Written by Carol Pincione. New York, November 9, 2021
Prior to this post I talked about safety, sodium hydroxide and the preparation of ingredients. Let's see now what happens during saponification!
Once the right temperature range is reached, I add the lye solutions to the melted oils&butters and I start blending with short bursts using a stick blender. Chemical reaction starts: alkali sodium hydroxide solution reacts with fatty acids from the oils and start to saponify.
Once the batter reaches a light trace, additives like clay, essential oils, botanicals are added for extra benefits, combined and stirred for a few more minutes.
The soap batter is poured into the moulds, follows texture and decor to terminate the process.
I normally seal my soap loaves with a cover and blankets for approximately 24-48 hours. They are then cut and left to cure. As my soaps have no chemical hardeners, they need to cure for approx 4-6 weeks in a ventilated area before I place them on sale. During this time, the soaps slowly release all the water and get fully dried.
Once this time is passed, they reach your homes!
