Cold Process Soap Making – Frequently Asked Questions
What is CP Soap?
CP Soap is the short abbreviation for Cold Process Soap. This is soap that is handmade and produced, through the saponification process.
What is Saponification?
“Saponification” is the name given to the chemical reaction by which an alkali (usually sodium hydroxide - also called caustic soda or lye) reacts with fats and oils to make soap.
Does CP Soap Contain Glycerin?
Glycerin is a clear, slightly sticky chemical which is a byproduct of saponification therefore it exists naturally in CP Soap.
If CP Soap is made with lye, will it hurt my skin?
Soap is a result of a chemical reaction between lye, fat and water. In 24hrs, you no longer have lye, fat and water - you have soap! If you followed the recipe and proper soapmaking procedures, you won't have any lye at all in your finished soap.
Is CP Soap dangerous to make?
Making CP soap is a bit like driving a car, in that you are working with something powerful, and need to be safety-conscious in order to avoid injury. Make sure that you read up on appropriate safety procedures before starting to make soap, and that you work with appropriate safety equipment, including goggles, an apron, gloves, and something (like vinegar) to neutralize any spills. You should make sure that you are working uninteruppted, can concentrate on what you are doing, and don't have any pets/children around who might distract you or harm themselves or you.
What is a lye volcano?
You should also take care to always add LYE TO WATER rather than pouring water into lye which can result in a lye explosion…sometimes called a lye volcano!
Using a candy thermometer while soapmaking is helpful, too, both to get good results and avoid issues like false trace (explained later in this FAQ), and to ensure that you don't overheat the soap or lye water and create a dangerous mixture. Finally, you should make sure that you are working uninteruppted, can concentrate on what you are doing, and don't have any pets/children around who might distract you or harm themselves or you.
Who regulates CP Soap?
The FDA regulates cleansing agents. They have a very specific exemption for soap that meets certain criteria. The exemption applies to most cold process soap. Our video titled “Cosmetic, Drug or Soap?” addresses this issue. If a bar of soap meets the exemption criteria, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates the product.
What are the most common oils used in making CP Soap?
Many soapmakers start out using Crisco to make their first "beginner" soaps, as it is inexpensive, easily obtained and easy to work with. It produces a hard, white bar with stable, cleansing lather.
In everyday soapmaking, many soapmakers use a lot of palm and coconut oils, as they saponify quickly, produce excellent lather and cleansing power when saponified. They both make a nice hard, white bar of soap. Castor oil is commonly used, as it produces great lather and is conditioning. Olive oil is a favorite because it is makes a conditioning bar of soap. It does not produce much lather, and is not as cleansing as palm/coconut oil when saponified – so, it is often combined in a recipe with palm and/or coconut oil. Some soapmakers choose to make castille soap, which is 100% olive oil soap.
What is trace?
Trace is the term given to the stage of soap making when the ingredients are fully mixed and ready for additives and pouring into molds. This is the goal you are working to achieve when blending your lye water and oils! At the end of the mixing process, you will notice that the ingredients begin to “come together” and resemble vanilla pudding. When it reaches this point and when it is thick enough that dripping some of the mixture across the top of the mixture leaves a trail of drips (and doesn't immediately sink back into the batch), you have reached trace! At this stage, you can start adding in your fragrances, essential oils, colours, and other ingredients which you have set aside to "add at trace", and then put the soap into your mold.
My CP Soap is hard after two weeks. Can I go ahead and use it now?
It can be really tempting to use the soap at this point – but, it is best to wait!! While oils saponify at different speeds, even those which saponify the fastest (which are generally saturated oils which are solid at room temperature - such as coconut and palm oils) will not be fully saponified after two weeks. Those oils which saponify the most slowly – like olive oil – will still need another MONTH to saponify at that point – they can take up to six weeks to fully saponify.
If you use the soap too early, it may still contain active lye in the soap. Active lye that has not been saponified is dangerous because it can burn or irritate the skin. If you use the soap too early, it won't have achieved its full moisturizing and cleansing potential. It will be softer than it will be when fully cured. So, you will waste a lot of it, as it will dissolve too readily in water and go down the drain.
Can using a stick blender hurt my CP soap?
Stick blenders are a valuable tool, and many soapmakers consider their invention to be one of the best things ever to happen to the soapmaking process. However, it is best to use them with a bit of moderation - both to avoid "false trace" (discussed later in this FAQ) and to avoid burning out the stick blender. "Pulsing" the stick blender in short bursts (thirty seconds on, five seconds off, etc.) rather than running it continuously helps your stick blender to last longer, as it keeps the motor from overheating. Also, it helps to avoid false trace, as it keeps the soap from overheating and it gives you a chance to let it settle and observe how close it is to achieving trace. Some fragrances that tend to accelerate trace, will actually seize the soap when used with a stick blender. What is seizing?
Seizing is when you incorporate additives into your mixture and the soap overreacts by immediately going to trace, becomes grainy and/or becomes hard. Most often it is the result of difficult fragrance oils…but there can be other reasons. Too high or too low temperature can cause the fragrance oil and/or essential oil to overreact, causing the soap to harden suddenly and unexpectedly. Heat produced from a stick blender can often push a difficult fragrance over the edge and cause a seize. It can also be caused by ingredients such as sugars, waxes, jojoba oil, stearic acid, and alcohols. Some base oils such as neem oil, shea butter and sometimes castor oil can also cause soap to seize if used at more than 5%. Additionally, some essential oils (especially cinnamon and clove) can accelerate trace or cause soap to seize. Many Soapmakers avoid seizing problems with fragrance oils by blending them into a small amount of warm oils, taken from your soap pot before you have added your lye solution, and add at early trace.
My soap seized. Is there any way to salvage the soap?
If this happens, first take a deep breath…all is not lost! Your basic soap should be fine to use, just not as pretty as you planned for it to be. Try scooping your soap into your mold and then press it down with the back of your spoon.
If the seizing is really bad (where the soap has gone virtually solid in your pot) you can try to rebatch the soap by further heating it right away in a crock pot. In this case, most add a bit of added liquid like some milk or cream.
In general, seized soap can still be used, but some seizes create such a reaction that they might compromise correct saponification.
Why do people talk about curing soap?
Soap is the result of a chemical interaction in which lye (in water) acts upon fat, oils, and nut butters to convert them into soap. This process takes time - the soap is only about half saponified when you have brought it to trace and put it into your mold. How much additional time it will take from that point until it is fully cured and ready to use depends on the oils used. More saturated oils (like coconut and palm oils which are solid at room temperature) tend to saponify more quickly than less saturated oils such as olive oil. Your soap can take anywhere from three to eight weeks to cure, and is only ready for use when it is fully cured.
I want to have a book on hand for CP soap. Is there one you would recommend?
The books by Susan Miller Cavitch are wonderful; many soapmakers swear by “The Soapmaker's Companion”. Also, Essentially Soap by Dr. Robert S. McDaniel is a great book, which gives a lot of technical information about soapmaking which other books do not contain.
My CP soap has this white stuff on the top. Is it the start of mold or something else?
That white powder is called soda ash. Soda ash frequently forms on the surface of the soap and is quite harmless. To get rid of it, scrape, cut or wash off the powder on the soap before use. It does not affect the quality of your cold process soap.
Soda ash is more likely to appear on soaps that have been mixed and poured either too hot or cold, or not insulated properly after pouring, so that the temperature either drops or spikes to quickly during your
CP Soap is the short abbreviation for Cold Process Soap. This is soap that is handmade and produced, through the saponification process.
What is Saponification?
“Saponification” is the name given to the chemical reaction by which an alkali (usually sodium hydroxide - also called caustic soda or lye) reacts with fats and oils to make soap.
Does CP Soap Contain Glycerin?
Glycerin is a clear, slightly sticky chemical which is a byproduct of saponification therefore it exists naturally in CP Soap.
If CP Soap is made with lye, will it hurt my skin?
Soap is a result of a chemical reaction between lye, fat and water. In 24hrs, you no longer have lye, fat and water - you have soap! If you followed the recipe and proper soapmaking procedures, you won't have any lye at all in your finished soap.
Is CP Soap dangerous to make?
Making CP soap is a bit like driving a car, in that you are working with something powerful, and need to be safety-conscious in order to avoid injury. Make sure that you read up on appropriate safety procedures before starting to make soap, and that you work with appropriate safety equipment, including goggles, an apron, gloves, and something (like vinegar) to neutralize any spills. You should make sure that you are working uninteruppted, can concentrate on what you are doing, and don't have any pets/children around who might distract you or harm themselves or you.
What is a lye volcano?
You should also take care to always add LYE TO WATER rather than pouring water into lye which can result in a lye explosion…sometimes called a lye volcano!
Using a candy thermometer while soapmaking is helpful, too, both to get good results and avoid issues like false trace (explained later in this FAQ), and to ensure that you don't overheat the soap or lye water and create a dangerous mixture. Finally, you should make sure that you are working uninteruppted, can concentrate on what you are doing, and don't have any pets/children around who might distract you or harm themselves or you.
Who regulates CP Soap?
The FDA regulates cleansing agents. They have a very specific exemption for soap that meets certain criteria. The exemption applies to most cold process soap. Our video titled “Cosmetic, Drug or Soap?” addresses this issue. If a bar of soap meets the exemption criteria, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates the product.
What are the most common oils used in making CP Soap?
Many soapmakers start out using Crisco to make their first "beginner" soaps, as it is inexpensive, easily obtained and easy to work with. It produces a hard, white bar with stable, cleansing lather.
In everyday soapmaking, many soapmakers use a lot of palm and coconut oils, as they saponify quickly, produce excellent lather and cleansing power when saponified. They both make a nice hard, white bar of soap. Castor oil is commonly used, as it produces great lather and is conditioning. Olive oil is a favorite because it is makes a conditioning bar of soap. It does not produce much lather, and is not as cleansing as palm/coconut oil when saponified – so, it is often combined in a recipe with palm and/or coconut oil. Some soapmakers choose to make castille soap, which is 100% olive oil soap.
What is trace?
Trace is the term given to the stage of soap making when the ingredients are fully mixed and ready for additives and pouring into molds. This is the goal you are working to achieve when blending your lye water and oils! At the end of the mixing process, you will notice that the ingredients begin to “come together” and resemble vanilla pudding. When it reaches this point and when it is thick enough that dripping some of the mixture across the top of the mixture leaves a trail of drips (and doesn't immediately sink back into the batch), you have reached trace! At this stage, you can start adding in your fragrances, essential oils, colours, and other ingredients which you have set aside to "add at trace", and then put the soap into your mold.
My CP Soap is hard after two weeks. Can I go ahead and use it now?
It can be really tempting to use the soap at this point – but, it is best to wait!! While oils saponify at different speeds, even those which saponify the fastest (which are generally saturated oils which are solid at room temperature - such as coconut and palm oils) will not be fully saponified after two weeks. Those oils which saponify the most slowly – like olive oil – will still need another MONTH to saponify at that point – they can take up to six weeks to fully saponify.
If you use the soap too early, it may still contain active lye in the soap. Active lye that has not been saponified is dangerous because it can burn or irritate the skin. If you use the soap too early, it won't have achieved its full moisturizing and cleansing potential. It will be softer than it will be when fully cured. So, you will waste a lot of it, as it will dissolve too readily in water and go down the drain.
Can using a stick blender hurt my CP soap?
Stick blenders are a valuable tool, and many soapmakers consider their invention to be one of the best things ever to happen to the soapmaking process. However, it is best to use them with a bit of moderation - both to avoid "false trace" (discussed later in this FAQ) and to avoid burning out the stick blender. "Pulsing" the stick blender in short bursts (thirty seconds on, five seconds off, etc.) rather than running it continuously helps your stick blender to last longer, as it keeps the motor from overheating. Also, it helps to avoid false trace, as it keeps the soap from overheating and it gives you a chance to let it settle and observe how close it is to achieving trace. Some fragrances that tend to accelerate trace, will actually seize the soap when used with a stick blender. What is seizing?
Seizing is when you incorporate additives into your mixture and the soap overreacts by immediately going to trace, becomes grainy and/or becomes hard. Most often it is the result of difficult fragrance oils…but there can be other reasons. Too high or too low temperature can cause the fragrance oil and/or essential oil to overreact, causing the soap to harden suddenly and unexpectedly. Heat produced from a stick blender can often push a difficult fragrance over the edge and cause a seize. It can also be caused by ingredients such as sugars, waxes, jojoba oil, stearic acid, and alcohols. Some base oils such as neem oil, shea butter and sometimes castor oil can also cause soap to seize if used at more than 5%. Additionally, some essential oils (especially cinnamon and clove) can accelerate trace or cause soap to seize. Many Soapmakers avoid seizing problems with fragrance oils by blending them into a small amount of warm oils, taken from your soap pot before you have added your lye solution, and add at early trace.
My soap seized. Is there any way to salvage the soap?
If this happens, first take a deep breath…all is not lost! Your basic soap should be fine to use, just not as pretty as you planned for it to be. Try scooping your soap into your mold and then press it down with the back of your spoon.
If the seizing is really bad (where the soap has gone virtually solid in your pot) you can try to rebatch the soap by further heating it right away in a crock pot. In this case, most add a bit of added liquid like some milk or cream.
In general, seized soap can still be used, but some seizes create such a reaction that they might compromise correct saponification.
Why do people talk about curing soap?
Soap is the result of a chemical interaction in which lye (in water) acts upon fat, oils, and nut butters to convert them into soap. This process takes time - the soap is only about half saponified when you have brought it to trace and put it into your mold. How much additional time it will take from that point until it is fully cured and ready to use depends on the oils used. More saturated oils (like coconut and palm oils which are solid at room temperature) tend to saponify more quickly than less saturated oils such as olive oil. Your soap can take anywhere from three to eight weeks to cure, and is only ready for use when it is fully cured.
I want to have a book on hand for CP soap. Is there one you would recommend?
The books by Susan Miller Cavitch are wonderful; many soapmakers swear by “The Soapmaker's Companion”. Also, Essentially Soap by Dr. Robert S. McDaniel is a great book, which gives a lot of technical information about soapmaking which other books do not contain.
My CP soap has this white stuff on the top. Is it the start of mold or something else?
That white powder is called soda ash. Soda ash frequently forms on the surface of the soap and is quite harmless. To get rid of it, scrape, cut or wash off the powder on the soap before use. It does not affect the quality of your cold process soap.
Soda ash is more likely to appear on soaps that have been mixed and poured either too hot or cold, or not insulated properly after pouring, so that the temperature either drops or spikes to quickly during your
