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How to Make Your Own Soap
Being self-sufficient doesn’t just mean having enough food to provide for yourself. It also means being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle – which means staying clean!
Making your own soap is a great way to save money and be self-sufficient. You can even add your own ingredients to customize the soap to your family’s needs.
Soap making can be dangerous
Before you start making and using your own soap, please remember that soap making can be dangerous. If the contents are prepared, weighed or measured incorrectly, they can prove dangerous. Please take caution when preparing your own soap.
| Ingredients • 6.9 oz Lye (sodium hydroxide) • 2 cups Distilled Water (refrigerated) • 2 cups Canola Oil • 2 cups Coconut Oil • 2 cups Palm Oil |
Needed Supplies • Goggles • Gloves • Face Mask • A mold for the soap (an old cake loaf, large PVC pipe, etc.) • Plastic wrap or wax paper • Large glass bowl • Wooden spoon for mixing • 2 thermometers • Stainless steel or cast iron pot • Hand held stick blender (optional) |
Directions
1. Put on the goggles and gloves and make sure that you are working in a well-ventilated room or outdoors.
2. Prepare your molds by lining them with plastic wrap or wax paper. Set them aside.
3. Slowly add the lye to the cold, distilled water in a glass bowl. Do not add the water to the lye. Stir continually as you are adding the lye. Stir until the lye is completely dissolved. Place a thermometer into the glass bowl and allow the mixture to cool to around 110 F. (The chemical reaction of adding lye to the water will cause the mixture to heat.)
4. While the lye is cooling, combine the oils in a pot on medium heat and stir well until they are melted together. Place a separate thermometer in the pot and allow the mixture to cool to 110 F.
5. Carefully pour the lye mixture into the oil mixture in a small, consistent stream, stirring continually the make sure the lye and oils mix properly. Continue to stir by hand or with a hand held stick blender. Stir until the mixture has a consistency of thin pudding. This may take anywhere from 30 – 60 minutes, so be patient.
6. Once it has reached the right consistency, carefully pour it into the molds and let it sit for a few hours.
7. After you’ve let the mixture sit for a few hours, test it by poking it. If it’s congealed enough that it doesn’t melt back into itself once prodded, it’s good. You can then cut the soap with a table knife into bars. Let the bars sit for a few days, still inside the mold.
8. After a few days, remove the soap and place on brown paper (grocery bags) in a dark area. Wait 4 weeks before using.
Customizable Soap
While you’re stirring the soap mixture you can add other items to add variety and customize your soap.
For example, if you add dyes at that time, you can change the color. You can also add essential oils or oats for texture. Comment below to share what you’d add to your soap bar! Provide your tips and tricks.
I have been a soap maker for 6 years. I would recommend fully studying the hazards, the warnings, all about lye it’s self and what to do when things go wrong…. BEFORE you make your first batch. I have not had any mishaps other then a few speck splatter on my face….. and running to quickly wash them off… but my friend’s son was put into an induced comma and could have died after a soap accident….. and she knew full well all the info before starting….. yes women did this in the old days, but they studied too… don’t just jump in.
December 15th, 2012 at 5:14 amThe 6.9 oz Lye (sodium hydroxide) is that by weight or volume. When indicating OZ it can be used in measurement both ways!
December 15th, 2012 at 7:29 amGood luck finding these ingredients when SHTF. Like “refrigerated, distilled water”? I came here thinking I was going to learn the recipe for soap making as our forefathers made it – lye from ash and oil from animal fat. Oh well, I’m pretty sure I have that process filed in my survival library.
December 15th, 2012 at 8:14 amI too found the article pretty useless, having nothing to do with survival and more to do with hobby activities. I am finding more and more poorly researched articles here in the Ready Store. You guys need to find the facts before putting it on your blog otherwise it all begins to be seen as invaluable or unbelievable. Get some new writers.
December 15th, 2012 at 8:30 amI used to make my own soap all the time because my boys would get really dry skin and I couldn’t find anything on the market which would help.
You don’t need distilled water, nor does it need to be cold. I always mixed my water and lye outside and let it steam off (as soon as you mix the 2 you get a big steam/fume cloud) once that’s gone, I’d mix that with my oils.
You can use any oils to make soap, I often used a mixture of olive oil and bacon grease for soap. You need to render the bacon fat, by boiling it in water, letting it harden and then you scrape any bits off it. You may have to do this a few times depending on how well you strain it after cooking the bacon. (you can do this with any animal fat) of course if there’s no power you might just use what you have without this step.
When you mix the ingredients you’re looking for the consistency of pudding before pouring it into a mold. The easier mold to use is a cardboard box lined with wax paper. One of those boxes which hold 4 soda 6 packs is perfect. A couple shoe boxes would work too. You want it an inch deep or so, deeper will make it a longer time to cure.
The biggest thing is your ratio of water/lye to oils to get a successful batch. There are tons of places on the web where you can get some basic recipes. Including how to make potash/lye from your fire ashes
December 15th, 2012 at 8:41 amI agree, best if you leave such useless advice to the Oprah show or ladies home journal.
December 15th, 2012 at 8:52 amI used to watch my grandma make lye soap. She didn’t use a barrel like below, but the rest is similar. She made her lye in the scalding pot and filtered out the remaining ash, not as neat as these processed but it worked.
Making lye soap from hard wood ash is not rocket science. Here are a couple sites which detail the process well.
http://www.frontierfreedom.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=105
December 15th, 2012 at 8:52 am——————- or —————–
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_ashlye.html
thanks where does one purchase lye
December 15th, 2012 at 9:09 amYou can find lye at Ace Hardware
December 15th, 2012 at 9:17 amI would guess that you are supposed to have your dehumidifier (for distilled water) and your refrigerator hooked up to the solar-powered generators sold by the Ready Store — they are supposed to be able to supply energy for these appliances!
December 15th, 2012 at 9:26 amSure, it would be nice to learn the original way to make soap, but that doesn’t make this article useless. As far as the refrigerated water, I’ve never refrigerated my water. I use tap water and it works just fine. Water from a storage container would work just as well.
To get lye, try going to a hardware store. Just make sure it’s pure lye you’re getting and not some newfangled drain cleaning solution they’ve come up with. Another way to get it is to go online to soap making supply houses and purchase it from them. I know some “soap making” companies simply offer the melt and pour varieties of products, but keep looking and you’ll find what you need. And by the way, that’s what I call hobby activities. Melt and pour soap making is no more soap making than making a cake with a cake mix.
Sayldog, rather than being derogatory, you might consider sharing your information, when you find it, with others here.
Dnola, it’s not particularly useless information, it just requires someone to be prepared with the items beforehand. But then…this site is all about being prepared, so just be prepared with the makings of your soap. And then, get with Sayldog to get a recipe for when you run out of the necessary items.
December 15th, 2012 at 9:26 amThank you for this information. While others do not think it is for survival, They need to remember that death thrives in filth. People started living longer once they started cleaning and washing.
December 15th, 2012 at 9:33 amwhy be so negative? i have all these things stored in my emergency supplies for SHTF! You could do the same, and when these run out if things aren’t better then i go to the ash recipe,i’m not doing it unless i have to!
December 15th, 2012 at 9:42 amI make my own soap and it is a very good skill to learn.
=====> WATCH VIDEO ABOVE FOR BASIC HOW TO
Sayldog mentions about making it with certain ingredients – you can do that. How? Go to google search. Type in soap calculator MMS and soapcalc(dot)net have calculators where you choose your ingredients and them it calculates the water and lye that is needed. YOUTUBE has how to videos just go to that site and type in how to make soap or soapmaking.
IMPORTANT: NEVER USE ALUMINUM PAN OR SPOONS
because it aluminium has chemical reaction
ALWAYS USE STAINLESS STEEL STOCKPOT or plastic
————————————
WHERE TO GET LYE: Sodium hydroxide can be purchased at the hardware store in a powdered form but you have to make sure it is ==> 100% Sodium hydroxide AKA LYE. SAFETY is a key factor. When mixing lye you always pour the powder into the water. Also, keep the caustic solution away from children or animals in a marked container that is away from the reach or children.
BE CAREFUL===> I advise watching a video or getting a book about how to make soap because you can get hurt by the lye. I keep vinegar near by incase I do get a drop or a splash occurs to neutralize the skin then rinse well – wear safety glasses.
USE CAUTION WHEN HANDLING LYE AND LYE SOLUTION
Always wear SAFETY GLASSES and RUBBER GLOVES.
I included a video for basic how to see link
December 15th, 2012 at 9:45 amhttp://www.youtube(DOT)com/watch?v=Dj2NhyqPvDM
I find this info most interesting, my grandmother (b. 1885) made her own soap. Recalling a box of soap bricks that we avoided using, nothing fancy added. Sorry, I cannot see my grandmother using goggles and mask.
Because of the grandmother’s soap making, I have seriously referenced soap making with being very self sufficient. We can make everything, yet, there is a trade-off with how much time we have when we opt for full self sufficiency. The opposite end of the spectrum is the availability of pre-made salads, shredded cheese, etc. in the grocery stores.
December 15th, 2012 at 9:48 amGood info. However, my wife and i shower every day and use a bar of soap every two months. That’s six bars a year. Just bought 30 bars plus dish soap and shower jel to last 7 years. If things don’t work out by then I’ll walk around smelling. I made lye soap with my grandma years ago and its not hard but can burn the heck out of your if your not careful. Didn’t smell good either. Good luck to all and God help us all.
December 15th, 2012 at 10:17 amThank you for posting this. It’s always better to have another set of instructions, for troubleshooting.
December 15th, 2012 at 10:17 amMy granny made Lye soap in a scalding pot with white hardwood ashes and Tallow or Lard. Google wood ash lye soap, and have fun!
December 15th, 2012 at 10:28 amMy granny used to make lye soap using a scalding pot, a pile of hardwood ash that were white made from a HOT fire. Some rain water, a scalding pot, and Lard or Tallow.
It’s not rocket science. Google ‘wood ash lye soap’ and you’ll be happy.
December 15th, 2012 at 10:38 amI make soap all the time. While distilled water is optimal, obviously it’s not the only kind to use. Regular water can also be used, but may affect the soap in minor ways. Practice making it with this recipe, then do a small batch with tap eater to see if it makes any difference. I use an olive oil recipe for face soap, and it is fabulous!
December 15th, 2012 at 10:46 amDistilled water would be hard to obtain when the SHTF and I will just have to use well water which comes out of the ground at around mid to high forties regardless of the season. I for one thank you for this recipe! Extracting oils from lavendar or any scented flower would go well in these soaps.
December 15th, 2012 at 10:48 amWhile I concur this article does not work well when SHTF but it is knowledge and knowledge is th key to any survival scenario. Take what you can from this and move onto your next preparation.
December 15th, 2012 at 11:45 amI agree, why be negative? I think an article like this is good NOW so folks can try it a time or two before TSHTF. Do you want to be making soap while also worrying about other stuff in an emergency situation? Get your supplies and make a few batches now so you have “been there, done that”!
December 15th, 2012 at 12:08 pmI want to try it with lavender and oatmeal.
December 15th, 2012 at 12:29 pmIn defense of Ready Store I don’t have a problem with distilled or deionized water, I can make my own. As with much of the advice given on any SHTF sites. We all have a brain….there are gaps in many instructions/ideas. Fill them in. I appreciate the Ready Store. They give ideas and I’ll run with them…Thanks Ready Store.
December 15th, 2012 at 12:36 pmI’ve made soap three times using a similar recipe. The first was perfect, the second a disaster, and the third I just managed to salvage. I bought my lye online, be careful if you buy it at Ace or any other hardware store. Be sure it isn’t a Draino-type product that has additives in it. I still have some lye on hand that I can use to make soap using olive oil or lard. In a shtf situation you’ll use whatever water you have. If you have the capability, I suppose you could boil it to make it purer.
December 15th, 2012 at 12:45 pmThe recipe is great, thank you.
I have always made my soap from measured recipes and not from weighted ones. I don’t own a little scale and because I make the soap for my family and not professionally I prefer these types of recipes. You can also use goats milk in place of the water which makes a really nice soap.
I never use distilled water and have never had a problem with my soap.
Thanks for posting a basic recipe which may get some people to try making it, then they can go for the fantastical recipe’s!
December 15th, 2012 at 12:58 pmI agree with the other comments- both positive and negative. Yes, I thought it would show how to make soap from common ingredients. My question is, if you’re going to buy lye from Ace Hardware to add to your emergency kit, why not just buy more soap? The problem is the eventually you’ll run out of both.
I do appreciate all the ‘How To’ articles, though.
December 15th, 2012 at 2:36 pmInfo for the negative posters—
If you were to make soap as they used to- with lye made from ashes. . .2 things– it will take you about 2 to 6 wks to make the lye, which is more like potassium hydroxide & will net you a Soft soap, unless you are prepared to add about 2 lbs or more of salt to the mix before you pour it in the mold. . . So stock up on salt if you want a hard bar of soap made with lye from wood ash. . .
Making soap as they did, will take you about a month before you even start making soap— Make a lye hopper, leach the lye, save all the animal fats you can (from cooked food and rendering fresh fat. . .) Then you “clean” the fats before using.
Also soap was “cooked” in a large pot outside— then after you make the soap, it still needs to “cure” for at least 4 weeks!
In times of need, better to stock up on a case of 1 lb jars of Sodium Hydroxide (sold as drain cleaner/ 100% lye at Ace Hardware). And assorted cooking oils, lard and shortening with or without animal fats. . . Much easier to store that way.
You can go to Youtube now, and search “Making lye from wood ash”
December 15th, 2012 at 4:21 pmJust a note here–
You get Distilled water by boiling water, and allowing it to cool. Then simply put it in a jug & stick it in a cooler or fridge– geez. . Simplicity- at its finest. Some people really need to do their own research, and not be so negative. Well water or rain water works well too!
December 15th, 2012 at 4:26 pmI think there are better ways of making soap without lye, for instance, using goat milk. Lots of small time businesses are making just that now, and its done without rendering down any kind of animal fat, and solely with goat milk…there are even some recipes that include only 4 ingredients..and its widely available.
December 15th, 2012 at 6:57 pm@Sayldog & @Dnola
Maybe there is a difference between homesteading and survival? I think this was a fine article that I could actually use. And I’m sure the soap would be fine if you just used cold water but it’s ideal if you use distilled water.
December 15th, 2012 at 8:45 pm@Tommy ideally, the 6.9 oz is measured by weight
December 15th, 2012 at 8:58 pmTry geting “soap” from the boidiesel folks. It is a waste product from the process. Some have buckets around they will give you or charge pennys, just to defray expenses. The kind I get is liquid & can be used the way you get it. I haven’t found anything it won’t clean. Makes my hands so smooth, the wife will even let me touch her.
December 16th, 2012 at 10:03 amThanks for the great recipe and warnings. I make my own laundry, dishwasher and dish soap at the moment. However, that is just a “cost saving” measure for me. I’m a beginner at this SHTF stuff, so any and all suggestions on how to make or prepare everyday things like soap is very welcome! Thank you! As for the negative posters here…really? Why not add a suggestion or a helpful hint? Could be you don’t have any and just want to be spoon-fed all of your info? Probably… SMH
December 16th, 2012 at 10:41 pmFor all the negative people –
No where in the title does it say “Make Soap after the Zombie Apocalypse”, it just says “Make Your Own Soap”. Get a grip. If you didn’t like the information, move on. Not every article, video, picture, etc. deserves a bunch of people crying about how horrible the information is.
I’ve had about enough of the negative, argumentative comments on every single website I visit these days. What happened to the old rule – if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. People put a lot of time and effort in to things like this and don’t need to be torn apart for it.
We all wonder why things are falling apart in this country, and yet all I see is anger, selfishness and arrogance everywhere I look. People are so quick to attack each other for every little detail they don’t like. Instead of calling something “useless” why not say “Thanks, but could you also post info about…” instead?
If the need for these skills does arise we will all need to work together to get by. Feedback like the kind several of the first posters presented is the only thing “useless” here.
Hack, bite, poke, tear, no wonder people are losing their minds. The Internet give us all the ability to anonymously attack other people with no fear of repercussion which turns a lot of people in to tough guys and bullies. Many of these same people would never speak up when face to face with the person they so readily attack online, or would at least be polite when presenting their opinion.
We all need to take a step back and think about the skills we need to use if an emergency arises, either long term or short. However, we need to study and practice the so-called people skills right along with hunting, canning, first aid, and even soap making. If we all can’t get along we will all falter and fail.
The Golden Rule is just as important as it was 100 years ago, so don’t let it fall away like manners, etiquette, and common courtesy have. Make an effort to be nice instead of deriding someone because the information didn’t fit your needs. Just because you didn’t like it doesn’t mean the rest of us didn’t either.
Much thanks to the writer, 99 percent of us appreciate the time and effort put in to all of the information shared freely on The Ready Store.
Keep up the good work.
Chuck
December 17th, 2012 at 7:25 amListen guys, use it or not information helps you be prepared. For someone like me (new to being a prepper)this is great because I know know what to add to my stocks (for basic soap). After I have the basics, I will be looking to add to my library and survival skills, hence the additional research.
Wade – thank you I will reserch for Biodisel in my area. Soap and possibly a great contact if the SHTF
December 17th, 2012 at 8:16 amThe information was truly a confirmation for me since my mother passed away last year and she was a soap maker. So,I decided to make soap and have enjoyed it. The prepper mentality besides the making or purchasing food is also the prevention of infection control. Soap will reduce diseases and maintaining your enviornment is part of survival besides wearing masks, gloves, tyveks suits, tc. Lets be open minded…we are the few who possibly will remain and we must all assist one another…besides, soap is a bardering element as well.
December 17th, 2012 at 8:16 pmnever seen my greatgrandmother in all that safety gear, but she made her soap and always boiled all the clothes for washing
December 19th, 2012 at 6:26 pmI agree, the golden rule should be one we always go to 1st, seems people forget that! I enjoyed the article and appreciate it regardless what others may think, I appreciate all of our efforts to educate all of us to learn to do for ourselves. Much success in the new year!
December 22nd, 2012 at 2:50 pmWay to go Chuck!
December 24th, 2012 at 7:45 pmThe Golden Rule is exactly the
standard that we should uphold.
@ Mrs Britt— I do believe that you are considerably- MisInformed…
1. You Need Oils and or Fats to make soap
2. You Cannot make soap without Lye!
– It is a chemical reaction (to explain simply) between the fatty acids/fatty esters of the oils/fats AND the Lye. . .together, they Combine to make a sodium/salt of sorts, to become soap.
You only need 3 ingredients to make soap– Oil, Lye and Water. . . . . Using Goat Milk instead of water makes for a rich soothing soap
As ALL soap makers say– * No Lye- No Soap*
December 28th, 2012 at 12:05 am