I was making cold process (CP) soap for a little over a year, before starting my own home business in 1999:

If you think you might be interested in this craft, I would like to share some of what I have learned and resources that have helped me so far.  Below you will find links and a basic tallow (beef fat) recipe to get you started. This is similar to the soap your grandmother (or great-grandmother) might have made, with wood ashes used to make the lye solution and animal fat saved throughout the year. This soap was used primarily for laundry and household cleaning, although it might also be used for bathing.

First, let me say that soap is formed in a chemical reaction between sodium hydroxide (lye) and fat (from either animals or plants).  You cannot make soap without some form of lye. Lye is corrosive - it will give you a serious chemical burn if it gets on your skin. The dust or mist can burn your nose and lungs. (It can kill if it is ingested.) Treat it with the utmost respect. Work with gloves, long sleeves, socks and shoes, an apron and eye protection. Work free from distractions.  Mark your chosen lye container with big letters:

and keep out of reach of children.  If you are careful you will have fun!  That's a promise!

Yield:  8 pounds

5 1/2 lb.. (88 oz.) tallow
approx. 4 1/2 c. (35 oz.) cool water
12 oz. pure lye

NOTE: oz. are in weight not liquid

1.  Measure water into safe container.  A safe container will not warp when holding boiling water.  It should also have a lid.  I use a 2 quart plastic pitcher.

2.  With gloves and safety (splash) goggles in place, carefully measure lye if it was not sold in a 12 oz. container.  New packaging is 18 oz. with a child proof lid.  Two cans of lye will make 3 batches of this recipe.

3.  In a well ventilated area (outside is a good idea) slowly add lye to water stirring gently with a stainless steel or plastic spoon.  Add lye, stir, add some more etc. until you have incorporated all lye into water.  Be careful not to inhale fumes.  Solution will be hot!  Put this container in a SAFE place to cool while you finish melting tallow.  You can make up the lye solution several hours ahead of time and bring it up to 95 degrees by sitting it in a pan of warm water in the sink if it has cooled too much.

4.  Melt tallow over low heat.  Use a separate thermometer to monitor temperature.  The goal is to have tallow at 125 degrees and lye at 95 degrees for mixing.  HINT:  Tallow will melt faster if it is in small chunks.  Do not turn up heat to speed melting.  Tallow will get too hot and can catch fire.  If it gets too hot you have to wait for it to cool.  Have a lid handy to put on the pot if tallow should catch fire.  Do not leave it unattended, keep temperature low and you will be fine.  :-)

5.  When lye is at 95 degrees and tallow at 125 degrees, slowly (with safety gear on) pour lye into tallow.  It will immediately turn a golden color.  You can continue to stir for an undetermined amount of time (typically 1 - 1 1/2 hours) or USE A STICK BLENDER!*

6.  If you are stirring with a spoon, soap will begin to trace eventually.  Trace will appear as hardening soap around the edges of the pot and on the spoon.  Solution is still thin, but you can begin to see a trail behind the spoon as it moves through the soap.  In the next few minutes soap will begin to thicken.  Pour carefully into primary mold lined with freezer paper or saran wrap.  I like to hand-mill plain soap into several batches so I do not add fragrance at this time.  You can experiment with various additions or visit one of the links below until I can add directions from my own experience.

7.  Lightly cover and leave soap undisturbed for at least 12 hours.  Do not uncover completely for 24 hours.  Once soap has hardened, remove from mold and provide good air circulation for a few days.  Soap can be cut or grated at this point.  Grated soap can be re-melted (called milling) and additions like fragrance and/or superfatting oil can be done at this time.

*Stick blender directions: