Hot Process Soap Making: The Ultimate Crock-Pot Guide

Making hot process soap in a crock pot is a fun and easy way to make soap. The process involves melting fats/oils in a crock pot, adding lye to water, and then combining the two mixtures. Once the mixture reaches trace, it is cooked in the crock pot until it tests non-caustic. Additives, fragrances, and colors can then be mixed in before pouring the soap into a mold.

How to make hot process soap in a crock pot

Making hot process soap in a crockpot is a fun and easy way to make soap. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make hot process soap in a crockpot:

Step 1: Gather your ingredients and supplies

You will need the following ingredients and supplies:

• Crockpot
• Glass or Pyrex measuring cups and bowls
• Digital kitchen scale
• Stick blender
• Soap mold
• Safety gear (eye protection, gloves, and long sleeves)
• Lye
• Fat/oil (olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, or tallow)
• Liquid (distilled water or milk)

Step 2: Measure out the ingredients

Weigh out the olive and coconut oil using a digital scale. Place the coconut oil in the slow cooker and turn it on so it begins to melt. As the coconut oil melts, measure out the other ingredients, weighing each one on the digital scale. Make sure to wear protective gear (eye protection, gloves, and long sleeves) when handling the lye.

Step 3: Mix the lye and water

Slowly add the lye to the water, stirring continuously. The chemical reaction will happen quickly, and the mixture will heat up, so be careful not to touch the container without gloves or an oven mitt. Always add the lye to the water, never the other way around. Once the lye is completely dissolved, add it to the melted oils in the crockpot.

Step 4: Blend the mixture

Use a stick blender to stir and mix the soap mixture. Pulse the blender for short spurts, stirring the mixture as you go. The mixture will blend together quickly and thicken.

Step 5: Cook the soap

Once the mixture has reached trace (the consistency of pudding), place the lid on the crockpot and set the timer for 50 minutes. Let the mixture cook on low. Keep an eye on the crockpot to make sure it doesn't bubble over.

Step 6: Test the soap

After 50 minutes, test the soap to make sure the lye has reacted with the oils completely. You can do this by taking a small amount of the soap mixture, allowing it to cool, and then touching it to your tongue. If it "zaps" you, there is still lye remaining, and it needs to cook longer. If it just tastes like soap, it is ready for the next step.

Step 7: Add any additives

If you are adding any essential oils or other additives, turn off the crockpot and allow the mixture to cool briefly before mixing them in. Be careful not to wait too long, as the mixture will start to set.

Step 8: Pour the soap into the mold

Pour the soap mixture into the mold, making sure to press it into all the corners and smooth out the top. Set it aside for 12-24 hours, or until it sets completely.

Step 9: Cut and dry the soap

Remove the soap from the mold, cut it into bars, and let it dry for another day or two to harden. Now your soap is ready to use!

Hot process soap recipe

Making your own soap at home is a fun and rewarding experience. This hot process soap recipe uses a crock pot to speed up the saponification process, so you can use your soap sooner.

Ingredients:

• 9 oz distilled water
• 4.78 oz 100% pure lye
• Essential oils for scent (optional)
• Safety gear (safety glasses, long sleeves, gloves)
• Non-metal dishes and utensils
• Coconut oil
• Olive oil

Method:

• Measure out the olive and coconut oil. Place the coconut oil in the slow cooker, and turn it on so it begins to melt. (If you want to speed up the melting process, you can melt it on the stovetop in a saucepan instead.)
• As the coconut oil melts, measure out the other ingredients, weighing each one on a digital scale.
• Put on your protective gear (eye protection, gloves, and long sleeves) and make sure you are in a well-ventilated area.
• Slowly add the lye to the water, stirring continuously. The chemical reaction will happen quickly, and the mixture will heat up, so be careful not to touch the container without gloves.
• Once the lye is completely dissolved into the water, add it to the melted oils in the crockpot, stirring continuously.
• Use a stick blender to mix the soap mixture. Pulse it for short spurts, stirring the mixture as you go. The mixture will blend together quickly and thicken.
• Once the soap mixture has reached a pudding-like consistency, place the lid on the crockpot, set the timer for 50 minutes, and allow the mixture to cook on LOW.
• While you are waiting, line your soap molds with parchment paper.
• After 50 minutes, test the soap to make sure the lye has reacted with the oils completely. You can do this by touching a small amount of the soap mixture to your tongue. If it "zaps" you, there is still lye remaining, and it needs to cook longer. If it just tastes like soap, it is ready for the next step.
• If you are adding any essential oils or other additives, turn off the crockpot and allow the mixture to cool briefly before mixing them in.
• Pour the soap mixture into the mold, pressing it into all the corners and smoothing out the top.
• Set it aside for 12-24 hours, or until it sets completely.
• Remove the soap from the mold, cut it into bars, and allow it to dry for another day or so to harden.
• Your soap is now ready to use!

Benefits of hot process soap using a crock pot

The hot process method of soap making is a great way to speed up the saponification process. Here are some benefits of using a crock pot for hot process soap making:

• Reduced cure time: Hot process soap is ready to use sooner than cold process soap. With cold process soap, the saponification process takes 24 to 36 hours to complete, whereas with hot process, the saponification is done when the soap is done cooking.
• Gentler on additives: Since you add fragrance and additives after the soap has cooked, they do not come in contact with the lye. This can be more gentle on fragile fragrance oils and can reduce the lye's effect on botanicals like flower petals and lavender buds, which turn brownish-black when they contact the lye.
• Rustic look: The hot process method gives the soap a rougher, more rustic look, which can be desirable with some soap recipes.
• Ease of use: You can use pretty much any soap recipe to make hot process soap. The only caveat is that you want to use the full amount of water since some of the water will evaporate during the cooking process.
• No need for extra heat: The hot process method involves adding extra heat to jump-start the saponification process and "cooks" the soap to completion. This means you don't need any additional equipment like a double boiler or oven.
• Versatility: You can use a crock pot to make hot process soap, but you can also use a pot on the stove, an oven, or even an open fire. This versatility makes hot process soap making accessible to a wide range of people.

Hot process series: crock pot camo

The camo soap is a fun project to try out for those who are new to soap making. It is a simple recipe that involves water, lye, and fat. The camo soap is made using the hot process method, which involves heating and cooking the soap for a while. This method speeds up the saponification process, making the soap ready to use sooner.

Ingredients and Supplies

• ¾ cup cool water – use distilled or filtered water
• ⅔ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lye – also called 100% sodium hydroxide
• ⅔ cup coconut oil
• ⅔ cup other liquid oil such as grapeseed, almond, sunflower, or safflower oil
• Crock pot
• Molds
• Essential oils or fragrance oils
• Herbs

Procedure

• Pour the water into a quart canning jar. Slowly add the lye and stir until dissolved. Remember to wear long sleeves, use gloves, and wear a mask.
• Measure your oils and place them in the crock pot. Be sure to measure them while in liquid form, not solid.
• When the oils are hot, you can add the lye.
• Once you get the lye and oil mixed together, stir by hand for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, use a stick blender to bring it to a light trace. A light trace is more like pancake batter. Thick, but not like pudding.
• Once it gets to a light trace, cover it and walk away. DON’T STIR IT!
• After about 20 minutes, you’ll see some bubbling on the sides. Then it will start to boil (sort of) and turn translucent, almost like petroleum jelly.
• After approximately another 20 minutes, it will expand more and start to curl in on itself.
• When it’s all translucent and has folded in enough to fill in the middle, then it’s done for now.
• At this point, turn the heat off. Then add about ¼ cup water and mix it in.
• After it gets smoothed out, then you can add dried herbs and essential oils to make it what you want.
• Pour it into molds, cover with wax paper, and let it sit for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, take the crock pot soap out of the molds. (Cut it into bars if needed.) Set it on some parchment or wax paper to cure for a week or so and that’s it. The 4-6 weeks have been reduced to a week by cooking the lye out and speeding up the oxidization process.

Hot process soap in a crock pot

Making hot process soap in a crock pot is a fun and easy way to make your own soap. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make hot process soap in a crock pot:

Step 1: Gather your ingredients and supplies

You will need the following ingredients to make hot process soap in a crock pot:

• Lye (sodium hydroxide)
• Water (distilled or filtered)
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Other liquid oil (such as grapeseed, almond, sunflower, or safflower oil)
• Crock pot
• Molds
• Safety gear (such as gloves, long sleeves, and eye protection)

Step 2: Measure the ingredients

Measure the water and lye carefully, as too much or too little lye can affect the final product. Weigh the oils and lye using a digital scale to ensure accuracy.

Step 3: Prepare the lye solution

Slowly add the lye to the water and stir until dissolved. Remember to wear protective gear, such as gloves and eye protection, when handling lye. The fumes from the lye will dissipate within a minute or so.

Step 4: Heat the oils

Measure the oils and place them in the crock pot. Heat the oils until they are hot and melted. You can start with the crock pot on high to get it going, but then switch to low.

Step 5: Combine the lye solution and oils

Once the oils are hot, slowly add the lye solution to the oils and stir with a stick blender until a light trace is achieved. A light trace is more like pancake batter than thick pudding.

Step 6: Cook the soap

Cover the crock pot and set it to low. The soap will start to bubble and turn translucent as it cooks. This process can take around 20-45 minutes. Stir the soap occasionally to ensure even cooking.

Step 7: Add herbs and essential oils

Once the soap is cooked, turn off the heat and add any desired herbs, essential oils, or fragrance oils. Stir well to combine.

Step 8: Pour the soap into molds

Pour the soap into molds and cover with wax paper. Let the soap sit for 24 hours before removing from the molds.

Step 9: Cure the soap

After 24 hours, cut the soap into bars if needed and set them aside to cure for a week or so. The soap is technically ready to use at this point, but it will last longer if allowed to cure for a few weeks.

Frequently asked questions