Soap is a necessity for all as it is what we use to clean ourselves whenever we shower. It may come in several forms but whatever you choose to use, its basic function is to remove dirt and oil on our bodies. In recent times, liquid soap and body wash has become more and more popular compared to the regular bar soap. But with the many creative designs that can be made with bar soaps, they are becoming relevant again and even used as displays on bathrooms.

Since soaps can have a lot of different properties, and most people have no idea how to make soap, a lot of people think that soap making is a very hard process to do. On the contrary, it is a very easy process that even small children can make soap as long as adult supervision is present.

There are two ways as to how soap can be made. The first is the hot method which will require heating of your ingredients while they undergo a process called saponification. The other method is the cold method, which does not require any heating. The first method is usually used when your lye is impure and you have no way of measuring exactly how much lye you are working with.

The main ingredients that you will need to make soap are just oil and lye. Using these two ingredients, you will already be able to make the most basic type of soap. Lye will first be mixed with water until it is fully dissolved. Oil will then be added once the lye has fully dissolved. Heating is continuous during this time with the hot method, but no heating will be required if you choose to use the cold method. Just be sure that you have the exact measurements that you need for the cold method to work.

When the mixture has been thoroughly mixed and attained a condensed milk consistency, it can now be poured onto molds for them to cool and take shape. Different molds may be used to design your soap in a way that you want. Adding dyes may also be done so that your soap will have the color that you want.

After a few hours, your soap should have hardened but you can still make alterations on the design using knives. Other modifications that you can do with your soap are adding fragrant oils or lotions after saponification is done so that your soap will have added properties. Adding herbal leaves is another option that you can do to add to your soap's appeal.

In soap making, you should also consider what you want to do with the finished product. If you prefer to display your soap and not use it for cleaning yourself, you may want to use a type of oil that will give your soap a hard and sturdy property. On the other hand, if you plan to use it for showering, you may want to use olive oil and coconut oil to give your soap a mild quality with lathering properties.

Regular soap may be losing its popularity but it is certainly not a thing of the past. With the many designs and creative ways that you can change and alter the properties of bar soap, you will definitely have fun creating and designing your own soaps.