As an handmade soap company I want to include both handmade bar soap and also handmade liquid soap.    I’m almost ready to add liquid soap to the web site.  The only thing holding me up is what type of bottle and labels.  We are close though and I hope to have labels designed in the near future.  Then it is only a matter of bottles & tops!  In the meantime, I thought I’d share how I make my handmade liquid soap.   The process takes a bit longer than handmade bar soap but once you get the hang of it then it is like anything else, practice makes perfect!    Here is what I do.

1.  Combine Melted Oils and Potassium Hydroxide on the cook top using very low heat.   Stick blend.   The solution emulsifies.

2.   After stick blending for a bit you will feel the solution start to smooth out.

3.  Then you get bubbles…big fat bubbles….

4.  After the bubbles comes the beginning of the taffy stage….

5.  Thick taffy…

6.  Before you know it you can’t stick blend anymore.  The soap is too thick and won’t budge.  I take a big stainless spoon at this point and flip the paste around.  Turn your burner off.  I used to cook the paste on the stove top in a rigged up double boiler.  What a mess this used to make.  Remember you are cooking the soap paste for several hours.   So now, I just turn my oven on to 185 degrees, put a lid on the pot and cook the paste in the oven.

7.  This is the paste at 3 hours.    When I first started making liquid soap I read to cook it for 3 hours.  Well.. that is definitely not enough time for my paste.  I cook for several hours until I get a good translucent gel.   When I say several hours I really mean it.  I’m talking 12 or more.    This has saved me a lot of frustration.

 8.  Here is the liquid soap paste ready to be diluted.  It’s perfect!  Can you see the difference?

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