How to Make Sweet Almond Oil Soap

Prepare your workspace by covering your counters with plastic or newspaper to prevent potential damage caused by stray lye particles. A clean plastic trash bag of any size is a quick and convenient way to cover your work area and allows for easy clean-up. Plan to work in a well ventilated area--preferably the kitchen--with easy access to a sink.

Measure out approximately 7 ounces of cold water into a glass Pyrex measuring cup. It is important that you use a container that can withstand rapid temperature changes, as the lye mixture will heat up quickly. Add ice cubes until the water level reaches approximately 13 ounces.

Put on safety gloves and a long-sleeved shirt to protect your hands and arms before you work with the lye. At your covered workspace, carefully weigh lye crystals in a glass or disposable plastic container. Accuracy in weighing the lye is important for successful soap. Measuring lye without an accurate scale will not produce a consistent or reliable bar soap; always rely on a digital scale for best results.

Place the jar of ice water inside your kitchen sink to protect you and your work space from being splashed with lye water as you continue through the next step.

You will now begin weighing and melting your oils. At your covered work space weigh out your sweet almond oil, beeswax pellets and coconut oil. Place your stainless steel stockpot on the stove top over medium low heat and add the oils, allowing them to melt together. Stir occasionally. When the oils have melted and the beeswax is dissolved, remove the pot from the heat and allow mixture to cool to 105 degrees. This process can take up to several hours.

Prepare your soap mold. An ideal container is a (new) rectangular plastic cat litter pan, which can be found in any pet supply section at your local store. Spray your mold with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

When the oils reach 105 degrees, pour the cooled lye water slowly into the oil mixture, and use a stick blender to immediately begin pulsing the liquids together. Scrape down the sides often so that the raw soap blends evenly. Continue to pulse the stick blender to keep it from overheating, and process uniformly until you reach trace. You can recognize thick "trace" when the sweet almond oil soap mixture begins to resemble the texture of vanilla pudding. Note: If you want to add fragrant oils or colorants, add them before the soap reaches full trace.

When your sweet almond oil soap has hardened overnight and is no longer warm to the touch, remove the soap from the mold onto a covered work surface. Measure your block of soap and calculate your bar sizes according to your preference. (Bars shown above were cut 2 inches by 3 inches.)

Smooth the edges of each soap bar with a potato peeler to create a softer finished look (optional).

Arrange the sweet almond oil soap bars 1/2-inch apart on a shelf lined with brown paper or in a clean cardboard box. Keep your soap away from sunlight and allow the bars to cure in a cool dry place for 3 to 4 weeks before using them.