How do you make soap?

Making soap is a labor of love. It starts with the purchase of purest food grade vegetable oils. Some oils are solid at room temperature and need to be melted. All the ingredients are measured in weight and brought to similar temperatures. It is then blended with an alkali base, in this case carefully weighed out lye, and stirred until it thickens slightly. We then add cosmetic coloring in minute amounts, any additional ingredients like ground herbs or nuts, and fragrance or essential oils. It is then poured it into wooden molds and covered with old quilts for a warm 2 day nap. After it has slowly cooled, it is cut with wire into loaves and bars and stacked in open air shelving to dry and cure for a few weeks.