Overview of Handmade Soap Making Process
The market of Natural soaps is increasing in a rather natural way. During past few years, the awareness about natural soaps has increased and thus bigger piece of cake was only natural like the soap itself. Today, people know a few things about natural soaps they didn’t knew before.
For example, people know that natural soaps are made from completely natural ingredients some of which are extracts, oils and glycerin. And they know that these ingredients are absent in synthetic soaps which may result in eczema, rashes and itching. What these people don’t know, is the process from which a natural soap goes through. Since this article is only for awareness purpose, let us make a brief definition of soap making process in our minds.
Soap Making Processes:
Processes? Yes. Natural soaps can be made in more than one way although, all of these processes depend on chemical reactions of oils with a base. Basically, there are four common methods used for natural soap making.
Cold Process:
A rather common and possibly the most used method, cold process reacts oil with base from scratch at room temperature.
Hot Process:
In hot process, the reaction between oil and base remains the same; however the temperature is hot which allows the mixture so it can be neutralized. If the temperature is even higher, the process becomes boiled process, and yields Glycerin as a byproduct.
Melt and Pour Process:
Here, already made soap blocks are melted so desired fragrance can be added to it. This method is making than both hot and cold processes.
Rebatching:
Rebatching involves grating, melting, adding fragrances and colors to an already-made block, hence the word, “rebatching.”
A wholesale handmade soap can be easily obtained so long as oil is reacted with base. The fragrance and texture obtained however depend upon type and quality of oils used in the process.