Make liquid soap from scratch?

[Soapin]

Hi, everyone.

I had decided to make scented liquid soap from a liquid soap base, but now, thanks to some of you here, I'm considering making it from scratch instead. My concern isn't with the difficulty. My concern is with time. Don't you have to stir it a lot over a long period of time? And then mix some water with it and stir it some more? How long would you say it takes you to make a batch of liquid soap from start to finish?

Thanks as always for all your help!

 

[IrishLass]

How long it takes will depend. For example, if I'm making my 65% olive oil formula using the glycerin method, I can start in the morning and have my soap all finished, diluted and packaged by the time I go to bed.

In comparison, if I'm making my cocoa butter formula (again, using the glycerin method), it takes me 2 days. The reason why it takes me longer with that one is because I fuss around with it more and add other goodies to it in order to make it opaque and pearly looking.

If you're looking to make something easy and quick for your first try at liquid soapmaking, you can't go wrong with the formula I write about in this thread: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=46114 It's the one that got me hooked on making liquid soap.


IrishLass

 

[Susie]

If I start my soap first thing in the morning, I can usually count on bottling it by supper time. But do try the glycerin method IrishLass mentioned above. It is super fast.

 

[DeeAnna]

When I make KOH soap paste, I follow some combination of Irish Lass' method (see above) and Susie's method: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=49852. Typically the batch takes about the same time as it takes me to do a batch of CP bar soap starting from measuring out the ingredients to ending with finished soap paste. No hours and hours of cooking, hovering, and testing are required, despite what others may say.

When I dilute, I also don't spend a lot of time messing with it all. I measure out the paste, add distilled water (warmed or room temp), mash the paste into chunks as small as the paste and my patience will allow, cover the container, and leave it alone. If I walk by and think about it, I give the mess another good mashing or stirring, and walk away. If I forget, small matter. I can dilute my liquid soap that way with maybe 15 minutes of personal effort. It might take a day or two to dilute this way -- certainly longer than if I hovered, heated, and stirred -- but I'm not usually in any great hurry.

 

[Seawolfe]

Remember - while LS takes time to cook and dilute - that's largely unattended time.
I can measure and mix up my KOH and oils and reach trace in about 30 min, then about 1-2 hours to cook to zaplessness in the crockpot - no stirring. Then I divide the paste up and only dilute what I need - and diluting takes around another 4-6 hours in the crockpot, but again that's unattended.

 

[liquidsoaplady]

It takes me around 4 to 5 hours to make a batch of liquid soap, especially depending on the oils I use.

100% coconut oil is faster

A formulation higher in soft oils may take longer, depending on the stir time.

But all in all it usually takes me 4 to 5 hours.

Lisa