Making of Liquid Soap

Back to: Pre Vocational Studies Primary 6

Welcome to class!

Hello my sudsy student! I’m so excited to have you back for another practical lesson. Today, we’re going to learn about “making of liquid soap.” This means creating your own cleaning liquid at home, which can be used for washing hands, dishes, or even clothes, depending on the recipe! It’s like mixing ingredients to create a magical cleaning potion! Let’s begin!

Making of Liquid Soap

Making liquid soap at home can be a fun and rewarding project. There are a couple of ways to do this, but we’ll focus on a simpler method using a soap base, which is safer for beginners.

Method 1: Using a Soap Base (Melt and Pour):

This is the easiest and safest method, especially for beginners.

What you will need:

• Glycerin soap base (or Castile soap base): This is a pre-made soap that you can melt and customize.1 You can find this at craft stores or online.2
• Distilled water: This is important for preventing cloudiness in your soap.
• Glycerin (optional): This adds extra moisturizing properties to the soap.3
• Essential oils (optional): These add fragrance to your soap.4 Adult supervision is needed.
• Colorant (soap dye) (optional): To add color to your soap.5 Adult supervision is needed.
• A double boiler or a heat-safe bowl and a saucepan: To melt the soap base.6
• A stirring spoon or stick: To mix the ingredients.
• A container or bottle: To store the finished soap.

Steps (Adult supervision is recommended, especially for heating):

1. Prepare the soap base: Cut the soap base into smaller pieces. This will help it melt more evenly.
2. Melt the soap base: Place the soap base in a double boiler or a heat-safe bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the soap base is completely melted. Adult supervision is recommended for this step.
3. Add distilled water: Once the soap base is melted, slowly add the distilled water while stirring gently.7 This will help to thin the soap and create a liquid consistency.
4. Add glycerin (optional): If you are using glycerin, add it now and stir well.
5. Add essential oils and colorant (optional): If you want to add fragrance or color, add a few drops of essential oils and/or colorant at this stage. Stir gently to combine. Adult supervision is needed.
6. Pour into a container: Carefully pour the liquid soap into your chosen container or bottle.
7. Let it cool: Allow the soap to cool completely before using it. This may take a few hours.

Method 2: Using Potassium Hydroxide (Lye) (Advanced and Requires Strict Adult Supervision):

This method involves making soap from scratch using oils and lye (potassium hydroxide).8 This is a more complex and potentially dangerous process that requires strict adult supervision and careful handling of chemicals. We will not detail the steps here due to the safety risks involved for younger learners. It’s best to learn this method from an experienced soap maker.

Important Safety Tips for Both Methods:

• Adult supervision is strongly recommended for all steps, especially when heating and handling essential oils and colorants.
• When melting the soap base, use low heat and stir constantly to prevent burning.9
• Be careful when handling hot liquids.
• When using essential oils, make sure they are safe for use on skin and follow the instructions carefully.
• Keep all ingredients and finished soap out of reach of young children and pets.

Let’s use an example for the melt and pour method. Imagine you are making liquid hand soap with your parent or guardian. You would cut the soap base into pieces, melt it in a double boiler (with their help), add some distilled water and a few drops of lavender essential oil, and then pour it into a soap dispenser.

So, to summarize, making liquid soap can be a fun and useful activity. The melt and pour method is the easiest and safest for beginners. The method using lye is more complex and requires strict adult supervision due to the use of hazardous chemicals.

Evaluation 

1. What is the main ingredient you need for this method? 
2. Why is it important to use distilled water? 
3. What can you add to give your soap a nice smell? 

Excellent! You’re doing a fantastic job! I’m so proud of your learning. Remember, safety is always the most important thing when making soap. Keep up the amazing work!

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