Supplies Checklist:

• 18.5 oz. Pure Olive Oil (I bought a huge bottle from Costco)
• 12 oz. Coconut Oil
• 9 oz. Palm Oil
• 1 oz. Shea Butter
• 5.8 oz. Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)
• 13.5 oz. Water
• Stainless Steel Pot (doesn’t react to the lye)
• Jar or Stainless Steel Bowl (to mix the lye/water mixture)
• Bowl to Weigh Olive Oil
• Candy/Candle Making/Soap Making Thermometer
• Stirring Utensil
• Hand Blender
• Scale
• Soap Mold (wooden, plastic, or silicone – I prefer silicone)
• Cardboard Box to Cover Soap Mold

Step-By-Step Tutorial:

• Gather the supplies above.
• Put your pot on the scale and press the Tare/Zero button to clear it. You don’t have to use one this big, I just got a really good deal on this one so I thought I’d use it just for soap making.
• First add the Coconut Oil to the pot. Weigh out the exact amount.
• Then hit the Tare/Zero button to clear for the next ingredient.
• Next add the Palm Oil.
• Then press Tare/Zero to clear.
• Now add the Shea Butter.
• Press Tare/Zero to clear.
• Place the entire pot on the stove over low heat.
• To make the Lye/Water mixture, first add the water to a jar or stainless steel bowl. You MUST add the water first, do not add the Lye and then the water.
• Now measure out the lye in a bowl. When working with Lye be sure to wear protective eye wear and gloves. Be really careful because it’s poison and can really hurt you while it’s still in this state. So also be aware of what you’re using to stir with, what you’re putting it in, etc. and only use those things for soap making, if possible. Otherwise, clean them really well.
• Carefully pour the Lye into the water and stir. It will get really hot so use an oven mitt if you touch the sides or move the jar/bowl. Let this sit for now.
• At this point measure out the Olive Oil in a separate bowl and then pour into the pot on the stove.
• When the Lye/Water mixture cools down to about 110° then it’s ready to pour into the mixture. This will take a little while.
• Carefully, to prevent air bubbles and splashing, pour the Lye/Water mixture into the pot on the stove.
• Rotate between stirring with a hand blender and a spoon until it reaches a pancake batter consistency. Try to keep the blender underneath the surface to prevent air bubbles which will make the top of the soap flaky.
• Once it’s mixed thoroughly, pour into your mold. I simply bought a silicone cake pan and it is so easy because you don’t have to use freezer paper or anything, it comes right out of it.
• Once you’ve poured it, cover it with a cardboard box for about 24 hours until it’s hard and opaque.
• Clean everything REALLY well. Especially the stuff that came into contact with the Lye. If you can, only use these items for your soap making; but if you can’t, then just do your best to clean them really well and it should be fine.
• In 24 hours the soap is ready to cut. I got too many air bubbles in mine so the top layer is a little flaky. I just used a cheese grater to skim off the top and it’s fine though.
• Cutting is all up to how big you like them. First cut long ways.
• Then cut the other way to make good sized soap bars. I got about 18 medium sized bars out of this batch.
• I am just storing them in a small plastic bin. They need to cure for at least 4 weeks before you can use them.