Handmade soap?

Question

I read that most handmade soaps contain animal fat. This sounds disguesting. It is true? And if so how can you make handmade soap without it? I want to try and make some soap, never done it before, so I need a easy reciepe that does not require any odd machines. Thanks guys

Answer 1

Handmade soap can contain a variety of oils, not necessarily animal fat, though it was the most common in older times.  Many handcrafted soapmakers today use a variety of vegetable oils, the most common of which are coconut oil, palm oil and olive oil.

To make soap from scratch you will need one or more oils along with sodium hydroxide (commonly known as lye).  You will need to read up and understand the process before you get started and a good place to start on learning to make soap from scratch would be http://millersoap.com/  

You can also purchase a pre-made soap base, commonly called glycerine soap base or melt and pour soap base.  This base available in many craft stores as well as many soap making suppliers online.  This base is manufactured in such a way that the soap has already been made for you and you can simply melt the base and add fragrance and colorants.

Answer 2

if you look at Hobby Lobby or Micheals, craft stores, they have the kits to make soap, & you can choose what type of soap like gyclerin, or lye, to make.

O plan on gettign a kit for my son for arts & crafts this year for homeschooling.

Answer 3

it's a mix, put in a mould, similar to chocolates and ice and left to set.... not really in depth but thats the jist of it x

Answer 4

There are two kinds of soap that you can make.  The first is glycerin soap and it is fairly easy and doesn't take allot of fancy equipment.  You can buy the soap base at craft stores.  It comes in blocks and you just cut it in cubes and add any fragrance or color you want to and then pour it into molds.  Wait for it to get hard and then remove from the molds.  Wrap tightly in saran wrap as glycerin soap will attract moisture and get "dew drops" all over it if not protected from humidity.

The second type of soap is lye soap and this is the kind you were referring to that can be made with animal fat, but it does not have to be made with animal fat, you can also use vegetable fats.  All soaps are made with fat and lye that when mixed together chemically become soap.  This is making soap from scratch, not an already prepared base and requires allot more equipment and safety measures.  It also requires recipes that have to be very precise.

Good luck!

Have fun and be creative!