Soap making has become a popular hobby and a thriving industry. Cold process soaps have taken a strong place in the world of cosmetics. It is very essential part of our daily skin care routine. But have you ever wondered about the soap you use? The items used in the soap? The process in which it is made?

Cold process soap making

Soap which does not use heating process directly and which is cooled in room temperature following the saponification process is usually cold processed soap. It uses lye, oils or fats, essential oils and additives through natural saponification process.

This type of soap has glycerine in it, which makes it less harsh on skin. The skin retains it hydrolipidic film even after wash. This makes in an advantage for cold processed soaps.

 Natural homemade soaps can be made by two methods –

1. Cold processed method
2. Melt & pour method

 A Tale of Two Methods

Being new to soap making, makes you wonder which is the best method for making soap bars. If cold processed soap or melt and pour soap is better?

These two different methods have similarities yet different with its own characteristics and advantages.

So, what makes cold processed soap different from melt and pour soap.

 Cold processed soap:

• It is made from scratch using lye, combination of oils or butter and liquids
• This involves mixing the oil and lye solution until they reach the trace.
• The mixture is then poured into moulds where it undergoes saponification process.
• It turns into soap over a few weeks as it cures and hardens.
• Allows you to customise to your preference.
• Trace can be manipulated for a variety of effects. They can be used to make swirls and frostings.
• Keeps you more creative.
• Considered as a more natural soap.

 Melt & pour soap

• Great for beginners.
• These soap bases are pre-made soap formulations. They contain glycerine, surfactant and other additives. Bases are available in various varieties.
• The pre-made base is melted, additives are added and then poured into moulds.
• Once cooled, they are hardened and can be used immediately.
• It allows some customisation of fragrances and colours.
• Does not require a curing period.
• Fragrance oils do not cause acceleration in the process.
• It is a great method to create clean and straight layers.
• Clean up process is very easy.

 Both methods have pros and cons, the choice depends on individual preference, skill level and specific quality of the soaps.

 Your Essential Toolkit

Your toolkit for soap-making can be very overwhelming. So, what are the absolute needs and wants for soap making?

 A few supplies are upfront in natural cold processed soap. The core supplies are those which you use everytime you make soap.

 Core supplies:

• Weighing scale to measure the ingredients used.
• Thermometer helps to keep the temperature in check.
• Stainless steel double boiler, measuring cups, mixing bowls, soap making pitcher, blender, soap moulds.
• Safety gear such as apron, glasses, gloves.
• Oils and butters: Olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter, castor oil and others for creating the base.
• Lye: Cold processed soap cannot be formed without lye. This helps in the saponification process.
• Liquid: Water or milk is used to dissolve lye.
• Cutter and a drying rack: To dry and cure the soap and to cut them into soap bars.

Before starting, it is very essential to understand and to research about homemade cold processed soap making. Follow a proper guideline to ensure a safe soap-making experience.

 We truly believe that “If you cannot eat it, it cannot be on your skin “.

The Truly Native from Inria Skin care, is carefully crafted and curated for combinational skin type. It uses Ice apple & Anantmool, from natives of Tamil Nadu, as key ingredients along with other combinational oils and butter to craft the best soap for combinational skins. It is made with true natural ingredients and lye.

 A Journey of Transformation

 To create your own soap recipe, start by choosing your base oils. Check out the common soap making oil for their properties and usage rates so that you can choose the best for your recipe.

 Here is our general recipe of our product The Truly Native made of Ice Apple and Anantmool.

1. All the ingredients are taken and weighed .
2. Milk, Water and Sodium Hydroxide are used in this process. Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) is mixed with a solution of water and milk.
3. Carefully add the lye to the liquid in a heat resistant container. Allow it to cool to a safe temperature.
4. Rice Bran Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Vegetable Glycerine are mixed in definite proportions to make our soap base.
5. Heat the oils and butter to melt them. Combine them in a mixing bowl.
6. Make sure that the lye solution and oils are at the same temperature.
7. Patchouli Essential Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, Clove Essential Oil are mixed in definite volumes and concentration. They are mixed and kept in a separate container.
8. Pour the lye to the oil and keep stirring continuously using a blender.
9. At this point add the essential oils, Ice Apple powder and Anantmool Powder to it and mix well.
10. Ice Apple powder, Anantmool Powder are the two most important ingredient which are collected from the parts of Tamil Nadu and made to retain their skin inflammatory properties and anti-bacterial properties respectively.
11. Blend it until it reaches its trace.
12. Trace is the stage where the soap batter is thickened but still pourable.
13. Softens and evens out your skin’s tone. 
14. Promotes healthier and smoother skin by preserving the skin’s natural moisture
15. Helps treat skin problems like prickly heat and skin rashes. 
16. Boosts the skin’s ability to absorb nutrients. 

The best handmade cold processed soap from Inria selects the best natural ingredients for your skin. The greater journey of Inria’s cold processed soaps start from the gardens and ends when they reach your homes.  The journey they endure makes it the best for your skin care. Eventually, your skin will fall in love with Inria.