How to make cold processed soap

How to make cold processed soap
Ingredients:
 517 G Distilled Water
 190.2 G Lye – Caustic Soda
 15.12 oz Coconut Oil
 9.12 oz Olive Oil
 2.4 oz Rice Bran Oil
 2.4 oz Cocoa Butter
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9.6 oz Castor Oil
9.36 oz Palm Oil
1 tbsp Essential Oils
1 tsp Vitamin E (Preservative)
½ tsp Activated Charcoal (Colourant)
½ tsp Cucumber Peel (Colourant)
Equipment:
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Stainless steel saucepan
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Measuring Bowls
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Thermometer
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Stick blender
Wooden or plastic spoon
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Scale - most soap ingredients are measured by
weight, not volume
Warnings:
 If you are new to soap making it should never be attempted when children or animals are around. The lye (caustic
soda) you will use, burns, and if you spill it on skin you need to wash it off immediately under running water or
vinegar.
 DON'T use any aluminium pots or spoons. You may use stainless steel or cast iron and your spoon may be of steel,
wood or plastic.
 Mix Lye and Water in a well-ventilated area – We also recommend wearing gloves and mask.
 Always mix the lye into the water.
Instructions:
1. Gather and weigh out all the above ingredients
2. Carefully and slowly add the lye to the distiller water until fully dissolved – set aside in the freezer for approx 30
mins until it reaches the same temp as the oils (50 degrees or 122 c). Stand back a bit as there will be fumes
coming up from this mix and it will heat up.
3. Next melt the hard oils – coconut, palm and cocoa butter. Clip your thermometer onto the side of the saucepan
and place on low heat on the stove. Slowly heat the oils to 50 degrees Celsius (122 F).
4. Once heated add in the soft oils (Castor, Rice Bran & Olive Oil)
5. Carefully pour the lye water into the oils and avoid splashing it.
6. Start mixing for about 5 - 10 minutes until the soap comes to trace. What is trace? (see below)
7. Once trace has been reached now you can add in the essential oils & colorant. I used two different colorants and
separated my batch in half for a layered look.
8. Pour the mixture into your mould and let cool overnight in a dark area – cover the mould with a towel
9. After 24 hours you can remove the soap from the mould
10. Place on a drying rack – turn daily for 3-4 weeks. The longer you leave it the harder your soap will become.
Recommended time: minimum 1 month
TRACE
Trace is the sign you look for that the soap has become stable and is ready to be poured into a mould. Before you reach trace,
the surface of the mixture will be smooth. When you reach trace, slight ripples will form on the surface and remain there. The
mix should be thick, but pourable.