How to Make Soap - Make Quick Cure Hot Process Soap
95Homemade Soap - You Don't Have to Wait for a Month for This Soap to Cure
Homemade soap usually needs to cure for a month before you can use it, longer if you want a nice hard bar of soap that will last. But, there is a method called Hot Process Soap Making that speeds up the time it takes the soap to cure.
Heating the soap cures it quickly, making it safe to use in only 3 days to a week. Heating the soap will create harder, more long-lasting bars.
Use a large enamel or stainless steel roasting pan for the final heating. The large size of the roasting pan prevents a build up of too much heat. A roaster with a vent is good but not necessary. A lid is a must.
Use your regular soap recipe and method to make the soap. Homemade soap cannot be a slap-dash creation. The fat to lye proportions must be calculated according to a formula for optimum results. For a recipe, detailed instructions, and safety precautions see my hub on how to make soap at :
Soap-How-http://hubpages.com/hub/Homemade to Make Soap at Home.
Hot process soap is sometimes a bit marbled, and quite pretty in it's own way. If it looks crumbly or dry it has been heated too much and you need to remill and add more water and oils. (Remilling instructions are at the bottom of the page)
One problem with making quick cure, hot process soap is that the heat of the soap can destroy the scent of the essential oils you add for aroma. You may have to add a bit more of the oils than you would in a regular batch of soap in order to maintain a strong enough scent.
Home Made Soap
Soap Mixture at Trace - It Looks Like Pudding
How to Make Soap - A Quick Review
- Assemble all ingredients and materials
- Cover and protect counter tops and self (apron, goggles or glasses, gloves)
- Measure and combine water and lye. Always pour the lye into the water and never the reverse which can cause a dangerous reaction.
- Ventilate the area when you combine the water and lye as it creates dangerous fumes.
- Preheat oven 180 - 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line bottom of oven with aluminum foil in case of spills
- Measure solid fats, melt on low heat in deep enamel or stainless steel pot.
- Measure and add liquid fats
- Both fats and lye solution need to be the same temperature (about 110 degrees F) before mixing
- Slowly pour lye solution into the fats and stir
- Mix with hand blender until trace (it becomes the consistency of pudding)
- Add colorants. Do not add essential oils until later (heat destroys the aroma)
Home Made Soap in Roasting Pan
Home Made Soap - All Shiny With Glycerin
Home Made Soap - Add Oils - The Same Soap as Above Darkened With the Cooking
Hot Process Soap Making
For this batch, I used a bit less than a tablespoon of powdered Cat's Claw Bark which has healing properties. I added some cinnamon as well. You can see that before cooking, the soap was a lovely light brown color. Some colorants darken with cooking and drying and that is what happened with this batch as you can see from the final product. How you use colorants can tricky. That's where your own creative adaptations come into play.
- Pour soap mixture into roasting pan
- Place lid on roasting pan and place in preheated oven
- Check after 20 minutes
- Remove lid, tilting away from you for safety
- Stir and replace in oven
- After 30 - 40 minutes in the oven, the soap will look shiny and translucent with little pools of glycerin on top
- Stir gently, scraping bottom and sides of pan to insure even cooking
- As soap cooks, it will curl toward the center from the edges of the roaster
- Soap will come to resemble applesauce
- While soap is cooking, grease your mold with olive oil in preparation to receive soap mixture
- I add a splash of water and a splash of olive oil so that the soap does not dry out. Stir in quickly and return to roaster so that it does not lose too much heat.
- After an hour, when the soap mixture begins to look like mashed potatoes, you can remove it from the oven
- Stir it again and add essential oils. Remember that heat can destroy the aroma so you may want to make the soap smell a bit stronger than desired in the end product.
Home Made Soap - Slice
Homemade Soap - Curing the Soap Quickly
- Scoop soap mixture into prepared mold. Prepare the mold by greasing the bottom and sides with olive oil.
- Drop the filled mold onto table and run a knife through it to remove air pockets
- Cover with plastic wrap
- Cover with towels
- Allow to cool for 6 - 24 hours
- Cut into bars. Wetting the knife with hot water makes cutting easier.
- Cure for 3 - 4 days. I often wait a week so that it hardens off
- Trim off the edges. The sliced soap looks nicer
- Use the trimmings to make balls of soap or remill
- Set out the soap to cure on a rack (not aluminum). Let air curculate.
Test the Soap
Wearing gloves, wash hands with the cooled soap. Does it act like soap? Does it produce lather?
Tongue test - touch your tongue to the soap. If it buzzes, wait a week more.
If it doesn't seem right after a week, remill the soap, adding a bit more water and fats.
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To Remill Soap
If you have extra shavings you can remill it. Of course, if the soap has already cured, you will only have to wait for the newly remilled soap to harden.
- Cut or shred soap into very tiny pieces.
- Place in glass or Pyrex container with a bit of hot water.
- Mix well.
- Heat a few seconds in microwave.
- Stir. When mixture is wet and gloppy, put into greased mold.
- Slice when set.
Home Made Soap - The Same Recipe Can Produce Many Different Bars of Soap
How to Blend Essential Oils
Adding Herbs to Soap
- Decorative and therapeutic flowers and herbs for making soaps
There is nothing quite so inviting as the look of handmade soap: I have long been fan of homemade soaps, admiring them for their integrity and purity. When you make your own soap, you know exactly what is...
For More Info on Making Soap
- Making Cold Process or Hot Process Soap
Soap is the result of a chemical reaction between caustic sodas and fats or oils. In fact soap was originally discovered because of mixing ashes, which naturally contained lye (sodium hydroxide), and oils....
Make a Soap Mold From a Mitre Box
- Mitre Box Soap Mold - Easy Beginner Soap Mold
Step by step instructions to make a great soap mold out of a mitre box and some wood strips.
How to Make Wooden Soap Molds
Buy Essential Oils
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CommentsLoading...
Diamond - what a wonderful memory! And it sounds like fun, too. By the way, all soap is lye soap. There are variations, of course. Some of the old time stuff was quite harsh, but the recipe and method that I offer here is very gentle, even for sensitive skin.
This was incredible, Dolores! I read your initial soap making hub and thought that one was amazing as well. It's only fitting that it was so successful :D This one should do just as well! Thank you again for sharing.
Dohn
Dohn, thank you so much! I'm glad the 1st one did so well because I just love to make the soap - the whole house smells great and it's a lot of fun. I made this one because I know a lot of folks don't want to wait around for a month to use their soap.
Thanks, Dolores. Your soaps look good enough to eat. In fact that man cutting the brown soap looks just like someone cutting fudge, and boy do I like that. Thanks for thinking of such a practical thing as soap making. The way you explain it, it isn't too hard, but takes some time. Have a nice rest of January. Don White
A fascinating hub, Dolores. If times get really tough, this a great information to have!
Delores I had bookmarked your first soap hub - for someday -and this one helps with tips even more. Thank you so much. And I actually like your 'dark soap' though I probably would not have intended that either! Cheers!
Don -that's no man it's me, Dolores. And please do not bite into the soap. It won't taste good at all. But it smells great! (rosemary and cedar wood) Thanks for stopping by!
juneau - well times are already tough but this ain't for the downtrodden or poverty stricken. It cost me about $28.00 to make this batch. Of course, it would have cost 2X that in a specialty shop.
frogy - I tell you once you get the hang of it, you'll be hooked. It's not all that complicated once you try it. The color thing is so iffy but makes for a lot of the fun. Thanks for commenting!
Great Share Monet this is a very useful and very informative hub for aspiring entrepreneurs... :D
Very good form of income-generating project for Moms with entrepreneurship capabilities. Nice-looking dark soap.
Really good hub, Dolores. I used to make soap with my kids. They loved making soap and candles. I ususally ended up using Lavender essential oil..my favorite fragrance.
I'm home based and I think I can try this one out..
Oh, General, don't get me going on the ridiculous fiasco of soap sales. Did not work out too well, but I did make a pittance. Thanks for commenting!
Lita - same as above. It ain't cheap to make and everybody is trying to sell soap these days. I just don't have the ambition. Hope someone else benefits though. Thanks!
alek - sounds like fun. I often make it with a friend and we turn out a whole lot at a time, especially around Christmas. Thanks for stopping by!
john - try it, you'll like it! And you can be so creative with the color, scent, and addatives. I appreciate the comment.
Dolores,
This is a great hub. I love the step by step, it's easy to follow. I am going to try it. My sister-in-law made soap and gave some for Christmas and it's wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your technique in your hubs. Keep up the good work.
Dolores, this is a great article and a great follow up to the hub on homemade soap. I have it saved, but haven't had the money to get the supplies yet. As soon as I do, I'll let you know how it turns out and how my family likes it. Thank you for your wonderful hubs.
Great hub, I have always wanted to try making my own soap but those nifty little packages from the supermarket are just so darn convenient! And then there is always those beautiful homemade bars I can purchase from the local Markets - I wouldn't like to deprive those hardworking women of a semi-regular customer!
Another great Hub from Dolores! Thanks. I always wanted to make my own soap as well and judging from the comments it seems like there is quite a few others out there they also want to!
Will the soap be creamy like Dove?
Naoimi - glad that you liked it! Making your own soap is becoming so popular that the ingredients are easier to locate.
Barbara - I usually buy the stuff a little at a time and sort of save it up. That way you can shop around for the best prices. Thank you for your interest!
Nemingha, well making soap at home is not for everybody. Thanks to people like you, some soap makers are earning a bit of cash for their efforts! Thank you for stopping by!
Hacienda - homemade soap is very soft and smooth. I can't compare it to Dove because I have not used a commercial product for quite some time. With homemade soap, you can create wonderful aroma, color, and texture (by adding herbs or oatmeal). So you wind up with an original, unique product! Thanks for commenting!
Dolores Monet, What an informative and useful hub and written so well that it is easy to understand. Someday I will make soap. It's always something I've wanted to do. Thank you for sharing so much information. Kind Regards
Thank you, glad that you enjoyed the hubs. Kind regards yourself!
Thanks Delores, for a fascinating hub on soap making. I always wanted to try soap-making. I have three of the Foxfire books on my shelf and the self-sufficiency aspect of soap-making has always made me want to give it a try. I think I'm going to put it on my list of things to do "before it gets to hot" here in AZ, so that gives me about four months. Your pics are great!
wannabe - thank you so much! I myself love to see pictures in any how-to articles so try to display as many as appropriate and helpful in my own.
I've always wanted to try my hand at this. Thanks for the info!
habee - this quick cure soap is great for those who don't have the patience to wait for a whole month. I like to make one batch of hot process soap to tide me over til the cold process soap cures. Thank you for stopping by!
Would love to try some of your handmade soap. I love the stuff, but really do not have the patience to make it myself. Thus, I fully support people who make it as a labor of love.
Sweeite Pie, I know that you make plenty of stuff yourself and one only has so much time. When I see some of the incredible arts and crafts people produce, I want to try it, but I guess we stick to what we love. I like making a big mess so this works for me. Thanks for stopping by!
When times get tough, soap making can be an alernative source of income. It was nice of you to share this to your readers. This is very informative.
Tina, glad that you enjoyed it. Making even this inexpensive soap is not cheap. And the trouble with home made soap is that a lot of people who like it wind up making it themselves. I've sold some, but just enough to keep me making more.
'Tis a beauty Dolores! I'm drawn to have a go even more now!
Well, dragonbear, you can design your own soap color and fragrance if you make it yourself! Thanks for stopping in!
Gee thats sound great, I would love to do this. thanks for that. I like the perfumed soap. great in our drawers.
Eileen - I keep some in a basket in the hallway and it makes the whole place smell great. Thanks!
Thank you Dolores. I may try to make it.
Tezgah, go for it! Making your own soap is a fun and rewarding activity! Thanks for stopping by!
Great hub Dolores, really clear and easy to follow step by step instructions. The soap looks really good too.
Thank you, wren. My soap has become popular with friends and family and I wind up giving a lot of it away.
I don't understand how the lye dose not hurt your skin ? How much dose it cost to make homemade soap ? I loved reading this and am very interested in trying it.
prowork - the lye does not hurt your skin because you are very careful when you make the soap. In the soap - well, after all the elements are mixed correctly, and the mixture reaches the trace stage, then cools, and sits to 'cure,' the lye is just part of the whole. It's a chemical reaction. All soap contains lye. The stuff you see in stores can be 'cleansing bars,' or whatever, but they are not soap. Find yourself some home made soap in a shop and read the ingredients, you will find sodium hydroxide, which is lye.
The recipe above costs about $13.00 for the basic ingredients, then add the cost of essential oil which can vary. For instance, some oils cost $24.00 an ounce while others costs maybe $7.00 an ounce. But that makes a batch that fills a 12 x 8 x 4 inch container so that's quite a lot.
Pro, you seem real interested, you should try it, it's just great. If you like that sort of thing.
This was an amazing soap making what we called it as 'sabun buku' in Malaysian Language.'Sabun' is soap and 'buku' is book.A book of dark soap before cutting it into bars.Thank you for sharing,Truly great written article!
I think I will wait till I have the cold soaps sorted first, but this is the easiest explanation I've seen for the hot process soaps. Thanks for the clear details. I think I could get enthusiastic about this. I have a friend coming over next weekend to have a go at making our first batch.
make homemade soap - I hope it works out well for you! It should. Making soap is easier than it sounds, like cooking a recipe for the first time! Thanks for stopping in!
Doloroes - This hub on homemade soap is really interesting.. In fact, I never knew how to make soap, so I learned a lot.
Thank you, Steve! Always good to learn something new, even if you do not try it!
It feels so much better to wash with an honestly made soap rather than a commercially produced bar, thank you for this hub.
PassitAlong - thank you very much!
My friend told me how to make homemade soap (she make beautiful and fragrant soap) but I always forget. Your hubs make this process so easy.
You have some amazing hubs, this hubs and hub about St Francis are very engaging.
Ign Andy - well thank you very much! When I first started to make soap, I kept a list of materials, ingredients, and the method. I still write a list of ingredients and check them off as I add them in - in case I forget or get interrupted.
Awesome blog with such in-depth explanations. I have so much admiration for crafters who make soaps the real way. I usually cheat and use melt and pour soap base.
It's really a very good in formation. Thanks for sharing it with us.Making your own soap assures you of a natural glow because you are using a glycerin-rich homemade soap.
Soap - you betcha! Just one of the great things about home made soap. Thanks!
Dolores Monet 2 months ago
Soap - you betcha! Just one of the great things about home made soap. Thanks!
Loved this hub! I've been a soaper since 1999, and have gone full circle. First made it as a hobby, then dove into it as a business (and discovered as you noted, this is a lotta work for not much monetary return!). Now I'm backing off again to just making it for local customers and a few shops. Once you get used to the quality of homemade soaps, you just can't buy Dial anymore :)
dearabbysmom - I see so many people selling soap at craft fairs and love to inspect it to see what they've come up with. And I can't help but wonder how they do, if they earn enough to cover expenses. Glad to hear that you can make some money with it - making soap is a great skill and certainly is addictive. Thanks!
Ah more good info, thoughts on mixing silicate, black or white for bars of "Lava" style soap of the early years? What they make now is for moma's boys it won't scrub off grease from dirty handed men after a job of fixing greasy engines.
Shortleg - I find that the addition of coffee (using coffee instead of water) makes for a cleansing bar that is also good for getting rid of odors. Thank you!
Wonderful hub Dolores. I have never read such an article though. Informative too.
Wow, I have not heard about this quick method. It's quite logical that heating helps to lower the pH of soaps, but it is a little bit risky if you use essential oils. If you don't have many experiences with soaps, it's hard to predict the result. Anyway, I'll give a try. It's a useful article.
plinka - just like learning anything! If you use a pH test strip, you can check on the soap's pH just to make sure. Compare it with commercial bars or handcrafted soaps bought at a boutique. And add the essential oils after heating, not before or during. The heat can rob the essential oil of its aroma. Thanks and good luck!
DiamondRN 2 years ago
I used to watch my grandmother from Arkansas make lye soap.
She had huge round black-iron kettle that she would sit over over a burning pit in her back yard. She could make a lot of soap in a relatively short amount of time.