How to make your own Castile Soap like Dr. Bronners (Updated)

This article will show you how to make your own Castile bar soap. If you enjoy using natural soaps, this will show you how save money making it yourself for about $1 US per bar. More info at: frugalberry.com...

[@frugalberry]

For the best results, yes. You can mix them together at largely different temperatures, but then the working time is cut down significantly. The big danger when mixing the lye with the oil is in stirring. If you don't have good control with the blender it could end up spraying partially mixed lye all over. Hope this helps!

[@siobhannorth5192]

Please don't recommend putting vinegar on lye that gets on your skin. Yes vinegar will neutralise the sodium hydroxide but it will have an exothermic reaction and can cause an actual burn. If you get lye on your skin wash it with running water NOT vinegar. Vinegar can be used if you make a spill to quickly neutralise a lye spill.

[@jeangreenfield5993]

Siobhan North good to know 👍

[@morpro4u]

what do you use when you dont have snow? I live in the southwest desert...thank you..your answer back is appreciated

[@dps5819]

@@morpro4u .. Ice water in a bowl would work the same.

[@morpro4u]

@@dps5819 ok thank you good to know!

[@michaelnorris5838]

Working in materials packaging systems and destruction of its a caustic use ivory soap and warm running water if it's An acid use baking soda and warm running water

[@61churchill]

the soap you use everyday has the same sodium hydroxide in it. Unless you use a detergent based product. I've been making soap for many years and I have not had an accident yet. It's called using ordinary caution.

[@frugalberry]

Roachy, I clean up with dish soap and water mostly. I use vinegar also to clean the items that I use for food. Most would say you should keep food items and soap making items separate. This is the ideal.

[@nailssodivine3946]

No matter what else is said you did a good job!!! Keep doing your thing your way.

[@diymomedition8642]

Im into DIY all natural things and this is a great video for when Im ready to make my first batch of castile soap. Thanks for the great video!

[@roopeshkumarroopeshkumar410]

DIY Mom Edition hi..do you know any preservative for home made liquid

[@MAnnielow]

Good job, yours is the clearest and easiest to follow and do. Other videos were so difficlt to understand. Thank you. Can you teach me how to make Avocado soap too please? Thanks, Annie Malaysia

[@frugalberry]

Pot Hydroxide is a more mild form of lye. It is used for liquid soaps and will not create a hard soap.

[@amandapittar9398]

I love when you are half a world and you have the same set of scales xx When I get anything from soapmaking on my skin ( seldom now) I just wipe off with a wet cloth and place under a running cold tap. If still sore, a cold, wet cloth helps. If it’s blistered- treat like any other burn.

[@osmanirivas7145]

I like and I subscribed, but now I'm waiting for snow in Miami.

[@margaritaespinoza1745]

Albert Saint

[@rockinrobin9455]

You can substitute sand for snow & it turns out great.

[@amillia222]

Osmani Rivas Me too!

[@vikingvic]

I wouldnt use plastic bottles. Perhaps unless the plastic is designed for high heat. Unfortunately with heat certain chemical carcinogens will seep/leak out of the plastics. Such as BPA which cause a myriad of health issues. Other than that thanks for the video

[@khione8044]

@3Dtimespace Technically, Plastic is recommended in Soapmaking, but only certain types of Plastic. You want to make sure that it is a Recycle Code of #2 or #5 on the bottom of the Plastic. These are the only 2 plastics that are designed to hold up to the high heat and can withstand the harshness of the lye, and won't leech anything into the soap.

[@frugalberry]

Beckhead25, When mixing the Sodium Hydroxide crystals into the water there is very little danger as long as you do it in that order. If you pour the water over the dry crystals (wrong way) the chemical reaction is going to happen too quickly. This will result in a miniature volcano that can happen very quickly. (explosion) This may not be the perfect word, but it tends to get the idea of danger across. Karl

[@bodysin-sations5466]

I have several questions. First is that fractionated coconut oil? When leaving outside in the snow can you put a top on it or does that create pressure? When making the lye is there a specific thickness or grade of plastic recommended Where do you get your crystals? Where do you get dairy thermometers? Thanks, great video

[@rosalynrn]

I love making soap ~~~ This is actually Bastille Soap............. BLESSED ♥ Thank you for your video ♥

[@paulettemohan833]

Thank you for your kind response

[@zurbers8579]

If you get sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide on your skin rinse it before using the vinegar unless you love burns cause it’s an exothermic reaction

[@eyeonart6865]

Use a glass bakers measuring cup or a mason canning jar.. can take the heat.

[@RonFloyd]

In another video you made liquid soap from Castile bar soap by adding water that was 4X the weight of the soap bars. Will this work if you just go straight to mixing in 4X the weight of the mix with water after the soap here has been thoroughly mixed - i.e. just skipping the molds?

[@samadam2553]

thanks . can i use cold water to get rid of high tempreture

[@muhammadmohsin3706]

Very nice and informative video. But the thing i want to ask you that The Olive oil you use in this process is pomace olive oil or extra virgin olive oil? Please tell me I am waiting for your reply.

[@MommaBearsCorner]

tks for vide... always great when people share, even when differently one. WAY TO MANY SOAP MAKERS wwatch videos thinking only one way to do things, but many old timers who have done soap for years know this is not always true, just like many things people are lead to believe are new, are not at all new.

[@shreddedreams]

any tutorials on making liquid soap? presumably the same process but with potassium hydroxide ?

[@michellealexander6839]

Hi, love your video, but I will like to know how to keep the Castile soap in liquid form, and how long will it last???

[@frugalberry]

They call this "cold process". There are different methods of soap making for different results. This is one recipe for making soap among many others.

[@Lonewolf-bl3qt]

Just an FYI.. Liquid ounces are typically heavier than dry ounces. A pyrex measuring cup for wet ingredients is good enough.

[@gracelee441]

I was worried whether I used too much Sodium Hydroxide, as it looked quite a lot when I weighted on a scale, even when I followed a video tutorial. It looked so much more than what I saw on the video. I'm not sure whether I got mixed with dry vs liquid ounces???

[@williwonti]

Just switch to doing everything in grams. Metric is so easy. It's measurements for dummies.

[@daisymoses7850]

as

[@siobhannorth5192]

Pyrex should never be used with sodium hydroxide. NaOH will etch itself into glass and it will eventually fail with possibly catastrophic results. If you're making soap then measure everything with electric scales and never rely on a measuring cup

[@gracelee441]

OMG, I always use pyrex to dissolve lye. It looks so thick and tough!!! if glass is dangerous to dissolve lye, what do we use, stainless steel?

[@pogingkaliwete]

ah ok karl thank you for the info, by the way do you have a video of making body wash and dishwashing liquid soap?thanks again and more power

[@samirasindi9897]

I am in love with this subject

[@FrankGutowski-ls8jt]

This is a good activity for people who have lots and lots of time on their hands and don’t place much value on it. Be careful with the hydroxylic acid. Many people die of respiratory failure yearly from accidentally inhaling too much. It can also cause severe burns.

[@ladyofak8584]

Your soap looks great, good job well done.

[@Conan-bf8ln]

Just finished making it 😍❤️❤️❤️thanks for sharing ☺️💕

[@frugalberry]

me78ish, Generally I wouldn't advise it. If you're in a pinch, and you KNOW that your water has a PH of exactly 7.0 (PH neutral) then you can try it. Mineral content can also affect your soap's outcome. If you want a consistent soap I wouldn't use tap water. Distilled water is available at most grocery stores in the US for under $1 / gallon. It's not a major price commitment. For me, one gallon lasts about 2 years of soap making. I hope this helps. Karl

[@roddiemc91]

Rain gutter!! I love that! Thanks for sharing

[@liquidpoison2012]

I really liked your video and how at the end you pounded the soaps out lol awesome! I am new to the soap making but ii started making my own and I am very happy with the results castile soap is still on my list of soaps I want to make :) also i think the soap that you made in thsi video is called bastile soap because you have some coconut oil in there, castile is only olive oil.

[@gengrayson7415]

Thanks! So nice and clear! I have just made my first batch ( a bit too runny?) and tomorrow shall see the results! In other videos the consistency is much thicker, like thick yogurt, but yours is thinner and yet the soap thickened by the next day??

[@jilbertb]

I see some issues I would like to kindly address. First, never leave you stick blender in the bowl - the weight of it or bumping it can cause your caustic substance to spill. Secondly, you should PH test your soap to make sure it is safe to use, that all the lye has saponified out. Third, you forgot to mention that the soap has to cure before using it, four to six weeks.

[@khione8044]

@Jill Blasius Using pH strips on Cold Process soap is pointless, as there is active Lye still inside the batter until at least 72 hours, for the Saponification Process to finish.

[@nirmalvats434]

Hello sir. I bought Castile soap so do I have to warmup the soap to 110 before add to oil. How one should heat the Castile soap? Thanks in advance

[@Nicolejoanhz]

if i wanted to do a goats milk soap using milk powder, at which point would i add the powder? thanks!

[@markfung5654]

You could have substituted snow for water. That would have reduced the fuming. And lowered the temperature of the lye solution.

[@denisemartinez6456]

where do you purchase the sodium hydroxide and other ingredients? Do you have a preferred online link or store? thank you . your instructions were pretty easy to understand.

[@iznakhan5868]

Hello! I am new here. Will you please give me some info about your blender? Which brand and other features, because the one I have is not suitable for turning oil into soap

[@cleojohnson6864]

Thanks you made it look so simple.

[@Lala-op9hn]

hi...can we use these soap just after make....and can we use only olive oil or coconut oil.....

[@seacaptaindw]

Very informative, well produced video, and I appreciate the safety precautions. From the outset, you indicate (several times), Sodium Hydroxide is one of the key ingredients. But, it's not until you pour the Sodium Hydroxide into the oil mix that you mention (for the first time) that Sodium Hydroxide is 'Lye' ... the more common term. Also, it would be helpful to share your source of the lye ... Amazon? Draino? Thanks

[@valeriekline6186]

I get lye at Cole's Hardware Store. It is in the plumbing section. I used to get it at the grocery store, but they quit selling it there. (I live in PA.)

[@GamesByJDK]

You can buy lye pellets for soap making on eBay, cap'n.

[@khione8044]

@seacaptainw Sodium Hydroxide is there proper name for it, so it's not like he was being misleading. "Lye" can be many different things. Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, and Potassium Ash (Potash) are all forms of "Lye".

[@jaytee3baxter]

Do NOT put vinegar on your skin if it has come in contact with lye. Rinse rinse rinse with cool water. Vinegar will do additional damage to the damaged tissues. Vinegar is great for using on your soaping implements and counters, spill or no spill, but DO NOT put vinegar on your skin if your skin was touched by lye. This is a beginner's mistake to assume that if vinegar neutralizes lye, which it does, it therefore follows that you can use it on your skin to neutralize lye on your skin. Don't do it. Rinse with cool water for a long time. If there is a serious chemical burn, go to an ER or at least call poison control for further steps to take.

[@_aaegams]

How to keep it on liquid form? Like a liquid soap Dr. Bronner Liquid Castile Soap? Thanks. Nice Tutorial BTW.

[@jack8162]

Potassium Hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide will keep it in liquid form

[@macster1457]

isn't castile soap supposed to be 100% olive oil?

[@khione8044]

@Fotingo Correct. This is not really Castile Soap at all, but a Bastile Soap.

[@trebleclef3886]

I hope it is not like Dr Bronners soap. That is the most drying harsh soap I ever used. It is what drove me to make my own soap!

[@GamesByJDK]

It is drying because of the coconut oil. I suspect people like this dude adds coconut oil for it's cleansing and hard resulting soap... it literally washes all the natural oil from your skin. Use soapcalc and you will see what I mean.

[@khione8044]

@Treble Clef It's because Dr. Bonners soap is not really Castile Soap at all. Castile Soap has (for over a thousand years) been made the same way (as 100% Olive Oil Soap). Now, in this day and age, people want to change the definition of this, to fit their own interests. Dr. Bonners Soap claims a "Castile" Status, claiming that Castile means "any soap made of 100% vegetable oils". No, that is not what it means. That's what they changed the definition to mean, to fit their own interests, and market their product using a name that people considered to be very milk and gentle, and an awesome soap. 100% Coconut Oil (which Dr. Bronners uses), is quite the opposite. Coconut Oil is very, very cleansing. Meaning that it is extremely harsh and drying. In bar soap, Soapmakers are able to counter the drying aspect of Coconut Oil by making a Superfat of 20%-30% (oils that are not turned into soap that bind to the soap to rehydrate your skin). Dr. Bronners however is usually a Liquid Soap, which cannot have a large superfat like bar soap can. Making their 100% Coconut Oil Soap (not Castile Soap like they claim), to be very harsh and drying to the skin, but excellent for cleaning.

[@craftyladydi]

What is the difference between your castile soap and Kirk's castile soap? I bought some the other day, I don't like it, it was very dry on my skin.

[@Rochelle2559]

Just wondering how/what do you use to clean the equipment you used to make your soap with?

[@BellaFolsom]

Okay....well as basic as this recipe is: its not a castille, its a bastille. You should NEVER use grocery store olive oil for soap even if its organic and pure because of the oxidation levels of different batches and how they often take whats left of one batch and mix it with another batch of olive oil before they bottle it, not to mention any impurities left in the olive oil. This causes various issues not to mention DOS which is basically rancid fat that didn't saponify. Plus it costs too much to use. thirdly, you should always run any recipe through a soap calculator before you attempt it. You want to make sure that your oils are saponified correctly by the lye. You do not want DOS or a soap that causes burns or irritation.If you want to make liquid soap, you need to use potassium hydroxide. I just thought I would clarify this because it seems that many are confused or their soap isn't turning into soap.

[@RonFloyd]

Where do you get your olive oil then? soap calculator??? Same proportion of potassium hydroxide for liquid soap?

[@BellaFolsom]

I get my olive oil from my soap supplies shop, www.camdengrey.com/essential-oils/New-Products/ the soap calculator will tell you how much potassium hydroxide to use. soapcalc.net/calc/soapcalcwp.asp

[@BellaFolsom]

Ron Floyd

[@katharta]

would you give me the safe n correct recipe?

[@BellaFolsom]

+Kath Arta well I have several recipes. what's your email?

[@aisharowland7361]

What all oils can you use ?? Beside olive oil and coconut oil?

[@jekriske]

You may get aqueous NaOH in the droplets of steam which is what you're smelling or feeling in your lungs/eyes but it's still relatively harmless. Far from toxic.

[@jasmin2543]

U so Awesome 👏 VERY NEAT AND CLEAN PREPARATION

[@patsyoconner9506]

you make it look so easy im getting less scared now thank you

[@deborahtorain-williams7609]

I have a extra ninja blender can i use that if i do not have a stick blender

[@wanderingengland]

In the beginning, you take everything outside, but it's winter and there's snow on the ground. Do you do the same thing whether it's hot or cold outside? I don't live in a cold area.

[@Sploocher]

what is the soap used for? you didn' put any cleaning agents in it.

[@frugalberry]

MrsJKuryla, Sorry, I've never tried adding all these different things. I guess you would add it before you pour into molds, but this is just a guess. I like soap as soap - not fruit salad. :-)

[@jimmymacdonald8696]

Thanks for this great Video @thefrugalberry I’m excited to make for my first time. I have a quick question: if I want to change the composition of Oils (add some hemp seed oil and change the proportions of coconut to olive oil) can I keep the same amount of lye in the recipe? I would be maintaining the same overall quantities Thanks in advance for your expertise and efforts with making such easy to follow videos.

[@frugalberry]

Look for an on-line Lye calculator. The type of oils that you use are very specific to the amount of lye. There are many calculators out there, and they can give you the exact amount that you need for the mix of oils you are using.

[@frugalberry]

You are better off waiting the 6-8 weeks for it to fully harden, but there is no reason you can't use it in about 48 hours. By then the chemical reaction should be complete and the soap should have a neutral PH.

[@myxxasperation8509]

Essential oil is optional right?

[@avishamohan5871]

can i use this method to make liquid castile soap? if not can you advice me

[@tomjones4318]

Noticed the walmart brand Castile liquid is much thicker than the Dr. Bronners. I wonder if it really has less water or just a thickener. The liquid Dr. Bronners is very soapy even though thin.

[@jeffcotton526]

This guy is WAY TOO CAUTIOUS when working with lye. It's not nitroglycerin! There is no need to go outdoors to mix the lye into the distilled water. Just turn on the venthood over the stove. Don't use vinegar, just flush with lots of cold water. Vinegar and lye make an exothermic reaction and will burn you worse.

[@HappyHusbandnWife]

CAn you do this with HOT process ? Or it have to be cold process ?

[@yvettek1585]

Just awesome thank you for sharing

[@shan8388]

can i use electric whisker instead of the blender?

[@beckhead25]

also, you said pouring lye into the oil is the most dangerous part, how do i make sure it won;t explode? what would i have to do wrong? if i pour too fast?

[@beckhead25]

thank you for your video! love you man! have to ask though, i'm so scared of blowing myself up when i try this for the first time- what would make this explode? at what point can i be sure it's no longer possibly explosive? when I'm stirring the water and lye together? I live in a very hot humid environment, usually 80% humidity and 28 celcius as a regular temp, would that heat make it dangerous to make soap? i'm a newbie! xx

[@TheBeirouty]

Can i just use olive oil instead of mixing olive and coconut ??

[@poppykefaloukos1191]

Thats a great video Karl😊

[@adebisiidemudia962]

Can it be mixed with the regular mixer?

[@frugalberry]

Yes, I do the same thing in the summer.

[@deabreurich6430]

Hi, what is the effect on the soap mixture if the temperature of lye and oils are higher then 110 degree? Thanks

[@questioner113]

Is the lye safe for your steel blender blade?

[@paulaperun3247]

Good video, Can you tell me where you bought the Mold (Dragonfly) you used in this video

[@sandiiMan39]

Can i use extra virgin olive oil

[@AJ-xy7gb]

How much water was used to dissolve the lye?

[@snowprincesux4110]

Karl I have a really biG PROBLEM,i made the soap using ingredients you mentioned but instead i used the warm method which was mixing the NaOh with water an leaving until mixed on the same time while its mixing, you put a pan full of water and let it boil,after you put the oils togrthr in a smaller pan and let it sit on the boiling bigger pan, when the cocnut oil is dissolved and the naoh is also you mix it then start beating it with a beater, until it gets creamy then it gets to the volcano fase()saponification it erupts and then you beat it and repeat this again, then you put it in a reciepeint and in 24 hrs u can use it again... But mine didn't get thick...

[@BellaFolsom]

snowprincesux his recipe wasnt great. but I have never heard of that method. Doesn't sound like it would work. I CPOP and it is a lot easier than that sounds. You definitely don't want to use grocery store-bought olive oil. What it sounds like you did is get it too hot before or as it was tracing and you don't want to do that with hot or cold process methods. If it gets too hot like that you have to immediately remove from heat and stick it in the freezer/fridge.

[@JessicaTran05]

Would using potassium hydroxide made it a liquid soap?

[@Timoth2y]

karlboer, Can you please tell me how to make soap with rice water? Thanks

[@AlexandraParaskiv]

Wonderful video!Thank you!

[@AlphaDaddy82]

Thanks, great video! Is this soap suited for washing children and babies?

[@amillia222]

Excellent video!

[@hollys1498]

Enjoy your birthday. I certainly listening to you. Cheers.

[@darrenguy4300]

where did you get your mold from to purchase

[@mariajohnston2147]

have you made coconut milk soap Just wondering

[@naelyneurkopfen9741]

Leonarda loved this video!

[@christiangeiselmann]

Potassium hydroxide should make a liquid soap instead of a hard one. You will use it rather for floor cleaning than your hands.

[@pogingkaliwete]

why is it that there are some people using potassium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide for making a castile soap, is there any difference between the two in the outcome of the soap?

[@gengrayson7415]

sadly, no,thicker but not hard, a false trace? Should I reheat the whole mixture and mix it again?

[@christiangeiselmann]

I would use glass vessels from a laboratory supplier. They will take the heat and cold without cracking.

[@ericwhitlow7364]

Great video. Very informative.

[@aisharowland7361]

Where you get snow !?

[@linaestacio6646]

Thanks for the tutorial sr

[@rachelwilson9460]

Hello, could you tell me if you still have to wait out the 6 to 8 weeks after you have got them out of the freezer?

[@frugalberry]

Yes. This dries out the bars and gives them plenty of time for the chemical reaction to complete.

[@rachelwilson9460]

@@frugalberry okay, thank you.

[@agnesjaroch1]

Thank you for the well done video tutorial, I am not sure about the temperature, do you mean Fahrenheit or Celsius? Thank you in advance for you reply, Agnes

[@frugalberry]

Fahrenheit

[@agnesjaroch1]

Thanks a lot ! Going to do it soon ! Best wishes and thank you for your quick reply ! Ps, I am not sure what's your name . . .

[@nancybrowning3380]

@@frugalberry I watched one video and she lets the oils and the lye cool down. Does it have to be warn/hot?

[@frugalberry]

@@nancybrowning3380 Different recipes cook different meals. There is more than one way to do it. If you are new I would encourage you to follow the recipe that you have, and not pull bits and pieces from different KZbin videos you see into your own recipe.... unless you are into extreme learning. :-)

[@brownsugar1958ful]

Hello my thing about soap making is how do I measure the soap making if I want to only make 6 bars of soap how do I calculate it that what I don't get and the fact that why do you make it so scary for first time soap makers about using the lye we know that it burns I get that that's why I have had all my products for a year yet afraid to start making soap thanks

[@miked-se6ti]

You can find calculators on the web.

[@stephaniadawn]

+frederica broadney its not that scary. its like parenting... there are some parents that all but wrap there kids in bubble wrap... they are never allowed to do any thing, they are never allowed any where, only pime schools, exctra.. then there is the other end of the spectrum, the parent that there kid runs from morning to night with no supervision from almost the time they are potty trained... they do, eat, sleep, play, school and every thing else when they want, if they want... most of us fall in between... that is how it is with these vids and soap making in general (not to mention life)... some are supper safe (I once saw someone pouring lye with the two foot long tongs..) others not so much... I personaly use gloves and not much else... that being said I did one time splash a lil lye water close to my eye... could of been bad... I have gotten it on my skin, burns like heck.. but I am still here... I guess what I am saying is it is all a personal choice... take it as that and you will be fine

[@GamesByJDK]

You calculate the volume of your molds, Length x width x depth, and then multiply that by 0.4 to know how much oils/fats you need. I plan on making 3 inch by 2 inch by 1 inch bars... so 6 cubic inches... times 0.4 is 28.8. I need 28.8 oz by weight of oil/fats to fill just those. Then you good soap calc and plug in that much oil / fat... and it will tell you how much water and lye to use.

[@frugalberry]

I wouldn't recommend it. I did in my previous video, but had trouble with the glass cracking in the ice bath. I strongly recommend using plastic.

[@jindandy7826]

Thank you for all your efforts. But, I have serious concerns about all that heating in plastic containers considering there are multiple studies showing that heated plastic leeches carcinogens into liquids. Don't think that soap is now very skin friendly...

[@khione8044]

@Jeannine Technically, Plastic is recommended in Soapmaking, but only certain types of Plastic. You want to make sure that it is a Recycle Code of #2 or #5 on the bottom of the Plastic. These are the only 2 plastics that are designed to hold up to the high heat and can withstand the harshness of the lye, and won't leech anything into the soap.

[@gracelee441]

from Dr. Bonner's wegbsite, it says "Sodium Hydroxide: None remains after saponifying oils into soap & glycerin" Is it what happened in the video too when the liquid cleared and brought inside?

[@gmc9753]

No. The sodium hydroxide reacts with the oil to form soap and glycerin. It's still plenty dangerous when you just dissolve it in water.

[@gracelee441]

Is it why 'soap' is not necessary good, and some products promote as 'soap free'?? then, what's the point of making home-made soap? my understanding(or misunderstanding) is that home made soaps are better than what's commercially made.....

[@iluminameluna]

+Grace Lee when a shower gel, for instance, or a bath bar, is said to be "soap free", all that means is that it's not made from a chemical reaction between lye and an oil and a triglyceride. It's more than likely a detergent with, maybe, added moisturizers and other chemicals that will attract water to your skin. All of it costing A LOT of money because the way soaps are made commercially takes glycerine, the stuff that keeps the moisture ON your skin, OUT of it. When Grandma used the cooking fat and wood ashes (we do it better nowadays with cleaner oils and fats and lye that ALWAYS works) the soaps that get made keep that glycerine so they don't strip the oils from our skin and we know EXACTLY what goes in them. Besides, once we've bought the equipment, they turn out cheaper per bar or bottle than what you can buy in the store, not just healthier.