| I had really enjoyed making the Liquid Soap Foot scrub but I wanted to make a liquid soap that you could put in a pump and place at the sink. A more traditional liquid soap so to speak. I also wanted to make this soap using the cold process method. (I still find the hot process method intimidating.) I was really pleased how my first liquid soap turned out and I figure if my method isn’t broken, don’t fix it. 😀 Come join me as we make this quick liquid soap!
In this recipe, I used Coconut Oil for some lather. I have found that many people have this idea that if there is not any lather, the soap must not be working. Lather seems to be a requirement for any “cleansing” product. It is a good thing Coconut Oil is here to the rescue! I also used Olive Oil in this formulation. Olive Oil is reputed to be mild on the skin which is part of why 100% Olive Oil soap is so popular. Olive Oil is also an easily found oil in the kitchen. I wanted this recipe to be simple and easy for many soap makers to obtain or even use the ingredients they have on hand.
Recipe: Makes 20 oz of Soap Paste or 40 oz of Liquid Soap
Weigh the oils into a container. Heat until warm. Add the lye to the water to for a lye solution. Start with very warm temperatures just after heating and mixing lye into water. Mix the oils and lye solution and blend until trace is achieved.  I let the soap sit in my beaker while it saponifies. 2 -12 hours after the soap has gone through gel phase, I added 20 oz of water to my soap paste. Mix well. Pour your liquid soap into bottles. Seal, label and enjoy! After all, you just made your own liquid soap!
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 Finished Soap  Weighing Oils  Melted Oils  Adding Lye Solution  Mixing Soap  Mixing Soap  The soap has heated up, you can even see an air pocket!  Adding Water  Adding Water |
Wow, I’ve been wanting to make liquid soap, but haven’t gotten it studied out to well…it looked so complicated to do. This doesn’t sound to complicated at all!!!! Thanks so much, I’ll have to try this once I have my soap room unpacked…if that ever happens, I’m kinda slow getting the basement unpacked and set up. LOL Now I have even more incentive to get it done…so hopefully I can get onto it. :-))
I have noticed that there are several liquid foamer soaps on the market that do not list water in the ingredients. They contain saponified coconut, olive and jojoba oils, and sometimes aloe Vera. Can someone please tell me how this is done?! I can formulate my saponified oils using my slow cooker but how can I turn it into liquid without water? Really appreciate any insight!
This leads me to believe that the ingredients listing on these soaps are incomplete. There is a possibility for using alcohol to prepare the soap, but even that process uses water.
I hope this helps!
Water should be listed. It may be that they are trying to list only what they desire but this is wrong.
Oh Taylor! This is awesome! I can’t wait to give this a try!!!
I’ve never ventured into liquid soapmaking, this is impressive, like others I assumed it a lengthier process! what about curing? is this soap not too harsh to use straight away? M
This looks much easier than what I’ve been reading. I’m wondering if it has to cure before use?
Cheryl,
Not need for curing. It will be ready to use after 24 hours. Enjoy!
AWESOME!! I always thought liquid soap was really hard, I mean difficult! I can’t wait to try this. I suppose any frangrance would work? Blessings, Carolyn
I, too, have been wanting to make liquid soap as some friends prefer to use this rather than a bar soap at the bathroom sink. I will make some tomorrow! The recipe seems incredibly easy and as a soapmaker I already have all the ingredients on hand. Thank you =)
This looks great! I’ll have to try this. Do you have to check to see if it’s neutralized or do anything to make sure everything is saponified before use?
Whitney,
If you are concerned, check it. Have a great time!
Just what I was looking for!
I thought liquid soap was all complicated and stuff but this looks so easy!
Wow! Now I really need to try liquid soapmaking! How do you know how long to wait (in reference to the 2-12 hours phrase)? Something to watch for?
Tami,
I saw my soap go through gel phase. That is what you are watching for then wait for the soap to cool down. You will then be ready to mix with water and use!
That looks a lot easier than the method I’ve been using! I am going to make some tomorrow 🙂
Looks like even a beginner like me could handle this!
In this recepy you have 2% excess lye, and in your previous liquide soap recipe you had 2% lye discount… Wich one is it supposed to be??
Personally, I would recommend making liquid soaps with a 0 to 2% excess fat. I’m not sure what reasoning Taylor had for her formulas. I will ask her and we’ll get back to you with our collaborated recommendations.
Andee
i’ve made this recipe a few times now. I am getting some film on the finished product. maybe seperation? does that mean I didn’t add enough water or is there something else it could be?
also out of curiosity why do most people do hot process for liquid soap making? are there major differences between the end products?
Jeffrey,
A film on the finished soap is common. This is why many liquid soaps are put in temporary storage containers and then stored for 5-10 days to allow the soap to clear, create the film (which is skimmed off and diluted again), and drop any heavy particulate.
Most people use hot process because it helps ensure that all the oils are saponified. Potassium soaps don’t produce as much heat as sodium soaps and therefore need the extra heat to ensure saponification. If soaps are made properly, then there shouldn’t be many differences in the finished products.
Hi there, I am a totally thrilled to have found your posts and also pretty new to liquid soap making. I would really love to give this liquid soap method a try, I do not use palm oil though, could I use rice bran or perhaps sunflower instead? ~ Thanks :-))
You can use the oils you prefer in any soap recipe. Just recalculate the lye on our Lye Calculator.
Cheers!
Tina
To what temperature do I heat my oils to?
Do I add the lye solution to the oil right after I mix the lye into the water?
After I mix the lye solution to the oils do I mix to trace then let it sit for 2-12 hours?
Thanks for your response, I can’t wait to make this.
Sherrie
Sherrie,
You will want your oils and your lye solution to both be somewhere between 110F and 130F prior to mixing. This will depend on the temperature of your soaping area. If your soaping area is warm, use cooler temperatures. Once you mix your raw soap to trace, you can allow it to sit for 2-12 hours. If you wait longer, it may be hard to get it out of your soaping container.
Good luck!
Taylor
Greetings all, I made a liquid soap using your technique, but using Coconut Oil (lather and clarity), Castor Oil (lather and moisturizing properties) and Jojoba Oil (for healing and luxury feel). Once at trace, I wrapped the soaping container in a used towel to help hold in the heat and better saponify the oils. The paste came out a lovely amber color and when mixed with deionized water, retained its color well. We sell this unfragranced as a natural, moisturizing soap.
Thanks for this recipe for cold processed liquid soap . I will be in my test kitchen playing with this tomorrow …. Thanks again
Hi there!
I have made this liquid soap twice and really love it, however- it has separated BOTH times and I don’t understand what I am doing wrong or how to fix that. Can you tell me what causes the separation in the first place and how to avoid it, please?
Thank you SO much for posting this recipe, I love it- but I’ll love it even more once I get it perfected!
Try using hot water to process the paste into the liquid. You should be making this soap very hot, not allowing the lye or oils to cool down. You are likely getting a foam on top and the liquid soap on the bottom.
Oh, one more thing:
are you still using a stick blender to mix the water with the soap paste?
Mine seems to really bubble up, which obviously is going to happen- but it seems to form 3 layers when finished. A layer of bubbly foam, and then a thick layer of pasty soap, and then the clear layer of liquid soap…
Should I NOT be using the stick blender? And how warm should the water be when you are mixing it into the paste?
So many questions for such a simple recipe! I’m so sorry, but THANK YOU for the help!!!!
Yes, we use the stick blender all the way through the process. I use quite warm water, 120 to 140 degrees F.
How are you heating the oils?
Is microwave okay?
A microwave works beautifully!
Tina
Okay, I attempted to make this and I got liquid soap that works and ph tests okay, but for some reason after it sets for 24 hours it separates, even when no fragrance is added. Any ideas on why this happens?
You have some fractions of your soap that are still solidifying. This is where an increase in the amount of the lye helps. It isn’t much.
Try using something to make the soap a gel, such as methylcellulose, so that you don’t see the separation as much.
Tina
so how do I run this thru the lye calculator for other oils…the same as cp and just change the lye to potassium hydroxide and can i use milk /
Mitzi,
Yes! You have it right. Adjust the Lye Calculator for the oils you are using and use potassium hydroxide. I would not use milk in a liquid soap because I think it has a higher chance of supporting microbial growth. If you try using milk let us know how it goes.
Tina