DIY Soap Making: A Practical, No-Nonsense Guide to Crafting Natural Soap at Home

Odette Handley
Jan 26
4 min read

Because soap should clean your skin, not confuse your conscience.

Introduction: Why Soap Making Is Older Than Your Great-Grandmother’s Wisdom

Long before supermarket shelves groaned under plastic bottles and neon labels, soap was made by hand. Real hands. Real ingredients. No marketing department required.

Soap making began as a practical skill, born from necessity and refined through generations. Fats, ashes, water, patience. Over time, it became something more than utility. It became craft. Creativity. Control.

Today, DIY soap making has made a well-deserved comeback. Not because it’s trendy, but because people are tired of mystery ingredients, dry skin, and greenwashing. Making your own soap gives you:

Full control over ingredients
Gentler, skin-loving formulas
Less plastic waste
A deeply satisfying “I made this” feeling

Whether you want to make soap for your family, your farm stall, or a future business, this guide walks you through the what, why, and how, without talking down to you or skipping the important bits.

Section 1: Understanding Soap Making Ingredients (This Is Where Quality Starts)

Soap is chemistry, yes. But it’s also common sense. Start with good ingredients and the rest behaves itself.

Oils and Fats: The Backbone of Your Soap

Different oils bring different qualities to soap. This isn’t optional knowledge.

Common soap making oils and what they do:

Olive oil – Gentle, moisturising, slow to harden. A classic for sensitive skin.
Coconut oil – Cleansing and bubbly. Too much can be drying, so balance matters.
Palm oil (sustainably sourced) – Hardness and longevity.
Shea butter – Conditioning and luxurious, especially for dry skin.
Castor oil – Boosts stable lather. Use sparingly.

👉 Natural soap ingredients matter. Cheap oils give cheap soap. Full stop.

Sourcing tip: Buy oils specifically suited for cosmetic use, not cooking leftovers from the cupboard.

Lye: Respect It, Don’t Fear It

Lye (sodium hydroxide) is non-negotiable in real soap making. No lye, no soap. It reacts with oils in a process called saponification, turning caustic ingredients into something safe and skin-loving.

Always use soap-grade sodium hydroxide
Never substitute or guess quantities
Always measure by weight, not volume

By the time soap is cured, there is no active lye left when formulated correctly. Fear comes from misinformation, not facts.

Additives: Where Creativity Lives

This is where your soap becomes yours.

Popular natural additives include:

Essential or fragrance oils
Clays (kaolin, bentonite)
Botanical powders
Natural colourants and micas
Oats, honey, activated charcoal

Natural soap making allows you to customise bars for skin type, scent preference, and aesthetic. This is where many Riverlea Soap customers fall in love with the process.

Section 2: Soap Making Safety (Non-Negotiable, Not Optional)

Homemade soap safety isn’t about being dramatic. It’s about being prepared.

Your Basic Safety Kit

Before you start, make sure you have:

Gloves (proper ones, not wishful thinking)
Safety goggles
Long sleeves and closed shoes
Heat-safe containers
Accurate digital scale

Workspace Rules

No pets, no kids, no distractions
Good ventilation
Clear surfaces
Vinegar nearby for neutralising spills (not skin)

Golden rule: Always add lye to water, never water to lye. Reverse it and you’ll regret your life choices.

Soap making is safe when done correctly. Most accidents happen when people rush, guess, or multitask. Don’t.

Section 3: Step-by-Step Soap Making Methods

There are three common methods. Each has its place. Choose based on your goals, not trends.

1. Cold Process Soap Making (The Classic)

Best for: Full creative control, natural formulations, long-lasting bars.

Basic steps:

Measure oils and melt solid fats
Mix lye solution and cool
Combine oils and lye at similar temperatures
Blend to trace
Add fragrance, colour, additives
Pour into moulds
Insulate and wait
Cut after 24–48 hours
Cure for 4–6 weeks

Troubleshooting tips:

Soap too soft? Too much liquid oil
Seizing? Fragrance oil misbehaving
Ash on top? Cosmetic issue, not a failure

Cold process soap rewards patience. It’s the method most serious soap makers settle into.

2. Hot Process Soap Making (Faster, Rustic)

Best for: Impatient soap makers and small batch testing.

Hot process speeds up saponification by applying heat. The soap is technically usable sooner, but still benefits from curing.

Pros:

Faster turnaround
Less risk of lye heaviness

Cons:

Less design flexibility
More “rustic” appearance

3. Melt-and-Pour Soap (Beginner Friendly)

Best for: Absolute beginners, workshops, kids (with supervision).

Pre-made soap base is melted, customised, and poured. No lye handling required.

Important honesty moment:It’s fun and accessible, but not the same as making soap from scratch.

Still valid. Just different.

Beginner Practical Checklist (Downloadable Content Opportunity)

Soap Making Starter Checklist:

Digital scale
Stick blender
Heat-safe jugs
Silicone mould
Soap-grade lye
Quality oils
Fragrance or essential oils
Safety gear

(Riverlea Soap starter kits tick all of these boxes, without guesswork.)

Common Soap Making Problems and How to Fix Them

Soap won’t harden: Recipe imbalance or insufficient cure time
Soap cracks: Overheating or too much insulation
No scent left: Incorrect fragrance usage rate
Skin irritation: Formula error or impatience during cure

Soap making teaches humility. Every batch is feedback.

Real-World Example: Why Makers Switch to Natural Soap

Many Riverlea Soap customers start with frustration: dry skin, eczema flare-ups, or a desire to reduce plastic waste. They stay because handmade soap works, lasts, and feels better.

One customer described her first cured loaf as “wonky, beige, and perfect”. That’s soap making in a sentence.

Conclusion: Soap Making Is a Skill Worth Keeping

DIY soap making isn’t about nostalgia or trends. It’s about taking control of what touches your skin every day.

You don’t need perfection. You need good ingredients, accurate measuring, and a willingness to learn. The rest comes with practice.

If you’re ready to start:

Explore starter kits
Stock up on natural soap ingredients
Invest in proper equipment

👉 All available at riverleasoap.com, from people who actually make soap, not just write about it.

Share your creations. Ask questions. Leave comments. Soap making is better when it’s shared.

Author Bio

Odette | Riverlea SoapSoap maker, ingredient supplier, and straight-talking educator based in South Africa. Odette has spent years formulating, teaching, and supplying natural soap makers, from curious beginners to established small businesses. Her focus is on honest education, quality ingredients, and doing things properly, without nonsense.