How to care for handmade soap

In this article I’ll briefly touch on saponification and curing. Two very important steps in the soap making process.

Saponification is a process that converts fats (oils and butters) into soap by combining them with sodium hydroxide (lye). The chemical reaction produces heat which neutralizes the oils and lye solution, then *VOILA* you have suds!

The soap bars are left sitting out to “cure” which is the process of the water content evaporating to leave you with a denser bar that will last longer. In layman’s terms…the bar loses its water weight over time. 

Technically the saponification process takes only 48 hours, which means your soap is safe to use. However, if you want your bar to last longer, waiting for it to lose the water weight is best. Another way to make sure the bar lasts as long as possible is to make sure it’s not sitting in water after your bath or shower. Grab a soap saver or soap tray to make sure the bar stays as dry as possible after each use. 😉