Cold Process Soap for Beginners: Everything You Need to Start
If you’ve ever wanted to make your own soap, cold process soap is one of the most popular and rewarding methods to learn. It might sound intimidating at first, but once you understand the basics, it’s actually simple—and incredibly satisfying.
Whether you’re looking to create natural skincare, start a small business, or just try a new hobby, this beginner guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started.
I started making soap while working a demanding full-time job and taking care of my demanding special needs child. You can do it!
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What Is Cold Process Soap?
Cold process soap is made by combining oils with lye (sodium hydroxide). This creates a chemical reaction called saponification, which turns the mixture into soap.
Once poured into a mold, the soap hardens within 24 hours or less and goes through the saponification. Once removed from the mold and cut, it cures over several weeks, resulting in a gentle, long-lasting bar.
The curing process is basically any water content in the soap evaporating out. The soap is safe to use once saponification is complete, however allowing the soap to fully cure is what makes it a harder bar that lasts longer.
I do a lather test on every soap I make immediately after it's cut, but as a seller I want a fully cured bar for my customers.
Why Choose Cold Process Soap?
• Full control over ingredients
• More natural and skin-friendly
• Customizable scents, colors, and textures
• Cost-effective over time
• Perfect for handmade businesses
Shop Our Ingredients: My Favorite Soap & Bath Making Supplies – Blue Dragonfly Handmade
Basic Ingredients You’ll Need
To make a simple beginner batch, you only need a few ingredients:
- Olive oil (moisturizing), cold pressed, from grocery store
- Coconut oil (lather + cleansing)
- Castor Oil (boosts bubbles)
- Lye (required for soapmaking)
- Distilled Water
You absolutely must learn about Lye safety before you start this process! You can find many videos on YouTube about this so PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT FIRST! This is how I learned and it's not complicated, but it is crucial to your safety and success making soap.
Basic Equipment
You don’t need anything fancy to start:
•Digital Scale (very important)
• Heat Safe Containers
• Soap Molds
•Safety Goggles
Heat Resistant Silicone Spatulas
Large Heat Safe Mixing Container
Complete beginner product list on Amazon: Beginner DIY Soap Making Essentials
Pro tip: If you can't purchase a mold at first, you can actually make one yourself with things like cardboard milk cartons and parchment or wax paper. There are YouTube videos on this as well.
Simple Beginner Process (Overview)
- Measure ingredients accurately (very important)
- Mix lye with water (always lye into water, never water into lye)
- Melt and combine oils
- Pour lye solution into oils and carefully mix
- Blend to “trace” (pudding-like texture)
- Pour into mold
- Let sit 24–48 hours
- Cure for 4–6 weeks
Beginner Tips (Super Important)
• Always measure by weight, not volume
• Don’t skip safety gear
• Start with simple recipes
• Avoid overcomplicating your first batch
• Be patient with curing time
Common Beginner Mistakes
• Using too many ingredients at once
• Not measuring correctly
• Skipping the cure time
• Overmixing or undermixing
Final Thoughts
Cold process soapmaking is one of the most rewarding DIY skills you can learn. Start simple, focus on quality ingredients, and enjoy the process.
And if you’d rather skip the learning curve, you can always explore handmade soaps crafted with care and skin-loving ingredients here
Visit Blue Dragonfly Handmade
Shop Our Ingredients: My Favorite Soap & Bath Making Supplies – Blue Dragonfly Handmade
🥑 Avocado Oil Soap Recipe (Creamy + Conditioning)
🧴 Oil Formula (900g total oils)
Olive Oil – 35% (315g)
Coconut Oil – 25% (225g)
Avocado Oil – 20% (180g)
Shea Butter – 15% (135g)
Castor Oil – 5% (45g)
⚗️ Lye Solution (always verify with calculator) Soapcalc.net
Lye (NaOH) – ~128g
Water – ~250g (more beginner-friendly than heavy discount)
Superfat – 6%
🌿 Optional Additives Kaolin Clay Powder– 1–2 tsp
Sodium Lactate (optional) – for hardness
Handcraft Blends carrier oils: Avocado, Grapeseed, Sweet Almond, Castor and more. Excellent quality and affordably priced. Love this brand!
