Soapmaking

Soap is a substance that we use to wash our bodies clean, and soapmaking is the process of making soap from ingredients that are natural and safe to use. To make soap, we start with two main ingredients: fat and lye. Fat can come from all sorts of things, like animals or plants, and it's what gives soap its cleansing properties. Lye, on the other hand, is a chemical that reacts with the fat to create soap.

To make soap, we first measure out the amount of fat we'll need and melt it down in a pot on the stove. Next, we measure out the lye and add it to water in a separate container. It's important to be very careful when handling the lye, because it can be dangerous if it comes into contact with skin or eyes. Once the lye is mixed with water, we slowly add it to the melted fat and stir everything together. This is called saponification.

As the lye and fat combine, they start to create bubbles and foam. This is good, because it means the soap is starting to form. We might add other ingredients to the mixture at this point, like essential oils to make the soap smell nice, or oatmeal to make it kinder to our skin. Once the mixture is well combined, we pour it into a mold and let it sit for a while to cool and harden. This is where the soap takes its final shape.

After a day or so, we can cut the soap into bars and let it finish curing for another few weeks. This is the process where the soap dries out and becomes harder and more concentrated. Once it's fully cured, our soap is ready to use! We can take it into the shower or bath and use it to clean ourselves from head to toe. And because we made it ourselves, we know that it's made from natural ingredients that are safe for our bodies and the environment.