a number of years ago i decided i wanted to make soap. after spending a lot of time investigating the subject and overcoming my fear of dealing with lye and the accompanying poison warning signs, i made the leap! now, each and every year, around this time, i make several batches of soap to gift during the holidays. and, this year is no different - in the past couple of weeks i have made batches of lime-coconut, orange-spice, and almond.
i thought i would share some of the steps involved in the process as my science experiment progressed so......here goes!
step #1 - i measure out 12 ounces of sodium hydroxide (very scientific, eh?) otherwise known as lye.
step #1 - i measure out 12 ounces of sodium hydroxide (very scientific, eh?) otherwise known as lye.step #2 - i combine the sodium hydroxide with 4 cups of cold water. i do this with the windows open, the exhaust fan running full bore, while wearing gloves, goggles and a mask. the fumes are extremely toxic! the neatest part of this operation is that when the sodium hydroxide mixes with the water the temperature rises to well over 180 degrees! science in action - should have paid more attention in high school chemistry class as i know there is some term for this. once the sodium hydroxide dissolves i leave the water/lye mix to cool.
step #3 - now i measure out the oils
and place in a pot. i put the pot on the stove on low and wait
and wait and wait for the oils to melt (this takes a long time since the oils are over low heat because you don't want them to get too hot!)
step #3 - now i measure out the oilsand place in a pot. i put the pot on the stove on low and waitand wait and wait for the oils to melt (this takes a long time since the oils are over low heat because you don't want them to get too hot!) 
step #4 - i spend tons of time checking temperatures of both the oils and the water/lye. both need to be between 100 and 110 degrees. 
step #5 - when both have reached the same temperature, i pour the water/lye solution into the oils and begin mixing and mixing
and mixing until the solution begins to thicken and saponify (the chemical reaction that binds the oil and lye together to make soap). 
when it reaches the stage of thick whipped cream, it's ready for the molds, which are filled in rapid order while the mixture is still pliable!
step #6 - once the molds are filled they are put to bed wrapped in a big wool blanket to hibernate for the next 24 hours while the saponification process continues.
step #7 - 24 hours or so later, the soaps are unmolded and set aside to finish curing for another three weeks.
voila! soap that has a wonderful aroma and good lather that takes you to infinity and beyond!a sort of 'cosmic comfort'!!
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