Making Natural Soap

Today, many people are choosing to purchase natural soap or are making natural soap as opposed to soaps that are made with harsh chemicals. In fact, many of the soaps on the market today are actually detergents and not true soaps. Natural soap is made from oils such as olive, palm, or coconut and they contain other natural ingredients. Detergent based soaps are derived from petroleum products and are drying to the skin.

Some people mistakenly believe that natural soap does not contain lye. The fact of the matter is that all soap contains lye. Soap is made through a process called saponification. Saponification is the chemical reaction that occurs when the oil or fats used to make soap combine with lye. After these chemicals mix, the lye and fats or oils become glycerin and soap. When soap has been formulated correctly, the finished product will not contain any lye. However, all natural soaps were formed with a lye base. If you are making your own natural soap, it is wise to use a lye calculator. The calculator will let you know the saponification value of fats and oils. Or the amount of lye that is required to create glycerin and soap without any lye remaining in the product.

Since fats and oils are a contributing factor to creating natural soap, it is a good idea to choose soap based upon the ingredients that it contains and the benefits. Some of the most common fats or oil bases for natural soap include:

· Olive Oil
· Coconut Oil
· Palm Oil
· Soybean Oil
· Canola Oil

Olive oil is revered for its ability to give natural soap a smooth lather. Coconut is used because it creates a rich foamy lather. Canola Oil can give soap a shine while Palm oil makes the soap hard and firm. Other oils may be added to the soap as well as natural ingredients such as moisturizers, exfoliates, essential oils, and herbs.

Another important quality of making natural soap is the process of Superfatting. Superfatting is when you add more oil to a batch of soap then is required to make the reaction between oil and lye. The extra oil will create a softer soap that has additional moisturizing benefits. Some beneficial superfatting oils include:

· Cocoa Butter
· Sweet Almond Oil
· Olive Oil
· Avocado Oil
· Apricot Kernel Oil
· Hemp Oil
· Jojoba Oil
· Castor Oil
· Kukui Nut Oil
· Shea Butter

Because of the wonderful ingredients added to natural soap, many people find that these soaps have greater healing properties and qualities as compared to over the counter soaps. With greater glycerin content, natural soaps retain more moisture, so it is a good idea to make sure that the soap has ample space to dry thoroughly after use. You can achieve this by placing your natural soap on a soap dish that has drainage holes. Always store new bars of natural soap in a cool dry place, to prevent the bars from melting. By taking care of your bars of natural soap you are essentially taking the first step to ensure that you have great skin.