Can you imagine your daily life without immersing yourself in that relaxing and soft foam created by your favorite soap? Maybe, not. You love the lingering fragrance and the soothing properties of your favorite soap, but do you have an idea whether it will suit your skin or not? But do you know about cold process soaps When you use soap to make yourself clean and clear, you don’t know that you’re causing harm to your outer layer of skin. Specifically, using chemical-infused products daily can make your skin rough and patchy.
To determine the quality of soaps, you need to understand making their soaps. Compared to the other soapmaking procedures, cold process soaps can be considered best.
What are cold process soaps?
According to Archaeological findings, cold process soaps were used in 2000 BC. It helped to moisturize and condition the skin over the years.
The method of cold process soap making involves oils like olive or coconut oil and fats (Sodium Hydroxide). This leads to the chemical reaction, also known as saponification. Additionally, scents and colorants can also be added for the saponification process.
Once the oils are mixed with sodium hydroxide, heat is generated based on the primary ingredient’s quantity. This heat generation part is known as the gel phase, and it’s a standard procedure in soapmaking. Apart from the gel phase, no external heat is needed for neutralizing sodium hydroxide. The final product may take 4-6 weeks to produce.
Ingredients used in cold process soaps making
Based on the oils used for the soapmaking process, the resulted soap may have different properties, including cleansing ability, conditioning, degrees of hardness, and foaming capabilities. Let’s check some of the core ingredients used for cold process soapmaking –
1. Sodium hydroxide
It’s one of the key ingredients for making cold process soaps. It reacts with the triglycerides in oil to form the soap. Mainly it is available as pellets or white flakes. However, one needs to be very cautious while working with sodium hydroxide.
2.Water
One should use deionized water for making cold process soaps, and it is purer than the tap/regular water. Normal water may contain mineral salts, it may cause sliminess in the finished soap bars. While preparing the solution, water is weighed using scales. Then, sodium hydroxide gets added and stirred well until it dissolves.
3.Oils
Oils are the heart of the cold-process soaps as the choice would directly affect the soap quality, cleansing, and nourishing abilities. Different oils may contain different fatty acids, which will change the quality of the final output.
For example, an oil composed of stearic acid will bring more hardness than an oil composed of oleic acid. Conversely, mono or poly saturated fatty acids could bring softness and emollience to the final product.
Some of the other additional ingredients to make the soap more attractive-
- Colorants
- Exfoliants
- Fragrance
Benefits of using cold process soaps
Cold process soap benefits let you enjoy the quality bathing time after a tiring day. If you have sensitive skin, we recommend going for it without a second thought.
1. Strong fragrance
Fragrance ingredients like the natural essential oils may bring together a strong scent that will leave you mesmerized.
2. Creamy feel
Cold process soaps are made with all-natural ingredients, butter, and plant oils to create a creamy lather. It will penetrate deep into your skin and will provide deep moisturization.
3.All-natural
All the natural components like shea butter and olive oil may super-enrich your skin with moisture to look delicate.
Final words
Taking care of your skin with natural products may be a daunting task, and you may not get enough time to do the same due to your busy schedule. Cold process soaps will help you reach the point while embracing the natural feeling like the soft touch of healthy hands.
