Get to know your soap(er) - April 2026

We just got back from a family trip that took half the month, and the thing I noticed the most when we came home was how good our house smelled from all our soaps curing. 🤤

Since our March post, we were asked some great questions! Let’s jump right in.

What are my kiddos favorite scents?

   Our eldest LOVES the Pink Strawberry and asked me to make her a small batch of pink hearts. I made them when I had my failed attempt at bunny butts and Easter eggs. Regardless, it made her little heart happy. Our youngest is too tiny to really communicate what her favorite might be. I’m just waiting for her to try and take a bite out of a bar to determine that.

How long does it take to make the soap?

   The time to just make the soap batter can take just a few minutes. I feel it takes more time to get all my supplies together than it does for the batter.

First I measure and mix my lye and water. While the lye dissolves in the water (it goes through an exothermal reaction and gets incredibly hot), I wait for it to cool down and I measure out the oils and fats. Sometimes I use the heat of the lye mixture to help melt some of my harder oils like coconut oil and lard, but often times I have to microwave the oils down a smidge so they’re all mixed well. I usually try to get the oils and lye mixture around the same temperature. Once I combine the two things (and colorants and fragrances) I use an immersion blender and it takes a few minutes to mix things thoroughly. Once mixed, I put the soap into the molds and do whatever designs I want. Over the course of just a few hours the batter in the molds turns solid. This solidifying is called Saponification and is the same exothermic reaction experienced earlier. The loaves get fairly hot, and if they get too hot they can crack along the top or even worse, volcano. To counteract this, some soapers put their soap into the freezer/fridge. Where we are, depending on the time of year, I just set it outside.

I then need to wait 24-48 hours before cutting it. It can still be somewhat soft when I pull it out of the molds, so I try to reign in my excitement and wait for it to get more firm.

Once I cut it, it goes onto the curing rack for 6 weeks so the water can evaporate from it resulting in a firmer, longer lasting bar.

How long can soap sit on a shelf?

   The soap I make is shelf stable and when made properly, the shelf life is indefinite. I still have soap I made from when I first started 4 years ago, and others have had soap bars that are over 20 years old.

What’s not ideal is when some soaps slowly get what’s called “Dos” or Dreaded-Orange-spots. These are created when some of the leftover oils that didn’t bind with the lye slowly go rancid over time. Why it’s not ideal is mostly cosmetic and can cause the soap to smell stale. It’s not turning moldy, but it’s just a break down of the fats/oils. The soap is still safe to use.

How should I store my soap?

   It’s best to keep it as dry as possible with good air flow. If the soap is not currently being used, this helps make the bar harder as it ages which means it last longer. If it is currently being used, using a soap dish and trying to get it to dry between uses makes it less slimy and again, will make the bar last longer.

What can I use your soap on?

   Our bars are great for washing your hands and washing your body! We keep our soaps next to the sink and in the shower. I have not ventured into the shampoo/conditioning bars like you may see advertised online. There’s been too much mixed information on if they’re good for your hair or not, as I don’t use synthetic detergents to make my products.

Thank you for all the great questions! If I’ve opened up a new can of worms or there’s something I haven’t covered and you’d like to know, please comment below! If it’s something I don’t know, I’d love to learn along side you.

See you next month!