DIY Soap Making: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners in 2026

DIY Soap Making: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners in 2026

(Fun, Informative & Powered by Riverlea Soap)

1. Getting Started: Why Make Your Own Soap?

There’s something deeply satisfying about turning simple oils, lye, water, and scent into a beautiful bar of soap that you made with your own hands. Since I started making soap in 2007, I’ve loved not only the creativity but also the science behind it – watching ingredients transform through saponification into something gentle, bubbly, and skin-loving.

In 2026, DIY soap making is more popular than ever. People want:

• More control over ingredients

• More natural, skin-friendly options

• A relaxing, creative hobby that results in usable gifts and products

This guide will walk you through DIY soap making from what you need, to equipment, oils, and all the way to packaging – with Riverlea Soap favourites highlighted along the way.

2. What You Need to Start (Basics for Beginners)

Before diving into the technical parts, here’s what you need in place:

2.1 Knowledge & Mindset

• Willingness to follow instructions carefully (especially with lye)

• Curiosity about ingredients and how they behave (you can't just swap one oil for another)

• Patience – cold process soap needs curing time

2.2 Basic Supplies Checklist

For a simple beginner cold process batch, you’ll need:

• Oils and butters (e.g. olive, coconut, sunflower, shea butter, Cocoa Butter)

• Sodium hydroxide Flake (lye) – specifically for soap making

• Distilled water

• Fragrance or essential oils

• Colourants (like micas)

• Mould (silicone loaf moulds are great for beginners)

• Cutting and finishing tools – e.g. soap cutter, beveller

At Riverlea Soap, you’ll find:

• Soap-making fragrance oils (skin-safe, soap suitable)

• Micas and colours designed for cold process soap

• Cutters and bevelers for neat, professional-looking bars

• A range of oils and additives ideal for handcrafted soap

3. Equipment: Setting Up Your Soap-Making Space

Think of your soap-making area as a mini lab mixed with a creative studio. Safety and organisation come first.

3.1 Essential Equipment

• Digital scale – accurate measuring is non-negotiable

• Heatproof jugs – one for lye solution, one for oils

• Stainless steel or heavy plastic mixing bowls

• Stick blender – speeds up the process and brings the batter to trace

• Thermometer – to check oil and lye temperatures

• Silicone spatulas – for scraping and swirling

• Silicone or lined moulds – loaf, slab or individual bar moulds

• Riverlea Soap cutters – for consistent bar sizes

• Riverlea Soap beveller – to smooth edges and add that professional finish

3.2 Safety Gear

• Safety goggles

• Long gloves (that cover wrists)

• Long sleeves and closed shoes

• Protective surface (old towels, newspaper, or dedicated mats)

• Vinegar (for neutralising accidental lye spills on surfaces)

Keep all equipment used for soap making separate from food equipment.

4. Oils & Ingredients: Building Your Perfect Bar

This is where the fun (and science) really starts. Different oils bring different properties: hardness, lather, conditioning, and longevity.

4.1 Common Soap-Making Oils

• Olive oil – gentle, conditioning, great for sensitive skin

• Coconut oil – cleansing, bubbly lather (use in moderation for gentleness)

• Sunflower or canola oil – affordable, conditioning

• Shea butter or cocoa butter – hardness, creaminess, luxury feel

• Castor oil – boosts lather in small amounts

At Riverlea Soap, you’ll find a range of high-quality oils and butters perfect for formulating your base recipe.

4.2 Fragrance Oils: Scenting Your Creations

Scent is one of the most memorable parts of a bar of soap.

Riverlea Soap offers soap-safe fragrance oils in a wide variety of profiles:

• Fresh & clean (great for everyday family bars)

• Floral & romantic

• Fruity & fun (perfect for kids’ soaps and gifts)

• Warm & spicy (ideal for winter or cozy, rustic bars)

Tips for beginners:

• Start with one fragrance oil per batch until you understand how it behaves.

• Note any acceleration or discolouration in a soaping journal.

4.3 Colours & Micas: Making Your Soap Pop

Colour can completely transform a simple recipe.

Riverlea Soap stocks vibrant micas and colours formulated for soap making:

• Use a single mica for clean, bold colour.

• Try layers or simple in-the-pot swirls for your first designs.

• Mix mica with a little oil from your batch before adding to avoid clumps.

Colour ideas:

• Soft pastels for calming spa-like bars

• Bright, bold colours for kids or gift sets

• Earthy tones with greens, browns, and creams for “natural” and rustic bars

4.4 Additives (Optional but Fun)

• Clays (for slip and gentle cleansing)

• Oatmeal (for mild exfoliation)

• Botanicals (dried petals, herbs – used carefully to avoid browning)

5. Safety First: Working with Lye Confidently

Soap cannot be made without lye, but it doesn’t remain in the finished bar – it reacts completely with oils to create soap and glycerine.

5.1 Essential Lye Safety Rules

• Always add lye to water, never water to lye

• Mix in a well-ventilated area

• Wear goggles and gloves at all times when working with lye solution

• Keep pets and children away from your workspace

• Clearly label your lye container and store it safely

If lye splashes on your skin:

• Rinse immediately with cool running water

• Do not try to neutralise directly on skin with vinegar – water is best

6. The Soap-Making Process: From Oils to Bars

There are several ways to make soap, but for beginners, cold process and melt-and-pour are the most common.

6.1 Cold Process Soap – Step-by-Step

1. Prepare your workspace

   • Put on safety gear

   • Lay out all ingredients and equipment

   • Line or prepare your mould

2. Measure oils and butters

   • Weigh each oil/butter carefully according to your recipe

   • Melt solid oils/butters gently and combine with liquid oils

3. Make your lye solution

   • Weigh distilled water into a heatproof jug

   • Slowly add weighed lye to the water (never the other way round) while stirring

   • Let solution cool

4. Bring oils and lye solution to similar temperatures

   • Typically between 35–45°C for beginners

5. Mix lye solution into oils

   • Pour lye solution through a strainer into oils to catch any undissolved bits

   • Use a stick blender in short bursts, alternating with hand stirring

   • Blend until “trace” – the batter thickens slightly and leaves a light trail on the surface

6. Add fragrance and colour

   • Mix in Riverlea Soap fragrance oils

   • Stir in pre-dispersed Riverlea micas for colour

7. Pour into moulds

   • Tap gently to release air bubbles

   • Swirl the top with a spatula if you want a decorative finish

8. Insulate and saponify

   • Cover and insulate (towel or box) if needed

   • Leave for 24–48 hours until firm enough to unmould

9. Cut and bevel

   • Use a Riverlea Soap cutter for even bars

   • Use the beveller to smooth edges for a professional, comfortable feel in the hand

   • Stamp using a custom made stamp

10. Cure

    • Place bars on a rack in a cool, dry place with good airflow

    • Cure for 4–6 weeks to harden and mellow the bar

6.2 Melt-and-Pour (Quick & Easy Option)

For those who want to skip lye handling:

1. Buy a melt-and-pour base

2. Melt gently in a double boiler or microwave

3. Add Riverlea fragrance oils and micas

4. Pour into moulds and let set

5. Unmould, trim with a small cutter if needed, and package

No curing time is required – they’re ready as soon as they’ve fully hardened.

7. From Slab to Shop-Ready: Cutting & Finishing

The way you cut and finish your soap makes a huge difference to how it feels and looks.

7.1 Cutting

• Cut when the loaf is firm but not rock hard

• Use a straight cutter for classic bars

• Use a wavy cutter for decorative, rustic edges

• Aim for consistent bar sizes – this looks better and is easier if you sell or gift sets

Riverlea Soap cutters are designed to help you achieve neat, even cuts every time.

7.2 Bevelling

Bevelling means trimming off the sharp edges of the bar:

• It makes the soap more comfortable to hold and use

• Gives a polished, professional finish

A Riverlea Soap beveller makes this quick and satisfying – one smooth pull and the edge is perfectly softened.

8. Packaging: Making Your Soap Gift-Ready

Thoughtful packaging does two jobs: it protects your soap and tells its story.

8.1 Functional Packaging Ideas

• Paper bands or cigar bands around the middle of the bar

• Kraft boxes with cut-out windows

• Tissue paper wraps tied with string or raffia

Include on your labels:

• Soap name and scent (e.g. “Midlands Meadow – Lavender & Lemongrass”)

• Basic ingredient list

• Weight

• Brand name and website: Riverlea Soap / riverleasoap.com

8.2 Aesthetic Touches

• Coordinate packaging colours with your soap micas

• Add a small stamp or sticker of your logo

• Use simple, nature-inspired designs to echo your natural ingredients

If you’re gifting:

• Bundle a set of different coloured, fragranced soaps together

• Finish with a tag explaining it’s handmade, cold process soap made with care

9. Bringing It All Together (and Your Next Step)

DIY soap making in 2026 is about creativity, self-care, science, and sustainability. With the right equipment, thoughtful oil choices, beautiful fragrance oils and micas, and finishing tools like cutters and bevellers, you can create bars that look and feel like they’ve come from a boutique – because they have: your own.

If you’re ready to start:

• Explore Riverlea Soap’s fragrance oils, colours/micas, and soap-making tools

• Choose a simple beginner recipe

• Set up your workspace, take your time, and enjoy the process

Author Bio

Odette – Founder & Soap Maker at Riverlea Soap

Odette has been making soap since 2007 and is passionate about combining creativity with the science of formulating beautiful, skin-loving bars. From her base in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa, she develops artisanal soaps, ingredients, and tools that help others discover the joy of DIY soap making.