Recommendations
- Oils and butters: olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil can be purchased at grocery stores. Shea butter, cocoa butter, and specialty oils are usually cheaper from online soap suppliers or wholesale retailers.
- Lye (sodium hydroxide): buy from soap making suppliers, chemical supply companies, or hardware stores (check the drain cleaner aisle, but ensure it is 100% sodium hydroxide with no additives). Online soap suppliers are the safest bet for purity.
- Essential oils: buy from reputable suppliers who provide batch-specific GC/MS reports and IFRA compliance information. Avoid the cheapest options — adulterated oils can cause skin reactions and poor scent retention.
- Natural colorants: clays and charcoal from soap suppliers or natural skincare ingredient shops. Grocery store spices (turmeric, paprika) work in a pinch but may produce weaker, less predictable colors.
- Molds and tools: silicone molds from soap supply stores. Digital scales and stick blenders from big-box retailers or online marketplaces. Dedicate all tools to soap making only.
Tips & Advice
- Start with grocery store olive oil and coconut oil for your first few batches. These are accessible, affordable, and produce great soap. Expand to specialty oils as you gain experience.
- Buy lye in small quantities to start — 2 lbs is enough for several batches. Lye absorbs moisture from the air over time, which throws off your measurements.
- Compare prices between general retailers and soap-specific suppliers. Sometimes Amazon is cheaper; sometimes a dedicated soap supplier offers better quality at the same price.
- When buying fragrance oils, always check reviews for cold process performance. Some fragrances accelerate trace, cause seizing, discolor, or fade completely in CP soap.