Homemade Liquid Soap (Castile-Style)

Name: Homemade Liquid Soap (Castile-Style)
Cuisine: From Scratch
Ingredients: 90–100 g Potassium hydroxide (KOH) flakes (90–95% pure); 300 ml (for lye solution) Distilled water; 500 g Olive oil (or coconut/olive blend); 1.2–1.5 liters Distilled water (for dilution); 30–50 ml Glycerin (optional for extra moisture); 10–20 ml (optional) Essential oils (lavender, tea tree, etc.)

A recipe from From Scratch.

From ScratchLiquidSoapFromScratchCastileNaturalHomemadeVeganEcoFriendly

Nutrition (per serving)

0Calories

0 gProtein

0 gCarbs

0 gFat

0 gSugar

0 mgSalt

Ingredients

90–100 g Potassium hydroxide (KOH) flakes (90–95% pure)
300 ml (for lye solution) Distilled water
500 g Olive oil (or coconut/olive blend)
1.2–1.5 liters Distilled water (for dilution)
30–50 ml Glycerin (optional for extra moisture)
10–20 ml (optional) Essential oils (lavender, tea tree, etc.)

Method

Safety first: Wear gloves, goggles, long sleeves. Work in well-ventilated area. Never add water to lye — always lye to water.
In heat-safe container, slowly add KOH to 300 ml cold distilled water (not the reverse) → stir gently with stainless steel spoon → solution will heat up to ~80–90 °C → let cool to ~40–50 °C.
Heat oils in stainless steel pot to ~40–50 °C (same temperature range as lye solution).
Slowly pour lye solution into oils while stirring constantly with stick blender → blend 5–15 minutes until trace (mixture thickens like thin pudding).
Cook on low heat (crockpot or double boiler) 4–6 hours, stirring every 30 minutes → paste will become translucent and waxy (hot-process method).
Test paste: dissolve small amount in water → should be clear, not cloudy (if cloudy, cook longer).
Dilute: Add 1.2–1.5 liters hot distilled water to paste → stir gently → let sit overnight → stir again next day until smooth (may take 1–2 days to fully dissolve).
Add glycerin + essential oils → stir → pour into pump bottles or dispenser.
Let rest 1–2 weeks for clarity and mildness → shake before use if separation occurs.
Makes ≈2 liters — natural, gentle homemade liquid castile-style soap.