What is Cold Process Handmade Soap?
Handmade natural soap in its simplest form, is made with fats and oils, lye (sodium hydroxide) and water. Fats and oils can be animal-based or vegetable-based. The “cold process” method of soap making is so named, as it relies on the heat generated by saponification (the chemical reaction of fatty acids and alkali to produce soap). No external heat is applied, Sounds simple? Yes, in terms of the accessibility of these simple, natural ingredients – and not so simple – in terms of understanding the ways in which these ingredients and other components interact, to create a successful bar of soap.

Types and Characteristics of Soap
Soap comes in many forms: liquid, bars, foam and soap-scrub combinations, to name a few. Soaps made with animal fat contain tallow or lard; vegetable-based soaps are made with vegetable oils. A successful bar of soap requires a careful combination of fats and oils. For example, a soap made with a saturated fat will have a weaker, longer-lasting lather. Vegetable oils such as olive and soybean lather a bit on their own, and produce a superior lather when combined with coconut oil. Additives for scent, color and texture depend on the soap’s purpose and the soap maker’s goal for the end product. Artisan soap makers bring exceptional creativity to this process. In fact, many soap makers develop their own signature recipes and techniques.

Handmade Soap vs. Commercial Soap and Detergents
Industrially-made soap often rely on synthetics to achieve properties desired by the consumer, such as texture, lather and fragrance – and to preserve products made in huge batches and stored for an extended period of time. Most cold-process handmade natural soaps rely exclusively on the natural ingredients and their interaction to produce desired results. Detergents were invented during World War I, due to shortages of fats and oils available for natural soap. They’re designed to work in a wide range of conditions, from light to extremely heavy cleaning tasks. They accomplish this mission through the use of harsh, synthetic chemicals; though this makes for a versatile, inexpensive cleaning product, there is a price in terms of impact on skin health.

SOURCE
Information for this post was summarized from:
Cavitch, Susan Miller (1995). The Natural Soap Book, Massachusettes: Storey Publishing