How do you harden soap without lye?

What can replace lye in soap?

The main way that you can make soap without handling lye is by using melt-and-pour soap. It’s already been through saponification (oils reacting with lye) and is safe to use and handle straight out of the package. All you do with it is melt it, add your scent, color, and other additives, then pour it into molds.

How do you naturally harden soap?

Here are five things that can yield a harder bar:
  1. Use a water reduction. You need to dissolve lye in water in order to turn oils into soap. …
  2. Add some wax. A small amount of beeswax added to the melted oils will help harden your DIY bar soap. …
  3. Add sodium lactate. …
  4. Increase the olive oil. …
  5. Add some salt.

How do you fix soap that didn’t Harden?

So, what can you do about a soft bar of soap?
  1. Use at least 40% hard oils in your recipe. …
  2. Stearic acid at 0.5% of your oils can be used as a hardening agent in cold process soap. …
  3. Sodium lactate is your friend! …
  4. Water discount your soap anywhere from 5-20%. …
  5. Decrease the superfat. …
  6. Promote gel phase.

How do you make a soap base without lye?

Chop the soap base into large pieces. Put it in your Pyrex and melt it in the microwave or in a double boiler over low heat. Once melted, add your herbs and oils (about 30 drops essential oil and 1/2 teaspoon herbs per pound of soap base). Mix thoroughly and pour into your mold.

Does Dove soap contain lye?

Dove. It is true that the words “lye” or “sodium hydroxide” do not appear on the Dove ingredient label. But, the first ingredients listed were sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate, and sodium palm kernelate. … Yes, Dove is made with lye!

Can you make goats milk soap without lye?

If you have goat milk to use but you prefer soap making without lye, adding milk – no more than one tablespoon per pound of melt and pour base – is simple and easy. You can also add powdered or condensed goat milk at the same rate – one tablespoon per pound of base.

Can you put soap in fridge to harden?

Don’t put your soaps in a refrigerator or freezer.

Generally, let your soap harden at room temperature, wrap them and then store in a cool, dry place. This should work the best.

What happens if you don’t use enough lye in soap?

If the soap does not contain enough lye, the oils will not saponify. Another reason for soft soap is there was not enough hard oils or butters (such as coconut oil, palm oil or cocoa butter). … Too much water in a recipe can also result in a soft bar of soap. Adding sodium lactate to lye water helps soap harder faster.

How long does it take for homemade soap to harden?

On average, Melt and Pour soap takes approximately 4-6 hours to completely harden, however, the actual time will depend on factors such as the room temperature as well as chosen additives. It is important to remember not to remove the cooling soap from the mold before it has been given enough time to harden.

Why did my soap harden so fast?

When cold or room temperature lye water is poured into the soapmaking oils, it can cause them to harden up. … As the lye is poured in, the soap will start to thicken immediately. You may also notice it looks grainy.

Why is my soap base not hardening?

Common Melt and Pour Soap Questions: Why is My Soap Not Hardening? If your melt and pour soap isn’t hardening, then it could be due to adding too much oil. Whether the culprit is fragrance oil, carrier oil, or both, it is most likely that this excess oil is to blame.


What oils make a hard bar of soap?

Lathering hard oils include coconut oil, palm kernel oil, babassu oil, and murumuru butter. On the other hand, conditioning hard oils are oils and butters such as palm oil, cocoa butter, lard, tallow, kokum butter, illipe butter, sal butter, mango butter, and shea butter.