# How To Make Liquid Soap - Step By Step Guide



## Mandy (Aug 7, 2007)

*How To Make Liquid Soap - Step By Step Guide*
By Marie Ackland http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Marie_Ackland

For those familiar with cold process soap making, the lye solution uses sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for saponification to produce bar soap.  If you want to learn how to make liquid soap, the first thing you need to know is that liquid soap does not involve this type of lye.  Instead, to make liquid soap you will need potassium hydroxide (KOH), known as potash lye.  Both of these types of lye are extremely caustic and will burn your skin, so extreme care must be taking when you're learning how to make soap.

Before you attempt to make liquid soap, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the cold process of soap making first.  Beginners will find it more difficult to try to make liquid soap first, as it is a bit more complicated and requires a great deal of patience as well as a bit of extra time!

Similar to the cold process in that the lye mixture and fats are blended, liquid soap requires a lot of blending but instead uses heat to saponify the liquid.  Reaching trace is a lengthy stirring process; to make liquid soap you will need to keep stirring or blending for about 30 minutes so a stick blender is a must if you want to know how to make liquid soap without getting cramp in your arm!  Once the mixture reaches trace, the next stage is a waiting game.  With an occasional stir every half hour or so, the soap will take up to 4 hours to cook, and its state will change several times throughout this period.

The next stage in your quest to make liquid soap is to test the soap mixture, to make sure it will stay clear.  If all is well, water is added to dilute the "gloppy" mixture, but it is not quite ready yet to turn into liquid soap consistency you have been hoping to make!  After several rounds of waiting and stirring, the paste will eventually dissolve and you'll be ready to neutralize the liquid soap mixture.  This process involves adding boric acid, and is required to get rid of the excess lye that is involved when you make liquid soap.

To make liquid soap smell pleasant, you will now need to add essential oils or fragrance to the mixture, and if you'd like a bit of color in your liquid soap, a coloring additive can also be used. Leave the liquid soap to cool and pour it into large containers to rest.

Now that you know how to make liquid soap, you are ready to divide up your mixture into individual containers, bottles or dispensing jars.  Your soap is now ready to place in your bathroom and use for washing hands, as shower wash or shampoo, depending on the recipe you have used to make your liquid soap.

Marie Ackland - Soap making was originally a hobby of mine that gave me great pleasure, theres something quite satisfying about creating from scratch a beautifully scented bar of soap.

It then turned into a full time passion, creating wonderful soap for family and friends to enjoy. When a friend surgested I take some along to a local craft fair, which I did and from that day on I never looked back. I now have a great soap business which makes a healthy profit and gives me great satisfaction.

So now 20 years on from my first batch I love to teach the art of soap making. It can be frustrating at first but if you learn the fundamentals and put into practice my methods you WILL have great soap every time. http://www.soapmakinglessons.com Learn To Make The Most Amazing Soap Today - Step By Step Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marie_Ackland http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Make-L ... &id=575918


----------

