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How to Make Liquid Soap

How to Make Liquid Soap: The Recipe

Learn how to make liquid soap. Not grated bar soap melted in hot water. Our recipe masters REAL liquid soap for hands, body, dishes, & more!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Active Time 6 hours
Clean up time 30 minutes
Total Time 7 hours
Author Debra Maslowski

Ingredients

Instructions

Liquid Soap Process

  1. The first lessons for how to make liquid soap are to ventilate your work area well, cover your workspace with newspaper, and put on your gloves and goggles. Be sure pets and kids are not running underfoot as you begin this project.

  2. Start by measuring your oils and placing them into the crockpot. Remember: For this recipe, we're measuring all ingredients by weight, not by volume, so you must have a scale (like this).

  3. Turn your slow cooker on high and melt all the oils. I use a smaller slow cooker to cook my ingredients down and then move to a larger one once I start adding the liquids.

  4. Place 25 ounces of the distilled water into a glass or stainless bowl. Measure out the lye and slowly pour it into the water (never the other way around) while stirring. You may notice it making groaning noises as it dissolves; this is normal. You cannot make this liquid soap without lye; see more below.

  5. Once mixed, add the water/lye mixture to the oils. Combine by hand to blend the solutions, then start using the stick blender (immersion blender). The mixture will be kind of chunky and want to separate, but don't worry. Blend for about 5 minutes, then walk away.

  6. Cover and keep on high for the first 30-60 minutes, then turn to low. No trace required for this liquid soap making recipe.

  7. Keep coming back once in a while to stir or blend. It will start to take shape soon. After about 2 hours it will look kind of translucent like petroleum jelly. By this point, it is harder to work with - heavy and sticky. I use a stainless steel potato masher to break it up more easily. Once it looks cooked through with no opaque spots, you can test it.
  8. To test: place a small spoonful in some hot water and stir really well. It'll take a bit to dissolve it all. If the water is clear, you can continue to the dilution stage. If it's at all cloudy, continue cooking. Isn't learning how to make liquid soap fun?

Liquid Soap Dilution

  1. Once your soap paste is fully cooked, you can dilute it.

  2. Heat 60 ounces of water until hot; do not boil. (Remember to measure by weight, not volume.)

  3. Add the liquid vegetable glycerin. Mix together well.

  4. Add this mixture to the slow cooker and stir, or use the masher if needed. Leave on low, cover, and walk away. You can leave it for a few hours and then go back to it. I like to do this step in the evening so I can leave it overnight.

  5. In the morning, stir the soap well and let it settle for an hour or so. The soap paste that's not diluted should rise to the top, leaving good liquid soap underneath. I push the chunky stuff aside and spoon the good stuff into pint or quart jars. Then I can scent and color each one differently if I want to. Remember, this recipe will make about 9 pints or 5 quarts, so divide the 3 ounces of essential oil (and your natural colorants) evenly between all jars. And yes, you can use different oils and colors in each one. Lastly, remember to use tiny amounts of colorants at first, then add more if you want. Coloring and scents were my favorite part of learning how to make liquid soap.

  6. Always be sure to keep track of what you add and how much. I keep all my notes on 3×5 cards and record each batch, even if I’ve made it a dozen times before. That way I can keep each batch consistent or change things as I like.

  7. For the chunky stuff that remains, add a bit more water and turn the heat off. Leave this overnight and it should all be diluted by morning. Depending on the consistency you want, you may need to add a bit more distilled water. Start with a very small amount (1 tsp) so it doesn't get too thin.

Recipe Video

Notes

Now that you know how to make liquid soap, look here to find bottles, pumps, and other dispensers for this liquid soap recipe!

And remember, ALL ingredients are to be measured by WEIGHT!