Q&A for How to Make Handmade Soap

You would want to change up your soap recipe, depending on how much beeswax you would like to use. Beeswax, while making a harder bar of soap, will inhibit lather, so use oils that create more lather such as coconut oil, babassu oil, palm oil, almond oil, lard, tallow, cocoa butter, shea butter, or sunflower oil. Remember, not all recipes are created equal.

First, grate or chop the leftover soap. Then, boil 4 cups of water on the stove. Next, turn off the heat and add the soap shavings. Stir the shavings until the mixture is completely melted. Wait for the mixture to cool for about 20 minutes before stirring again. Then the soap should be a little thicker. Allow the mixture to set overnight. The soap should be liquid by the next day. If it isn't, repeat the process.

It can be, but its generally not recommended, as you might run into problems due to the unknown additives and minerals present in your average tap water. The batch might not trace right, the soap might turn rancid a few weeks later, the lye/PH levels might be affected, the soap might not lather up as well, etc. Using Distilled Water is preferred by soapmakers as it is one less thing to worry about if they need to troubleshoot soap batch issues basically.

The soap may not be properly cured, as the pH might not have fully saponified to a safe level. There could be excessive moisture left in the bars, causing them to dissolve quickly in the shower and become mushy. The soap's lather might also be less effective. Therefore, it is not recommended to cure soap for only 2 weeks, as you may encounter these issues.