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How to Make Soap 1
Combining different oils will lend your final product different characteristics. Some oils will help make your bars harder or will provide a better lather. On the other hand, oils like olive and coconut will create the chemical reaction that actually turn all these liquids into soap. Other materials like shea butter will offer moisturising qualities.
With that preface, let’s take a deeper look into how to actually make your first bars of soap.
Gather Your Ingredients
Grab all the materials you’ll need to cook up your first batch. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Glycerin base: Grab a bulk amount from us here
- Stir sticks: You can acquire these from almost any grocery store or from LiveMoor here.
- Essential oils: Again, these are available from us here.
- Rubbing alcohol: Any pharmacy or DIY store will have bottles of this readily available.
- Microwave-safe containers: If you don't have one already, any kitchen supplier will have these available.
- Moulds: You can be creative here as there are all sorts of options - choose a simple square mould or go for something a little more exciting!
Once you’ve gathered your materials, next you need to cut and melt down your glycerin base. Cut small chunks of glycerin, place them in your microwave-safe container, and microwave for 30 seconds.
Stir and Combine
Use one of the stir sticks to stir the melting glycerin base and continue to microwave for short spurts until the base is fully melted throughout. Then stir in several drops of your chosen essential oil and combine.
While those ingredients are combining, use a spray bottle to spritz rubbing alcohol on your moulds to prevent any bubbles from forming in your bars of soap.
Pour and Let Set
Once the ingredients are combined and the moulds are ready, pour the contents into the moulds and allow to cool and set. When the bars have hardened, pop them out of the moulds and your bars are complete. From here, simply lather, rinse, and repeat.
Additional Recipes
Want some ideas on ways to tweak this recipe to make it your own? Here are some options for different essential oils you can switch out to achieve a different scent and feel for your soap bars.
- Tim Cross
Friends of LiveMoor - a great response! 0
Over the last few months we have been busy collecting information from our customers with a view to creating a "Friends of LiveMoor" page to showcase the many small and large companies who utilise LiveMoor products to make all sorts of interesting things.
We received a great response and it was exciting to see the range of companies and diverse usage of our products. From the more obvious beauty products and candles to the not so obvious beard grooming products, we found customers using our wax, butters and craft materials both in the UK and abroad for small and large projects alike.
One of the most interesting was a reply we received from the Architectural Association in London who had been using our Beeswax to produce models as part of a project.
These models really showcase the versatility of wax and the amazing things it can do in the right hands.
We also received a message from a gentleman named Tim Benfield who is involved in historical re-enactments with a group called Øst Centingas.
Tim commented:
"I use your beeswax in my leatherwork. It's fantastic stuff, hardens the final leather product wonderfully and gives it a beautiful colour".
Looking at the pictures Tim sent of a Seax (knife) sheathe he had been working on, we have to agree the leather really does have a beautiful colour!
If you are using any of our products and would like to showcase your company or the products you create please Contact Us and we would be happy to add your name to the list - if you can provide a logo and website address even better!
Thanks to all who have been in touch and keep up the great work!
LiveMoor
- Tim Cross
Wax is such a versatile product - what do you do with yours? 0
Over the last few weeks we have seen many tons of wax leave our stores, winging its way all over the country and indeed the world to customers large and small. Beeswax, Soy Wax, Paraffin Wax and more are picked, packed and shipped to the UK, France, Spain, Italy and more - we even had an order from Her Majesty's Army!
We do receive lots of feedback from our customers, many of whom are using our products to make wax candles either to give as gifts, or to sell in shops and markets. In the run up to the Christmas season (yes I know it's still only September!) candle making really takes off as people prepare for the seasonal rush.
Wax is such a versatile product and its uses extend beyond candles - it can be used for lubricating and polishing, for cosmetics and even in food manufacturing to give produce a glorious shiny coating and added protection.
We would love to hear more about what our customers use their wax for - it's a great way to learn more about what we need to focus on over the coming months and if nothing else let's us see some of the wonderful things that can be done with such a simple product.
Feel free to comment below or send us a picture of what you have been producing and we can share with our readers and hopefully inspire us all!
LiveMoor
- Tim Cross
