What Equipment Do I Need To Make Homemade Soap?

ByAbigail Mitchell

Soapmaking has experienced an explosion in popularity in recent years as a creative and rewarding hobby. With just a few basic pieces of equipment, it’s possible to make high-quality handmade soaps at home. This guide will provide an overview of the key equipment needed to safely make simple homemade soaps.

The basic equipment covered includes ingredients like oils and fats, lye, scales, thermometers, and molds. We’ll also look at useful additives, safety gear, and tools for cutting and curing the finished soaps. With the right fundamental equipment, soapmaking can be an accessible and enjoyable hobby for beginners.

Basic Equipment

When making homemade soap, there are a few basic pieces of equipment you will need to get started:

Pot or Crockpot – You’ll need a large stainless steel or enamel pot or a crockpot to mix and cook the soap in. Avoid aluminum, copper, or cast iron pots as these can react with the lye. A pot that holds at least 6 quarts or a medium sized 5-6 quart crockpot works well for beginners.

Measuring Equipment – Accurate measuring is crucial when making soap. You’ll need a digital kitchen scale that measures in grams or ounces, measuring spoons, a liquid measuring cup, and measuring cups or pitchers for the oils and fats.

Mixing Tools – A long handled stainless steel spoon and a stick blender are essential for mixing the soap batter. Rubber spatulas are also useful for scraping sides.

Molds – Wooden soap molds, silicone molds, or even simple cardboard boxes lined with plastic sheets or silicone mats can be used to pour soap into. Avoid aluminum or tin molds.

Oils and Fats

The oils and fats you use will greatly impact the quality of your homemade soap. It’s important to use oils that will produce a hard, long-lasting bar of soap with good lather. Some of the most common soapmaking oils include:

The oils you choose will depend on the properties you want your soap to have. Many soapmakers use a blend of oils to achieve an ideal bar. https://www.iamcountryside.com/soapmaking/soap-making-oil-chart/ provides a helpful chart summarizing the qualities of common soapmaking oils.

You can source oils and butters from online retailers that specialize in soapmaking ingredients. Look for oils labeled “soapmaking grade” for the highest purity. Local health food stores may also carry oils like olive oil, coconut oil, and shea butter that can be used for soap.

Lye

Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, is a caustic chemical compound that is a crucial ingredient in making homemade soap. When combined with oils or fats in a chemical reaction called saponification, the lye turns the oils into soap. However, lye can be dangerous to handle and proper safety precautions must be taken.

Lye is highly alkaline with a pH of 13-14. It is corrosive to metals and can cause severe burns when it comes into contact with skin and eyes. Lye is also toxic when ingested. When working with lye, it is critical to wear proper safety gear including gloves, goggles, long sleeves and pants. One should work in a well-ventilated area and avoid breathing in lye dust. All surfaces should be covered and utensils should be dedicated for lye use only. Back to Basics: Lye Safety Guide.

When mixing lye and water, it is important to add lye to water slowly and not the other way around. This prevents violent reactions. Mixing should be done in stainless steel or plastic containers. Care must be taken when cleaning up any lye spills using copious amounts of water to dilute the lye. All lye should be stored safely out of reach of children and pets. With proper handling procedures, lye can be used safely to make high quality handmade soap. Lye Safety Tips.

Scales

Accurately measuring ingredients is crucial when making homemade soap. A good scale allows you to weigh your oils, fats, lye, and any additives to the precise gram. This ensures your measurements are exact and your recipe comes out right.

You have two main options when choosing a scale for soapmaking:

Digital Scales

Digital scales provide the most accurate and precise measurements. They allow you to weigh ingredients down to a fraction of a gram. This level of precision is important when calculating your lye-to-fat ratios. Digital scales are quick and easy to use. Look for one that has a tare feature to easily subtract the weight of your container.

Analog Scales

Analog scales with a needle indicator are affordable but not quite as precise. The needle can waver and only shows whole gram measurements. This makes it harder to achieve perfect ratios. However, an analog scale is still better than no scale at all. Just be prepared that your measurements may be a bit imprecise.

Investing in a good digital kitchen scale provides the best accuracy for soapmaking. But an analog scale can get the job done in a pinch.

a digital kitchen scale provides the most accurate measurements for homemade soapmaking.

Thermometers

When making homemade soap, it’s crucial to monitor and control temperatures precisely at certain steps. Getting the temperature right ensures the different ingredients combine properly through saponification. Using thermometers allows soapmakers to check temps at various points.

The main options for thermometers are digital thermometers, infrared thermometers, and analog thermometers. Digital thermometers with a probe provide the most accurate readings by being able to be fully immersed in the soap mixture. Infrared thermometers are convenient for quick measurements but may be less precise. Analog thermometers are classic options but can be more difficult to read accurately.

To get the right temperatures, soapmakers should use a thermometer they trust to give them correct readings. Digital thermometers with probes tend to be the most reliable and preferred choice. Checking temps at the right times will lead to better homemade soap.

Molds

When making homemade soap, you’ll need some type of mold to pour your soap mixture into so it can harden into bars. You have a few options for molds:

  • Silicone molds – These flexible molds make removing the cured soap very easy. They come in many fun shapes and sizes like loafs, bars, and novelty soaps. A basic silicone loaf mold is a good starter mold (https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Soap-Molds/s?k=Homemade+Soap+Molds).
  • Plastic molds – Sturdy plastic molds hold their shape well. They often have removable sides or bottoms to help release the cured soap.
  • Wood molds – These breathable molds allow air circulation to prevent overheating. They can be custom built to any size.
  • Cardboard or wax paper – You can create single-use molds from materials like cardboard, milk cartons, or wax paper. Line them with plastic wrap first.
  • Metal tins or baking pans – Any non-aluminium baking pan or old metal tin can work as a mold.

You can buy affordable standard-sized molds, or get creative and make customized molds in different shapes. Remember that whatever you use, it needs to be non-porous and resistant to corrosion from the lye in soap.

Additives

Adding ingredients beyond just oils, lye and water can enhance the look and smell of your homemade soap. Some common additives include:

  • Herbs and spices: Dried herbs like lavender, rosemary or ground spices like cinnamon can provide natural coloring and scent.
  • Flowers: Dried flowers like calendula, rose and chamomile petals make colorful and fragrant additions.
  • Clays: Clays like kaolin or French green clay add color and can help exfoliate.
  • Essential oils: Just a few drops of essential oils like lemon, peppermint or eucalyptus give homemade soap natural fragrance.

Many of these additives can be found in the baking or spice aisle of your grocery store. You can also find a wide variety of herbs, flowers, clays and essential oils at craft stores, aromatherapy shops or online retailers that specialize in soap making supplies.

Safety Equipment

When making soap at home, it’s crucial to use proper safety equipment to avoid potential injuries. The lye used in soapmaking can cause burns if it comes into contact with skin or eyes. Proper protective gear like gloves, goggles, and masks are essential.

Thick rubber gloves that extend past the wrist should be worn when handling lye. Goggles help protect eyes from splashes or fumes. A dust mask can filter out caustic particles. Some also recommend wearing long sleeves and closed toe shoes when making soap.

Proper ventilation is key. Soapmaking should be done in a well-ventilated area to allow fumes to dissipate. Turn on fans, open windows, or make soap outdoors if possible. Don’t breathe in steam from lye water.

Having the right safety gear and set up is crucial for an enjoyable and accident-free soapmaking experience at home. For more tips, check out this soapmaking workshop: https://gridleys.ca/products/introduction-to-soapmaking

Curing & Cutting

After your soap has hardened and cooled, you will need to cure it for 4-6 weeks before using it. Curing allows the excess water to evaporate out of the bars so they become milder, smoother, and longer-lasting (How to Cure Handmade Soap + Ideas For Storing It, https://lovelygreens.com/how-to-cure-handmade-soap/). Place the soap bars in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight during the curing process.

Once cured, you can cut the bars into individual sizes. Cutting soap when it is still warm can result in crumbling, so allow it to fully cool and harden first. Use a knife, soap cutter, or even dental floss to slice the soap into bars. Wipe off any soap residue between cuts for cleaner bars. Plan the cuts so you end up with uniformly sized and shaped bars (Cutting, storing and curing the soap, https://naturalsoapworkshop.com/module-20/cutting-storing-and-curing-the-soap/).

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