Make homemade soap, just the way you like it!
Handmade soaps are a wonderful body care item to make for yourself, your family, and friends. It is the perfect thing to make for unique and special gifting.
Lelia Lyon says soap is an item that a lot of people purchase without knowing that it can be easily at home. The technique hasn’t changed much since soap was first created 4,500 years ago. “A balanced mixture of fats or oils and an alkaline mixture of water and lye are mixed together, and as they are mixed, a chemical process will take place called “saponification” that changes the oil molecules into soap,” she explained.
Soap Making Process
- Measure and melt the oils
- Measure and mix the lye water
- Blend the two phases together until they emulsify into a creamy batter.
- Design the soap by coloring it and adding any scents and other ingredients.
The bars can be layered, swirled, and the top of the bar can be decorated with all manner of things, like biodegradable glitter, dried herbs and flowers, oats, etc.
The loaf of soap will need to firm up for a couple of days and then you can un-mold it and cut into bars. You can use them right away, but it’s better to let them cure or harden for another couple of weeks. Then you have the most magnificent bar of custom soap.
Lelia will be teaching a soap making class on November 2, 2024 at the Alpine Workshop. Sign up at alpineworkshop.co or visit them on Instagram @alpineworkshop.
Safety Notes
- Lye can cause burns and, if it comes in contact with the eye, can cause blindness. Use protective eyewear when working with this compound.
- Do not use aluminum implements. Lye reacts with metals such as aluminum and tin, so use other materials when working with it.
- Find more information on lye here.
Lelia Lyon is an Alpine resident of 8 years with a passion for making DIY natural body care products. Her interest started as a teenager looking to learn how to make lip balm and lead her to study herbal medicine and nutrition in Colorado. Eventually she shifted into a career in the natural foods industry, ultimately landing her dream job in an herbal apothecary helping customers and teaching body care classes. Now retired from the industry she devotes her time at home with her kids. She is an enthusiastic teacher and loves to teach classes to encourage her students to have good clean bubbly fun! You can find her work @leelalee_sews.
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