How to make cold process soaps

Making soap is one of my favorite hobbies. There are so many ways to personalise a single recipe, that I rarely make the same soap twice! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought again!

What is cold process soap?

Cold process soap is made without any external heat applied to it, while hot process soap is most often cooked in a crockpot to speed up the soapmaking process.

What are the benefits of making cold-process soap?

One of the main benefits of cold process soap making is having complete control over ingredients. Cold process soap has no added detergents, which strip the skin of its natural oils. Additional ingredients may be added to increase the skin loving benefits.

Depending on the ingredients you use, cold process soap making typically yields a long-lasting bar of soap.

Cold process soaps are better for the environment, healthier for the skin and can be made incredibly moisturising with limitless designs and recipes. The only limit is your creativity.

Patience is a virtue.

Cold process requires an awesome 4-6 weeks curing time to complete the entire process, the longer the merrier. That explains why they are more expensive than other types of handmade soap, time is money after all. Another downfall is the safety consideration to take into account when dealing with lye, the most essential material to make soap. However, with careful practice and the basic knowledge about it, cold process soap making is still a very safe, healthy and yet fun hobby.