’s away from direct sunlight and humidity. Make sure air can get to your soaps evenly.
Can You Make Soap Without Lye?
Yes and No. You can't make soap from scratch without lye. To make soap you need 3 main ingredients: oil, water, and lye. If you leave one of them out you won't end up with soap.
BUT you can use one of the melt and pour soap bases. Here you will melt a premade soap base, add scent and color and pour it into a fun mold. This will not give you control over what different oils go into the soap base, but it's a good option if making soap with kids or to avoid handling lye water. Check out my goat milk soap recipe without lye step-by-step instructions.
How to Make Homemade Soap Harder?
Homemade soap is great for your skin and easy on the planet, but sometimes people wish it was just a tad bit harder. Find out 7 ways to make homemade soap harder that are easy and effective.
FAQs
In short, you will need oil (like olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, etc.), water, lye (sodium hydroxide), a digital scale, a bowl, a mold, an immersion blender (preferred), and most importantly a good and trustworthy soap recipe.
Most homemade soaps are considered natural soaps if they don't contain artificial colors or fragrances. Lye is a necessary substance that will turn oil into soap, but in the finished soap bars lye is no longer present.
By using only organic oils and essential oils. Remember that lye is an essential part of the soap-making process. In the finished product, however, there will be no more lye present.
Soap can be made using a melt and pour soap base. It's a finished soap product that doesn't require the use of lye. You melt it, add fragrance and color to it
and pour it into a mold. Done!
It's not that difficult. It's a little bit like baking: you have to follow instructions and precise measurements. Follow the lye safety precautions outlined above carefully and you will be fine.
Homemade Soap Recipe
A beginners step by step tutorial on how to make soap at home including an easy homemade soap recipe.
Materials
- Distilled water: 5.5 oz. / 157 g
- Lye: 3 oz. / 85 g
- Olive Oil: 9.45 oz. / 268 g
- Coconut oil: 6.3 oz. / 179 g
- Tallow: 5.25 oz. / 148 g
- Lemongrass essential oil: 20 g
Tools
- Gloves and Goggles
- Empty Pringles Can
- Tape
- Freezer Paper
- Sharp Knife
- Immersion Blender
- Digital Kitchen Scale
- Thermometer
- 2 Medium Sized Containers (plastic or stainless steel)
- One Small Cup (for measuring the lye)
- Heavy Towel
Instructions
- Prepare your work area: cover your work surface with old newspaper or freezer paper
- Gather all your equipment: gloves, goggles, containers or pots, freezer paper, Pringles can, tape, scale, stick blender, thermometer, oils/ butter, essential oil, lye, distilled water, spatula, plastic spoon, thick towel, cling wrap, small glass container
- Make sure all your equipment is nice and clean
PREP YOUR MOLD:
- Cut out a piece of freezer paper about 9 x 9 Inches
- Cut the bottom of the can off (the aluminum part)
- Firmly tape the cap on (you don’t want any soap batter seeping out at the bottom)
- Firmly taping lid to the can to avoid soap batter seeping out
- Line the can with the freezer paper – the plastic (glossy) side facing inward
SAFETY FIRST:
1. Put on your gloves and goggles, make sure you’re wearing long sleeves
2. Ensure that you’ll be undisturbed for the next 30 min
3. Crack a window
PREPARING YOUR LYE SOLUTION:
1. Measure out your lye into a small plastic container
2. In a bigger container measure out the distilled water
3. Slowly while constantly stirring pour the lye into the water. Never, never the other way around! There will be fumes while you’re doing this. As much as possible hold your breath, if you have to inhale turn your head to the side. Work swiftly and set your lye to the side when it is completely dissolved.
MELTING THE OILS:
1. In a small saucepan or microwave proof container measure out the coconut oil and tallow.
2. Melt coconut oil and tallow over low heat in a water bath or on 20 second bursts in the microwave until fully liquid
3. Add olive oil
CHECKING TEMPERATURE:
Now comes the juggling part. You want to have your oils and lye solution both at about 110 Degrees Fahrenheit and ideally not more than 10 degrees from each other when you combine them. This means that you might have to reheat your oils slightly after a while
LET’S MAKE HOMEMADE SOAP:
1. Measure out the essential oil into a small glass container and pour it into your melted oils
2. Slowly pour the lye solution down the shaft of your stick blender. This will reduce any air bubbles being trapped in your soap. Gently tap your stick blender to further release any air.
3. Carefully turn on your stick blender, blend for 15 seconds and check consistency of your batter. We’re aiming for a pudding consistency (see picture below).
4. Once you see the soap batter leaving traces on top of the surface you’re done stick blending
5. Give it a good stir with your spatula
6. Carefully pour the soap batter into your prepared mold
7. Scrape all the soap of your bowl and give the mold some small taps to release any air bubbles
8. Seal the top of the mold with cling wrap
9. Cover with a heavy towel and let rest for 36-48 hours
UNMOLDING YOUR SOAP:
1. Peel of the tape and take of the cap
2. Slowly push the soap out of the can
3. Peel off freezer paper
4. Lay your soap on a flat surface. Holding a knife with both hands, shifting your weight evenly perpendicular to your soap, push down as straight and evenly as possible and cut into bars
CURING YOUR SOAP:
Let your bars sit for 4 weeks before using or gifting. Choose a place that’s away from direct sunlight and humidity. Make sure air can get to your soaps evenly.
Marcia Van Horn
Hi Celine I am a new be myself, Still waiting on all my supplies to arrive thats how new I am I will be trying this recipe first, finger crossed it turns out.I am exited and overwhelmed at the sometime if that makes since. I look forward to following you. Thank you for post.
Celine
Hi Marcia, I know exactly how you feel. Boy, was I nervous before my first batch, I still get nervous sometimes. Let me know how everything turned out. Thank you for following me:)
Cindy
Hi Celine,
I am just beginning the adventure of making my own soaps and many other personal care products. My main concern is that I am extremely allergic to coconut oil(: What can I use in substitute of the coconut oil?
Thanks,
Cindy
Celine
Hi Cindy, a great oil to use instead is Babassu oil. Every time swap an oil in a recipe for another one you have to run your recipe through a lye calculator though. I use SoapCalc.net for that. Let me know if you have any more questions. I have a coconut free recipe coming up soon as well. 😉
myria
Hey my second batch came out crumbly just starting to measure better
monica
hello. I made a batch of 100% coconut oil soap yesterday using lye and distilled water. I poured the soap into the mould as soon as it traced.
The issue is I forgot to cover the mould immediately and when i realised 40-50 mins later, the oil had oozed out on top in the mould. Just then, I salvaged the soap by spraying and pressing the oozed part with rubbing alcohol and bubble paper respectively. Then, I covered the mould with cloth and unmoulded it 24 hours later. While cutting the soap, some oil oozed out again.
My query is would the soap cure well and how long would it take to lather? Also, is the soap salvaged? Is 24 hours enough time to wait to cut the soap. thanks.
Celine
Hi Monica, can you tell if it’s your base oils or your fragrance oil oozing out? If it’s the fragrance oil you could wipe it of and your soap should be fine after the cure.
If it’s your base oils, you would have to check if your soap is lye heavy or not (look for pockets of undissolved lye). What super fat did you use? I know there’s a coconut oil recipe that uses 20% SF I’ve never tried to make it though. Maybe then there’s too much free oil in the soap that it oozes out?
I would have waited for the saponification process to be done after 36 hours to cut the soap, since you saw there might be a problem.
It’s really hard to tell from afar. But make sure your soap isn’t lye heavy, give it some time to dry and then do a lather test. It might just be fine.
Nikita
I am new to slap making and am trying in small batches. However my soaps never achieve the firmness that is required. Often they break on use or lose shape. Many times the oil remains on top and the soap becomes to lose. What could be the reason. The trace fory last soap was little liquidy than one in image. Could that be the reason or the measurements. I use olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil 3portion, castor oil 1 portion and water was 38gms per 100gm of oil and lye 14gm per 100gm oil.
Celine
Hi Nikita,
I just ran your recipe through a lye calculator. I get 14g of lye a well per 100g of oils as well. Try reducing your water content to 29g per 100g of oils. This will give you a 33% lye solution and will help the soap reach trace faster. Assuming that your measurements are correct, try stick blending longer. Especially if you're a new soapmaker, you want to make sure the batter has emulsified and doesn't separate later (oil remaining on top). What temperatures are your oils and lye when you mix them?
Hope this helps.
Happy soaping!
Jeanine
I am very new at soap making and I have not purchased any products except coloring and essential oils. Where is the best place to purchase my equipment, utensils, and ingredients? Where can I find simplistic/easy to understand instructions to learn how to make soap?
Celine
Hi Jeanine,
check out my post on equipment needed for soap making you can buy equipment and ingredients at wholesalesuppliesplus.com or at brambleberry.com For tutorials check out soapqueen.com, look for the beginner series.
I hope that helps, let me know if you have any questions.
Lisa
How do you clean the immersion blender?
Celine
Hi Lisa, I usually keep a small container filled with water next to where I soap. When I'm done stick blending I put the blender in there a give a few pulses. Then I disconnect the shaft, so that the container doesn't tip over. Happy Tinkering!
Nancy
I pour traced soap into Pringle can without paper liner, from top into bottom. Soap tends to leak between the overlap in freezer paper and makes a mess not to mention lopsided soap shapes. Never fill to top as it may expand over top. Spray with 100% alcohol to prevent lye ash. I dont insulate cans as the foil lining tends to gel stage a bit hotter and also expand over top and makes air bubbles. Never cover with plastic cap. When soap is room temp and ready to cut, just cut off bottom of can with a can opener and carefully tear can open at seam like a can of crescent rolls. It is easier if you have left about 2 inches head space on top of can so you can carefully insert a knife point at seam to get it started.
Melina
Hi celine..
I try to making soap for my very first time. After 2 weeks i used the soap, and it feel itchy on my skin. Do you know why the soap i make has an itchy effect to my skin?
I use soap calt to calculate the amount of ingredients.
Here is the receipe that i use:
Coconut oil (125g)
Olive oil (200g)
Palm oil (75g)
Sunflower oil (100g)
Water (140g)
NaOH (76.17g)
Nora
Hi Melina
I am new at soapmaking but you need to put your oil amounts in a lye calculator and it will give you the right amount of lye and water, You can find them on the internet. The one I use is from Bramble Berry, one of the suppliers. Here is the link. https://www.brambleberry.com/calculator?calcType=lye. Good luck!
Elna Spangler
Can you use a pringles can as a mold for Hot Process, or is it likely to be too difficult to get the soap in before it starts to set up?
I'm plotting out my first soaping adventure.
Celine
Good question Elna! I've never tried hot process in pringle cans, but I think it might have to be still pretty fluid for it to work, or you might have to scoop it in and then tap it hard on your counter.
Elna Spangler
Fabulous, thank you for the quick response!
If I go this route, I'll let you know how it turns out!
Daisy
Hi dear
Due to rainy season my soap is soft from inside Pl suggest
Celine
Hi Daisy, I would recommend protecting your soaps from moisture as much as possible. Keep them in a cardboard box placed in a drawer or cupboard. If you have access to an electric dehumidifier that would also be an option or having a fan on them while they dry. Happy Tinkering 🙂
Sassy
Can I replace the lye
Celine
Hi Sassy,
This is a tutorial for cold process soap, the soap is made by combining oils with lye to make soap. Without lye you won't have any soap. If you want to avoid using lye I recommend you give Melt and Pour Soap (Glycerin Soap) a try. Happy Tinkering 🙂
Lizzie
Hello, excellent post - I found it really helpful!
I was just wondering if you knew the weight of the soap this recipe produces?
Thanks very much 🙂
Celine
Hi Lizzie, the recipe will make 23 oz/ 660g of soap. I've updated the post to include it. Happy you found it helpful. Happy Tinkering 🙂
Carrie
Hi there, brand new to soap making (like haven't ever....) and I'm hoping to make some "Christmas tree" scented soap. I'm planing on using this recipe but change out the lemongrass for a premade "winter tree" mix (balsam fir and some others that I can't remember off the top of my head 🙄). I was also thinking about putting in dried rosemary (for a bit of exfoliate) and Organic Chlorella Powder (saw on another tutorial for adding green color).......I guess my question is, do you think this would work and do you have any suggestions for how much I should add of each thing......
Thanks you so much for this super helpful tutorial!!!!
Celine
Hi Carrie, I think it would work. Keep in mind though that the rosemary will turn more of a brown color in the soap. I’d use for one pound of soap: 1 tsp of chopped rosemary leaves and 1.5 tsp of chlorella that you disperse in 1 tbsp of oil first (to get rid of clumps). Happy Tinkering !
Zainab
HI,
Can I make this soap and use it as a base? that is can I melt it to add other things to it like lavender or oatmeal? I am trying to find ideas for a craft with kids and this sounds better than having to heat up anything. thanks
Celine
Hi Zainab, if you’re looking for a base you can melt and add other ingredients I would recommend you use a melt and pour soap base. I would discourage you to make this soap with kids since lye is necessary for the process. If handled incorrectly lye can be a dangerous substance. I hope that helps. Happy Tinkering:)
Janis
Thank you for your practical first soap walk through. I haven’t tried it yet but I hope to this week. I wanted to ask if you could suggest colorants or sources for colorants. I don’t want to have my family and friends turn their skins turn colors. I also wanted to ask about the brand of essential oils that you recommend. I have read that we need to use a good ES. but I am not sure exactly what brand is considered a good EO. I have not yet attempted my first soap. Too many questions yet to be answered I want to make sure that my first soap will be a success. I guess I lack confidence or am somewhat insecure. Janis
Celine
Hi Janis, for colorants it depends if you’re looking for natural or artificial colorants. The most reliable sources for both are companies that sell specialized for soap making like Brambleberry, Nurture Soap or Mad Micas for example. They will have samples of what the colors will look like in the finished soap. Occasionally you can find natural colorants like nettle leaf powder or clays on Amazon as well as some micas. Lately I’ve been using NOW essential oils from Amazon and like them. But you might find a better price on Bulk Apothecary, New Directions Aromatics or Brambleberry. Happy Tinkering 🙂
Katrina Iannuzzi
Is freezer paper parchment paper?
Celine
Hi Katrina, it’s freezer paper. Smooth side where the soap is.
Gina
Can I use a regular loaf mold for this? If so, how big does it need to be and do I cover it the same way with a towel? Would the top of the towel not fall into to soap mixture? Newbie questions 😁
Celine
Hi GIna, you can use a regular soap mold, the recipe makes 23 oz. A mold like this will hold about 22 oz. You would cover the soap with plastic wrap and then put the towel around. You cn also put your soap in the oven at 170 degrees F for 90 min to force gel. Hope that helps. Happy Tinkering 🙂
brenda milam
can i put a little ivory soap into my homemade soap i love the smell of ivory
Celine
You can give it a try. I have never tried it myself.
Cindy
Hello, is there something I can replace the tallow with? I would like to make a vegan version of your soap.
Celine
Hi Cindy, you could use Shea butter or palm oil.
Cindy
Thank you 🙏
Monica
Hi, please share a cold-process soap recipe with Mowrah butter, coconut oil and castor oil. Thanks in advance.
Omnia
If i want increase lye more, and reduce the oils.
Please could i know how to edit on the recipe
Thank you
Celine
Unfortunately you can’t increase the amount of lye. It would lead to a soap that could burn your skin.
Sofia
Hi Celine! Am interested in soaping I like your recipes they are simplified for beginners like me. I must say am scared all the same - of messing up:-|
What if I want to include an additive like kaolin clay or licorice powder, how much should I put?
With thanks,
Sofia
Celine
Hi Sofia, don’t be scared to mess up, it’s all part of the learning process. I’ve messed up plenty of times 😉 for kaolin clay you would add 1 tbsp per pound of soap. Dilute it first in 1 tbsp of water. I’ve never tried licorice powder, but I wonder if it won’t turn brown?
Let me know how it goes, Céline
Sofia
Thank you for the response, Will let you know how it turns out