There are four types of soap-making processes that we’d like to go over the pros and cons. There are pros and cons to each method of soap making, and everyone has their own preferences. If you’re wondering which method would be the best one for you, we have included a roundup of the most obvious pros and cons of each of the methods.
Cold process soap
Cold process soap making is the original and traditional method of soap making by combining fat or oil with sodium hydroxide lye and then blending, in addition, essential oils and colorants as required. This treatment causes a chemical reaction which is called a specification which takes up to 48 hours. Then after an additional slow boring process of about 4-6 weeks, and leaves a product that we recognize as soap.
Cold process soap making is time-consuming and involves the handling of a fairly toxic ingredient but being a traditional and slow method it is way more satisfying than other methods.
Pros:
- Allows you to customize ingredients to suit your personal preferences.
- You can add ingredients as well such as milk, fruits, and vegetable purees as they control the specification process.
- The trace of cold process soap batter can be manipulated for a wide variety of techniques. Thin traces can be used to make swirls and thick trace soap creates frosting.
- With so many techniques available, it’s a great way to get creative. The sky is the limit!
- The thick texture of the batter makes it great for suspending heavier additives.
- Generally, people consider a more “natural” bar of soap.
Cons:
- Cold process soap must be made with sodium hydroxide lye, which can be dangerous when you handle it incorrectly.
- Cold process soap takes about 4 to 6 weeks to cure.
- Some colorants tend to morph in the high pH environment of cold press soap.
- Clean-up can be a long process as it depends on how many colors your soap has.
- Because the cold process of soap batter is opaque, glitter does not show up very well when they are placed in the soap.
- The vanilla color stabilizer is not reliable in cold process soap, and fragrance oils with a high amount of vanilla content will turn the soap color brown.
Melt and Pour Soap Method
The melt-and-pour soap method is a ready-made soap base composed of fatty acids, glycerin, and other natural ingredients. The base is produced through the ‘specification” process, this process involves mixing fats and alkali. The resulting substances are allowed to cure for up to four weeks before it’s ready for use.
Pros:
- This method is great for beginners. You can melt and pour with children with parental supervision.
- The base has already gone through specification, so working with lye is not necessarily required.
- Does not require wearing any safety gear because you’re not working with lye.
- Melt and pour soap making method is quick, it gets hard in several hours and does not need to cure.
- You can use a vanilla colour stabilizer to prevent vanilla discolouration in your soap.
- Melt-and-pour soap method is great for creating extremely clean, straight layers. Just make sure to have some 99% isopropyl alcohol nearby so the layers can stick together properly.
Cons:
- Melt-and-pour soap contains extra glycerin which is why it is prone to glycerin in sweating.
- Fresh ingredients such as milk and purees will eventually go bad in the soap.
- Cleanup is easy because your dishes are all coated in a fully ready-to-use soap.
- Melt and pour soap method can burn if it becomes too hot. Once it gets burned, the base becomes thick, gloomy, and difficult to work with.
Hot Process Soap Method
This method is similar to the cold process soap method as hot process soap is also made with oils and lye, but instead of stick blending until it hits the trace and being poured into a mould, it is fixed and heated in the slow cooker, somewhere between 140°F and 176°F. That slow cooker method will help that batter go through specification until the soap reaches the gel phase in 1 to 2 hours.
Pros:
- It allows you to customize every single ingredient, including fixed oils.
- It can be made in a double boiler as well.
- Clean-up is easier because the soap in the cooker is already soap.
- It is generally considered a more natural form of soap.
- Its thick texture makes it great for suspending heavier additives.
- These bars have a rustic appearance with a less smooth texture than cold processes.
Cons:
- It is difficult to add fresh ingredients such as milk and pureed as they tend to scorch during the cooking process.
- As the soap cooks, it expands. Because of the possibility of it overflowing, it is essential to not leave it unattended.
- If your fragrance or essential oil has a low flash point then some soapers find the high temperature of a hot process tends to burn off the fragrance which causes fading.
- The thick texture of hot process soap makes some swirls and techniques a bit difficult such as layering.
Re Batch Soap Making
Rebatching soap-making method is also known as hand milling soap, and it is basically a procedure of melting down pre-made cold process soap.
In rebatching, previously made soap is shredded or diced finely and mixed with a liquid, into which the shredded soap begins to dissolve. Rebatching is one of the procedures you will hate or love, so let’s take a look at the good points first.
Pros:
- The base of the soap has already gone for saponification, so working with lye is not required.
- It is best for beginners.
- Simple to clean up.
- Re-batch soap doesn’t require weeks of cold-processed soap.
- The bar has a rustic appearance with a less smooth texture than the cold process.
Cons:
- The soap has already gone to saponification, so the recipe can not be customized as per the needs.
- Fresh ingredients will eventually go bad in the soap.
- Due to its thick texture, swirls are intricate, and layering is not possible.
- If your essential oil or fragrance has a low flashpoint, some soapers can find the high temperature of rebatch soap that can burn off the scent.