Workshop Attendees Learn to Make Soap from Scratch

In Bay View, Wis., there’s a shop called Luna Verde, which has a soap-making workshop. The host of the event was Alqumia Holistica, who has hosted events like the soap making in the past, yet this was the first that she sold out for. Participants were asked to sit where they wanted, and several small tables and chairs were placed in a row.

Three people were alongside my mother and I: Kelsey and Adam Saari, and Tommasina Miller. Miller has made soap once in the past and wanted to try again. The Saaris were new to this as well as my mother and me.

One of the main ingredients that was utilized was water, alongside olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and lye.

“Lye acts as a bonding chemical between water and oil and can bind the two substances together.” Alqumia explained. “It is the only substance we use in soap making that allows all the materials to be connected.”

The shea butter, coconut oil, and olive oil are combined in a bowl. The lye will be added later because it has properties that don’t work well when warm. We ended up opening a window and letting the cold air enter the building to cool the lye down so it could better bind to the oils. After these three ingredients were put into the bowl, we mixed it with a hand mixer. After this step, we added the lye.

Lye is a chemical, and is treated as such, so if one plans to make the soap at home, be aware that it has properties that are able to boil over and spill if not properly handled. Also, there is a smell attached to the chemical, so using a mask and glasses is recommended while handling.

Before adding in the cocoa powder, it should look like a semi-white liquid, since coconut oil is the main ingredient. There are a lot of options for the addition of a color. In our workshop we used all natural ingredients like rose buds, cocoa powder, hibiscus leaves and others. Also, there is a high demand for scents, like lavender, vanilla, and lemongrass, which were unavailable because of high demand.

The finished product must cure for 24-48 hours before you can cut into it and then you will have to wait 4-6 weeks before use to evaporate the lye, since the chemical is not healthy for the exterior of the body. After the soap has hardened and has passed the 4–6-week mark, one may begin using the soap.