how to make soap?

Answer 1

There are two main soap making processes, within which different techniques are applied.
cold process
hot process
Cold process is a method of making soap (saponification) which does not require an external heat source to initiate saponification. (Heat may still by applied in order to melt fats or oils that are solid at room temperature, and to speed the reaction.) This process is often used by soapers, or home soapmakers. A Lye solution, either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide and water, is mixed with an appropriate amount of fats and/or oils to start the saponification process that leads to soap.
Once the warmed or melted oils or fats and the lye solution have cooled to about 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit, the lye solution is poured into the oils and stirred. A stick blender is often used to speed this process. The two thin, clear substances become cloudy and begin to thicken. Soapmakers refer to the thickening process as "tracing". After many minutes of stirring, the mixture turns to the consistency of a thin pudding.
Essential oils, fragrance oils, herbs, oatmeal or other additives are added at light trace, just as the mixture starts to thicken. Soap is then typically poured into wooden molds lined with heavy wax paper, covered and/or insulated with towels or blankets and allowed to continue saponification for 18-24 hours. During this time, it is normal for the soap to go through a "gel phase" where the opaque soap will turn somewhat transparent for several hours before turning opaque again. The soap will continue to give off heat for many hours after trace.
After the insulation period the soap is firm enough to be removed from the mold and cut into bars. At this time, it is safe to use the soap since the saponification process is complete. However, most soapmakers prefer to cure the bars for 2-6 weeks, depending on initial water content, to allow for the bars to harden significantly before using.
For successful cold-process soap making, one needs to measure the exact amount of lye to be used and know the saponification values of the oils being used in the soap. Excess unreacted lye in the soap will result in a very high pH and can burn or irritate the skin. Not enough lye, and the soap is greasy and oily. Most soap makers formulate their recipes with 3-15% excess oil so that all of the lye is reacted and that excess fat is left for skin conditioning benefits.
HOT PROCESS:
Hot process is a traditional method of making soap, still used by some soapmakers.
In the hot process method, fats and oils are boiled in a lye solution (either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide). After saponification has occurred, the soap is sometimes precipitated from the solution by adding salt, after which the liquid component is drained.
Most modern soapmakers add the correct amount of lye and water to the hot oils and stir until full saponification occurs- either by taste (a quick touch to the tip of the tongue - lye has a very bright and distinct taste which goes away upon saponification) or by eye (more experienced soap makers know what gel stage and full saponification looks like). The hot, soft soap is then spooned into a mold. Hot process soap can be used right away (cold process needs to be insulated so the saponification can finish).
Historically salt has been added to harden the bars- postassium hydroxide (aka potash) makes a soft soap. Sodium hydroxide (most commercially available lye) makes a quite satisfactorily hard bar.
Although more time consuming than the cold process, the hot process was used in the time before pure lye was available, as it can use natural lye solutions such as potash. The main benefit of hot processing was that the exact concentration of the lye solution did not need to be known to perform the process with adequate success. Today's hot process soapmakers do use accurate amounts of lye thereby taking the guesswork out of soapmaking.

Other processes or techniques used by soapers are the melt and pour process, and rebatching.

Answer 2

NaOH and lard or oil
There are lots of different recipes on line. Try a google search. I do this with my chemistry 2 class each year. We use lard and red devil lye. Old crayons are good for coloring the soap. We use ice cube trays to make the soap into bars.

Answer 3

Here is a great Link That has ALL the information you need to make soap. All you need to do is plug in a few things and it will tell you the right amounts of water , lye, and oil you will need to make soap.
HAVE FUN

ITS VERY EASY

Answer 4

The original recipe.

Soak wood ash in hot water. Leave to cool until about skin temperature. Strain off the bits. (Be very careful though, because it is caustic, and will burn).

Add to melted animal fat (rendered if possible) and stir.