Soapmaking 101

Lesson 3: Ingredients

Storing your ingredients

Correct ingredient storage is important to protect your ingredients so that they last as long as possible.

Lye

Lye can deteriorate over time and lose its efficacy which can throw saponification off. Don't lose a batch of soap because you didn't seal up your lye to protect it from air and moisture. Tighten the lid on the lye container and for extra meausre put it in a zip lock bag. Lye isn't that expensive, so if your lye has been sitting around a while, consider just popping out to your hardware store and getting a new stock. Storing your lye in this way can also prevent it from being spilled - a very bad thing!

Base and essential oils

They should be kept in tightly sealed amber or cobalt colored glass bottles. This protects them against light, their number one enemy. They should also be stored in a cool place to protect them against heat, enemy number two. Base oils can be kept in the refrigerator. A few drops of vitamin E, grapefruit seed extract, or jojoba oil in each bottle of base oil will also prevent rancidity and extend shelf life.

Additives

These should be sealed tightly and kept in a cool place away from sunlight and excessive heat. Herbs will eventually loose their efficacy, so buy in small quantities where possible.

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