Dee Natural Body Care is a small family business in Central Texas, where everything is bigger here! We are passionate about skins health and nourishing our skin through the heat of Texas.

 

There are two general techniques used in handcrafted soap production: cold process and hot process.

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Cold Process Soap

 

Clod-process soap is the most common soap making, or soaping, technique. Combine a sodium hydroxide solution (lye) with fatty acids (oils, butters, or fats), emulsify them together, and pour into a mold. Add scents, color, and additives during this process. It can also be swirled, layered, stamped, and piped. The soap is then left to work through the saponification process. During this time, clod-process soap goes through an exothermic reaction, which means it generates its own heat. It is called cold-process soap because no heat is added by the soap maker. The chemical reaction of saponification occurs usually within 24 hours. Cold-process soap needs to cure for 4-6 weeks. This will ensure that majority of the water has fully evaporated so the soap won’t dissolve quickly.

 

Hot Process Soap

 

Hot-process soap is like cold-process soap, except  heat the soap to force it through the saponification process.  Cook the soap in a slow cooker, double boiler, or oven. Once the soap is cooked, add essential oils, colorants, and additives. The soap is then spooned into a mold and left to harden. Once hard, soap can be unmolded and cut. It is technically ready to use right away, however, hot-process soap still needs at least 2 weeks cure to allow some water to evaporate. One benefit to making hot-process soap is that the lye is no longer active by the time you add essential oils. This means that you can usually use less essential oil than in cold-process soap, and the scents tend to come through stronger and more stable.

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How to care for your soap

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• Store in a dry, dimly lit area in a room temperature 

• Store your soap in a well-drained soap holder that allows plenty of air between uses