S A P O N I F I C A T I O N
The Science of Soapmaking
A beautifully crafted bar of handmade herbal soap is a work of art. But to create a high quality bar of soap – one that not only smells great but is also long-lasting, lathers well, and nourishes your skin – also requires quite a bit of science.
The process of cold-process soapmaking is a fascinating (and fragrant) lesson in chemistry. Just like baking a cake, all of the ingredients in a soap recipe must be measured accurately and combined in exactly the right proportions and at the right temperatures to achieve a successful chemical reaction, called "saponification".
To begin the saponification process, which will turn the moisturizing vegetable oils into handmade soap, I add a precise amount of lye and water. But don’t worry! While you would never want to put lye on your skin, it is the only thing that will turn the vegetable oils into gentle, creamy soap.
The lye is measured and dissolved in water, and then it is slowly added to the melted vegetable oils in a large pot. The mixture is stirred constantly so that all of the separate ingredients stay evenly distributed. This "cold-process" method of soapmaking requires no additional heat or fancy equiptment - just a bit of time and lots of stirring!
While it may not look like much is happening at this point, as I stir together the oil, lye, and water an intricate chemical reaction is taking place. Immediately, the ingredients begin to break down. Vegetable oils, which are made up of triglycerides, are broken down into two parts; fatty acids and glycerol. Lye (also known as “sodium hydroxide”) is also broken down into two parts – sodium ions and hydrogen ions.
As the ingredients break down into their basic parts, they begin to combine with each other again, but in a brand new way. The fatty acids from the vegetable oils combine with the sodium ions from the lye to create a new product – soap! Vegetable oils are made up of many different kinds of fatty acids, and each one contributes unique characteristics to the finished bar of soap. Some fatty acids create a lot of lather (but don’t moisturize very well) and some are very moisturizing (but don’t make the soap hard enough). A high quality handmade soap starts with a carefully crafted soap recipe that balances different fatty acids with complementary characteristics.
As the fatty acids and sodium ions combine to create soap, the glycerol from the oil also combines with the hydrogen ions from the lye to create glycerin. Glycerin is a wonderful natural moisturizer that softens your skin and helps it retain moisture. Handmade soap naturally contains up to 25% glycerin, which is one of the things that make it so good for your skin. Large scale commercial soapmaking also produces glycerin, but the glycerin is removed during production and sold separately to be used in other skin care products.
As the saponification process takes place, the soap mixture begins to thicken into a creamy consistency. When the consistency is just right, I can add all of the wonderful extras that make my soaps so special– shea butter, oatmeal, herbs and natural essential oils.
The warm, fragrant soap mixture is then poured into our large soap molds, where it continues to harden and set up overnight. The next day I cut it into individual bars, which are allowed to cure for 4 weeks before they are ready to be sold.
Sound complicated? Trust me! Once you try luxurious 100% natural handmade soap, I think you’ll agree… It’s worth it!
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M E E T T H E S O A P M A K E R
Ellie Campbell
I have been making handmade soap since I was in high school. I love the exquisite balance of science and art that goes into soapmaking, from crafting an original soap recipe to artfully labeling and presenting the beautiful final product. Most of all, I love being able to make something useful. I love knowing that my soaps are being used and enjoyed, and hearing the enthusiastic response from happy soap customers with happy skin. I hope you become one of them. Thanks for visiting!
- Ellie
Ellie has owned and operated Ellie's Handmade Soap since 2001, selling her line of natural herbal soaps at art & craft fairs, farmer's markets, boutiques and retail stores, and on her website. She lives with her husband in downtown Chicago.
