The History Of Soap Making
Author: Renee Vailes
I run across people all the time that ask questions about the lye in our handmade soaps. Some come away with a new understanding of soap making, others just turn up their nose. 
Lye is essential to the art of soap making. It has been used for literally thousands of years to make various kinds of soap across every continent. Handmade soap has its origins in ancient history.
Although it is believed by many that soap’s history actually began around 2800 B.C. in Babylonia (where historians found a barrel containing a soap-like substance), undeniable proof of soap’s existence was first provided by a Mesopotamian clay tablet dating back to 2200 B.C. with an actual soap recipe inscribed on it. The ancient soap making technique described mixing potash and oils to form a cleansing agent.
It’s almost a given that Egyptians would also make some type of soap or cleanser. Egyptian manuscripts describe a substance created by combining animal fats and vegetable oils to create a soap-like base. The documents from approximately 1500 B.C. go on to explain another type of soap that is used in the production of wool.
Around 200 A.D. the ancient Greeks were said to have used an ash mixture to clean their statues and pots. .jpg)
The Gauls and Romans also made soap with animal fat, beech tree ashes and Goat’s Milk. The goat’s milk seems to have been their favorite, and I can understand why! They made both hard and soft soap products.
Today, soap is made from vegetable or animal fats and an alkali. In the past however, people made their own soap from animal tallow and wood ashes. Regardless of who first created the concoction, it was undoubtedly used in Rome. This is an established fact because a soapmaker’s shop was discovered within the rubble of Pompeii after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The Romans often used soap as a cosmetic. It was quite popular with the ladies, for they used it to dye their hair red. Plant extracts were probably used to acquire this color.
By 600 A.D. soap making guilds were formed and the modern formula for the soap that we use today was created.
The Hebrews used a salt base when creating their cleanser. This salt, used in a similar manner by many ancient cultures, could be found quite easily in their local lakes. They used the salt to create the alkali called for in the recipes.
By the eighth century, it is documented that there were soap factories in Italy and Spain. It was not until the twelfth or thirteenth century that this industry was embraced by France. France then passed on the tradition to England. The French made their soaps almost exclusively from olive oil, while the English delved into many different kinds of soap.
The Industrial Revolution forever changed the commercial production of soap. People stopped making it at home and started buying it from a catalog or store. Although, poor people did still make their own soap from wood ash and animal fats. 
Today, lye is a product on the “hit list” because it is used in methanphetamine production. You can’t just buy it at the store like we did 30 years ago. It must be ordered or bought from a supplier with plenty of paperwork to go along with it! But, it’s still possible to make your own inexpensive and all-natural soap at home. You can make it from scratch with lye and soybean, coconut or olive oils, or you can order a rebatching base from a reputable supplier.
Either way, natural glyercin soaps are the way to go! Commercial soaps are more detergent than moisturizer these days. Vegan or at the very least, all natural, ingredients are best. Make your own soap or buy from soap-makers like me — and be kind to your skin!
http://www.NeeNeesSoapShop2.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/the-history-of-soap-making-956211.html
About the Author
We are located in the Piney Woods of East Texas. We are a small, locally owned and operated home business. Our products are all from the finest quality ingredients and many are made when you order them! All our lotions and soaps are handmade with fresh goat’s milk and the finest quality vegetable oils. We aim to provide Quality Skin Care at a fraction of the cost! God Bless You!
http://www.NeeNeesSoapShop2.blogspot.com
Does anyone have an easy soap making recipe for a beginner?
I have never tried it, but would love to!
where are the best recipes for making soap and hand made cosmetics?
where are the best recipes for making soap and hand made cosmetics?
Looking into making my own laundry soap. Most recipes say to use Fels naptha, can I use a castille soap?
I see many recipes, but have been doing alot of research and keep seeing that Fels Naptha has adverse effects over a long period of time. So I was wondering if anyone has any other recipes using homemade soap, or a castille soap that I can learn to make and then learn to make the laundry soap with it?
Does anybody have any soap making recipes?
Why not use Drano instead of lye in soap-making recipes?
The label is not clear that there are other ingredients. Anyone have any information??
How can I be an unreal soap maker? Mr Bill? My soaps are used by others, so I am assured that they are real. And I know I exist.
Now I presume you mean “soap makers who make soap using ‘real’ ( should read /really/: adverb and all that) old fashioned methods”. . I just use modern methods since I do not have a pile of wood in ash from to dribble water through. Sorry.
I just did an Internet search and found the following sites:
Teach Soap: http://www.teachsoap.com. It’s got more than just recipes for bar soaps; it has recipes for bath fizzes, lotions, creams, and scrubs. I’ll be bookmarking this one!
Castile Soap recipes: http://www.millersoap.com/castile.html. If you prefer not to use animal products in your soap, this site has recipes that are entirely vegetable-based.
Miller Soap: http://www.millersoap.com. This is the home page for the site I wrote about above. It has recipes using animal fats, plus where you can find ingredients. It also has notes on traditional versus modern soap-making methods.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/8088/beauty.html
This site has recipes for make-up, deodorants, skin care, dental hygiene, and much more!
http://users.resist.ca/~kirstena/pagehomemadecosmetics.html: This site is very similar to the one I listed above, but has some explanations why certain products are used.
http://www.wildroots.com/cosmetic.htm: I liked that this site had some references for additional readings at the bottom of the page.
http://www.makingcosmetics.com/: Here you can purchase containers and supplies for making your own cosmetics.
Good luck! These sites look like a lot of fun; I may have to start making my own supplies, too!
I personally don’t know how sounds like it would be fun and also a nice gift, but I did find this site for you and it for beginners!!!
http://www.SoapMakingFun.com Good luck!!!
okay if you want to make soap purely from scratch;
Put on your rubber gloves and goggles.
Weigh out 12 ounces of lye (sodium hydroxide) into the two-cup measuring cup.
Weigh 32 ounces (2 pounds) of cold water in glass container.
Slowly add lye to water (best done outside) stirring gently. **It is very important to add the Lye to the water and not the other way round!!! Otherwise the reaction is too quick and it is dangerous!!** The lye will heat the water and release fumes. The fumes dissipate quickly, but turn your face away so as not to inhale the fumes.
Set aside and allow the lye to cool.
Weigh out 24 ounces of coconut oil and 38 ounces of vegetable shortening into the metal kettle. Melt these oils over low heat and stir frequently. Remove from heat after the oils have melted and add the 24 ounces of olive oil.
When your lye has reached a range of 95-98 degrees Fahrenheit (35-36 degrees Celsius) and your oils are at the same temperature, add the lye in a slow steady stream to the oils. Use the metal whisk to stir the mixture. After about ten minutes you will notice a change in your mixture. This is called saponification.
The mixture will appear like thin cream. This is called tracing. Tracing occurs when droplets of soap will stand up on the surface. When this happens, add your fragrance and stir well. Be ready to pour natural soap in your mold.
Cover your shoe box with the two towels and set aside undisturbed for eighteen hours. The soap will go through a gel stage and a heat process. At the end of this period uncover the soap and allow to sit for another 12 hours.
If you measured accurately and followed the directions, there should be no problems. But if your soap has a deep oily film on top the natural soap cannot be used because it has separated. It is disappointing if this happens. This will occur if your measurements were not accurate.
Unmold your natural soap. Turn the box over and allow the soap to fall on a towel or clean surface. Cut your soap into bars. Allow the natural soap to cure in a cool dry place for approximately four to six weeks before using.
If you want to remake soap:
How To Make Hand Milled Soaps
If you like the look, feel and texture of processed soaps but don’t want to have make them from scratch then hand milled soaps, also known as rebatched soaps, might work for you. The essential instructions are actually fairly easy to follow and with a little practice you can make some gorgeous soaps. This method can also be used for leftover scrap pieces of soap too.
Q: What is hand milled soap?
A: Milling is a standard term in the soapmaking industry meaning grated or ground, so hand milled soaps are hand grated soaps that are re-formed into new bars.
The most important thing you can do to make this process go smoothly is to gather all of your supplies before you begin. Having everything you need at your fingertips makes it a lot easier because later in the process you have to move fairly quickly as the soap begins to thicken up.
Once you have all of your supplies it’s time to begin:
Step 1: Grate your soap. A food processor can be used in addition to hand grating the soap in order to achieve a finer texture.
Choosing your base soap: A soap that is made with lye and cold processed works best for hand milling. Castile soaps also work great for hand milling as well. Choose soaps that do not have added fragrances, scents or dyes.
Step 2: Place all of your grated soap into a pan, bowl or large measuring glass that will be placed in a larger pan with water in it. Be sure to leave enough space in the pan to gently stir your soap.
Step 3: Add any oils and then water, called for in the hand milled recipe. Add about 2” of water to the larger pan and place on a medium to medium-high heat. Sit the smaller pan with the grated soap, oils and/or water into the larger pan and begin stirring while the water heats. When the water begins to boil, turn down the heat so that it will stay at a simmering boil. Continue stirring through the melting process.
Tips for the melting process: At first the soap will clump together. Use your spoon to break up the clumps and continue stirring until the oils and/or water are completely mixed in. It will begin to look sort of like a watery cottage cheese mixture, continue stirring. The soap will eventually become smoother. The final phase of the melting process is when the soap looks ‘stringy’. The soap must reach the string phase of the melting process in order for it to set up correctly later.
Step 4: The soap will begin to thicken very quickly at this point. Remove your soap from the hot water and work quickly to add any dyes or fragrances the recipe calls for. Once the dyes and scents are added, add any herbs, botanicals or additional ingredients your recipe calls for. Stir these additives in until they are thoroughly combined.
Step 5: Once the additives are completely mixed through the soap, spoon the melted soap into the mold. In order to eliminate any potential air bubbles, gently tap the mold on the counter. If you prefer soap balls to molded soaps, as soon as the soap is cool enough to handle, begin working into balls with your hands.
Step 6: Your molded soap should be ready to be removed from the mold within four to twelve hours. Once the soap is hard enough, remove it from the mold and set it out to cure for up to three weeks. In the first few days it’s imperative that you flip and/or rotate your soap so that it doesn’t become mis-shaped or warped.
Tips for the molding/curing process: If you having difficulty getting your hardened soap out of the mold, pop it into the freezer for a about 30 minutes or so and then try removing it again. If you don’t want to wait the four to twelve hours for your soap to harden, you can also freeze it.
Be sure to allow adequate curing time or the soap will dissolve very quickly when it’s used.
If you shape your soap into balls, as they cure they may shrink or even collapse. If this happens simply reshape them by hand into balls again.
If your soap doesn’t get good and hard after about three days or so, it most likely didn’t reach the proper stringy temperature all the way through the soap during the melting process. You can either re-melt and re-mold it, or try shaping it into soap balls.
Layered hand milled soaps can be created by scooping in the first layer and letting it set up to a soft but solid form, then scooping in the next layer and repeating the process.
A lot of you don’t know what you are talking about. But no, you can’t use draino because it has other ingredients in it that you don’t need in your soap.
Real soap makers don’t buy lye, they make it out of hardwood ash.
You can substitute Octagon or Zote soaps for Fels Naptha.