How to make Handmade Peppermint Soap (Facebook Live Video)

Hi, it’s Tanya. I’m a gardening and beauty DIY blogger. I also have a beauty business here in the Isle of Man and offer soapmaking lessons. I think it’s fitting that I show you how to make handmade soap. What I’m going to show you tonight is how to make homemade peppermint soap.

The Four Parts of Soapmaking

I look at making soap in four parts, and everything is based around the ingredients. First, you’re going to have your lye water, which you make of lye crystals and just ordinary water. If you are living in an area that has hard water, you probably want to use filtered or bottled water. The next part is your solid oils. Some oils are solid at room temperature, and we’re going to have to melt those in a pan. The third part is liquid oils. These are oils that you’ll be more familiar with, like olive oil and sunflower oil. The fourth part is actually all the ingredients and everything that you do at trace. At the end of the soapmaking process, we have essential oil—peppermint, obviously, for peppermint soap. We also have grapefruit seed extract, a mineral color called chromium green oxide, and dried peppermint tea.

Safety and Equipment

Once we have everything set up, we also need to be very aware of safety. I wear goggles and gloves when I start handling the lye. For equipment, it is very important that you have a stick blender, also called an immersion blender. If you do use one for soapmaking, make sure that you just use it for soapmaking and not in the kitchen to make soups. Other equipment you’ll need includes a stainless steel spoon for stirring your lye water, a milk frother to blend colors into oils, and a variety of measuring spoons. A digital thermometer is also very important to take the temperatures of the lye water and the oils. General stirring implements like a silicone spatula are great. You probably want to have a little strainer to ensure there are no chunks of color in your soap. For molds, you can use silicone molds, yogurt pots, or even an ordinary cardboard box lined with paper. We’re going to use a takeaway container.

Step 1: Mixing the Lye Solution

The very first step is putting on gloves and goggles because I’m dealing with lye, also called sodium hydroxide. You have to be very respectful of it. We’re going to mix our lye solution in a well-ventilated area. Pour the lye crystals into the water and stir it really well until it’s completely dissolved. I’m going to measure out some peppermint directly into the lye water. This will help warm up the color of the soap. Because of the heat reaction, we want this to cool down, so we’ll set this in a basin of water to cool.

Step 2: Melting Solid Oils

The next step is to melt the solid oils on very low heat. They melt a lot quicker than you think. I don’t melt them until they’re completely liquid; I melt them until there are just a few chunks of oil at the top, then take it off the heat and let it melt on its own.

Step 3: Mixing Mineral Color

While that’s melting, we’re going to mix a little bit of the liquid oils with some mineral color. I’m going to put 1/32 of a teaspoon of the green mineral powder into the liquid oil and use a milk frother to blend it. Try not to introduce too much air into your oils. It’s always important to stay organized and be prepared. Use a digital kitchen scale so that you don’t have to worry about measurements during the process. Have your workstation completely set up and close any doors or windows if you have pets.

Natural Color Alternatives

There are other kinds of natural colors you can use in making soap. For example, annatto seeds can give a vibrant orange color. Alkanet root can produce a purple color. Honey added to lye water can give a beautiful brown color. Different herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage can also be used to create unique beauty products.

Step 4: Combining the Oils and Lye

It’s time to start taking temperatures. Generally, you want to make soap when the lye and oils are between 110 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. First, mix the liquid oils into the melted oils. Pour the green oil through a strainer into the pot to catch any flecks. Now, we pour the lye water into the oils. Normally, you would pour this through the strainer as well to make sure any undissolved lye crystals don’t get into your soap. Because I want those little flecks of peppermint in the soap, I’m going to pour it straight in.

Step 5: Reaching Trace

Put the stick blender into your oils and lye water at an angle so that air doesn’t get trapped. Pulse for a couple of seconds and then stir. We’re looking for a medium trace, which is the consistency of custard. To check the trace, lift the blender up; if the drips that fall stay on the surface for a little bit, it is ready.

Step 6: Adding Essential Oils and Extras

Now we put in the essential oil. For a one-pound batch, use about a teaspoon and a half of peppermint essential oil. We also add grapefruit seed extract as an antioxidant to stop the free-floating oils from going rancid. Stir this really well so the essential oils are fully incorporated into the mix.

Step 7: Molding and Curing

Pour the mixture into the takeaway container lined with baking paper. Give it a little shake to settle it and put a lid on top. Wrap it in a towel so it stays warm and cools down gradually. It has to stay in the towel for a full day. After 24 hours, you can take it out of the mold. It will be the consistency of a mild cheddar. Use an ordinary knife to cut it into bars. You need to let the soap cure for at least four weeks in a place out of direct sunlight. This allows the water to evaporate, making the bars harder and longer-lasting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you wash the pots and utensils in a kitchen sink? Yes, I wash mine manually with gloves. I try to scrape out as much excess soap as possible before washing with ordinary washing-up liquid. It will not clog the drain.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this demonstration on how to make handmade soap.