experiment of soap making

Make Your Own Soap! Part 1: The Chemistry Behind Soap Making

In the middle of teaching some high school students about the chemistry of soap-making, I realised that I really, really wanted to try making some soap myself and write about it here.

My write-up ended up being really long, so I’ve made it a two-parter – Installment 1 is all about the chemistry, and Installment 2 is about the actual procedure (which you can also do at home with equipment and chemicals from the supermarket!).

You don’t need to understand the chemistry behind soap making to make soap, but knowing the background does mean that you can play around with your recipes and solve any problems you run into with minimal trial-and-error and wastage!

It’s also very interesting from a scientific point of view.

Jump to section:

What Is Soap?

Making soap – the saponification reaction, fats and oils, strong base, proportions.

Before we can start with the nitty gritty of chemical reactions – what even is soap?

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll remember me mentioning chemicals called surfactants , such as in my guest post on chemophobia on The Toast , and in this face washing guide .

Surfactants are nifty molecules that dissolve in both water- and oil-based substances, meaning they can clean oil off surfaces, and keep mixtures of oil and water-based liquids happy together (think mayonnaise – without egg yolk acting as a surfactant keeping everything mixed, it’d just separate into vinagrette dressing).

Surfactants have a charged water-loving, hydrophilic “head”, and a neutral, oil-loving, lipophilic “tail”.

Here’s what it looks like when it’s dissolving oil in water (e.g. in your dirty bathwater, or keeping the fat dissolved in your milk) – the surfactants hang out in the interface between the oil and water, holding everything together.

Soaps look something like this:

This particular soap molecule’s called sodium laurate. When it dissolves in water, the sodium (Na+ on the left) and the laurate (the rest of the diagram) split up. Here’s the laurate ion:

Looks familiar?

Yep, soaps are negatively charged surfactants!

They’re part of a class of chemicals called anionic surfactants (anionic = negatively charged), which includes the strongest cleaning agents. (Technically soaps are referred to as “salts of fatty acids” – I won’t use this terminology much but it’s here in case you ever need it.)

So, how do we get these useful things in our grubby little hands?

Soap is made from reacting a fat or oil (or a mixture) with a strong base (something with very high pH). The chemical structures of fats and oils generally look like this:

The left hand side (purple) is always the same – it’s based on a glycerin (aka glycerol) molecule. Each “O” represents an oxygen atom – there are 3 on glycerol, and these are chemically attached to 3 fatty acids (in blue, which will end up being the soap).

These can all be the same or different (in this drawing, I’ve drawn them all the same). Because there are three things and they’re joined to a glycerin molecule, fats and oils are called triglycerides .

The soapmaking reaction is called saponification , and after reacting, the mixture is said to be saponified . Saponification involves reacting the fat or oil with a strong base, usually sodium hydroxide (aka lye aka caustic soda), although you can also use potassium hydroxide (aka caustic potash).

This reaction breaks the triglyceride into the purple and blue parts, in other words, the glycerin and soap molecules.

Let’s have a closer look at each component of the reaction:

This is the most complicated and interesting part of the recipe. Different fats and oils can be used to make soaps with different properties. In fats and oils, the fatty acids (that’s the blue part, remember) differ.

There are two main types of fatty acids: saturated and unsaturated. (This is the same as the saturated and unsaturated fats that you hear about from dieticians!)

Saturated fatty acids have a straightforward zig-zag in their structure. The common ones we use in soap-making are lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid, shown below.

This means that when they stack together neatly at a molecular level both before and after saponification, forming harder soaps (and harder blockages in your arteries, if you’re eating them).

Soaps made from saturated fatty acids are also more effective at cleaning – however, this means that they strip more natural oil away from your skin as well.

Unsaturated fatty acids have kinks in their structure, due to there being double bonds (the bits where the zig zag becomes two parallel lines).

Common unsaturated fatty acids used in soap-making are oleic acid, linoleic acid, alpha- and gamma-linolenic acid (these are also known as omega fatty acids – again, something you may have come across before in the context of nutrition), and ricinoleic acid. Because of their kinky shape, they don’t stack neatly at a molecular level and can slide around with lots of gaps, which means you end up with softer soap bars (and they don’t clog arteries if you eat them).

Soaps made from unsaturated fatty acids are less efficient at cleaning and are therefore gentler on the skin.

As well as the hardness of your soap and its cleansing powers, the amount of each saponified fatty acid in the final soap will also affect how the lather behaves . Generally, saturated fatty acids will give you a creamy, stable lather, while unsaturated fatty acids will result in a fluffy but unstable lather.

One notable exception though is ricinoleic acid (found in castor oil), which is unsaturated but gives a rich, fluffy lather that’s quite stable too. Unsaturated fatty acids also tend to go rancid more easily, as the double bond can react.

(Side note: animal and plant fats and oils are triglycerides – mineral oil and other oils derived from petroleum, on the other hand, aren’t triglycerides, so it’s impossible to make soap from them.)

You can also easily look up the fatty acid profiles of common fats and oils – they’ll differ for each batch of oil, so they’re really ballpark figures. Here are the three oils I’ll be using in the project (info from this amazing soap calculator ):

The bases used for soapmaking have to contain hydroxide – that’s the bit that acts to break up the fat or oil into glycerin and soap. Sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are the 2 most commonly used bases for saponification.

Sodium hydroxide (also known as lye or caustic soda) is most commonly used, and results in a hard bar. Potassium hydroxide results in a soft bar, and is usually used for making liquid soap.

The reason for the difference is that the sodium ion is a bit smaller than the potassium ion – it interferes less with the stacking of the soap molecules at a molecular level, and just like with saturated vs. unsaturated fatty acids above, the more efficient the stacking, the harder the resulting soap.

Safety note: Strong bases are rather nasty things to play with – just like strong acids, they’ll burn your skin right off. Remember the scene from Fight Club? It’s not just artistic license – you will end up with a permanent scar!

I’ll go more into the safety considerations for soap making in the next post.

In the reaction diagram above, you’ll notice that you need 3 base particles to react with one fat or oil particle. Molecules are ridiculously tiny, so we can’t sit and count out the exact number we need to mix in our saucepan.

Those of you who have studied chemistry will know that there’s a method for calculating the ratios of components, but fats and oils tend to contain mixtures of fatty acids rather than a single sort of molecule, so it’s not a straightforward task!

Luckily, there are lots of soap calculators and saponification tables online with preprogrammed numbers that can do the dirty work for us – here are a few .

(If you use a particularly advanced soap calculator, it will also calculate the predicted properties of the soap made from whatever mixture of fats and oils you’ve chosen, just from the %s of each fatty acid, which is really nifty.)

These calculators let us work out what the perfect proportions would be, but remember that we’re not using super precise scientific instruments – we’re using kitchen scales, which will weigh quite a few molecules off (and by quite a few, I mean in the region of 2,500,000,000,000,000,000,000 – that’s the number of NaOH particles in a measly gram).

If we don’t have enough base, there’ll be too much fat/oil left over at the end – slapping grease on your skin doesn’t sound very cleansing! On the other hand, if we don’t have enough fat/oil, we’ll have strong base left over at the end in the soap bar – ouch!

The way we play it safe is by superfatting , which means adding a bit less hydroxide than we need – enough to be safe, but not so much that the soap ends up too greasy. This is also called a lye discount, and is usually around 5-8%.

This is the product that’s the same in all saponification reactions. Glycerin is a humectant moisturiser, which means it draws water to the skin to add moisture (it’s the stuff that makes this DIY nail polish remover so nourishing!). However, this also means it attracts water to your final bar of soap, making it turn to mush if you’re not careful.

Commercially mass produced soaps usually remove a lot of the glycerin to get around this issue, and some handmade soaps do too (using a process called “salting out”), but this is a bit more advanced than we need for this project.

• Soaps are surfactants , which means they dissolve in water and oils and can clean.
• Soapmaking involves reacting fats/oils with a strong hydroxide base , to form glycerin and soap (salts of fatty acids).
• Fat/oil molecules ( triglycerides ) are made up of glycerin chemically attached to 3 fatty acids.
• The specific fatty acids in the fats/oils you’re reacting will determine the properties of your final bar of soap.
• The strong hydroxide base you’ll be using to make a bar of soap will probably be sodium hydroxide, which has a high pH
• To calculate how much of each chemical you need in your reaction, you’ll need to use a soap calculator or saponification table .
• You’ll want to have a little excess fat/oil (5-8%) in your recipe, because being a tad greasy (moisturised) is better than burning your skin off! This is called superfatting .

That’s the chemistry behind soapmaking in a (rather large) nutshell. But how do we go from this to, well… actually having a bar of soap to use on your bod?

Part 2 will be all about the process – see you then!

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9 thoughts on “Make Your Own Soap! Part 1: The Chemistry Behind Soap Making”

This was great reading. I’m looking forward to the next installment! I’ve always been wary of working with acids and bases in the lab (I did cell and molecular biology, so it was minimal) but I think the pull of making my own soap might balance that out.

It’s not too bad if you’re prepared for it! With proper precautions it’s really quite safe 🙂

i always thought the chemistry behind soap was so interesting! out of my favorite topics in chem in school 🙂

It was one of my favourites too! I remember taking turns to stir the soap mixture in class 🙂

• Pingback: Make Your Own Soap! Part 2: Let's Make Some Soap! - Lab Muffin
• Pingback: Why Linoleic Acid and Rosehip Oil Might Fix Your Skin - Lab Muffin
• Pingback: the science of makeup brush cleaners | Cosmetic Composition

Hello Great blog and explainations. I know this post is from 2014 but I was wondering if I can get some advice on how to make something like this https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/uk/en-gb/product/foamingly-clean-facial-wash You can click to see ingredients. It looks like a liquid soap with additional surfactant and an emuslifier

This is an excellent article.. I enjoyed every minute of reading and taking down notes. Thank you very much for the work.

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Cleaning chemistry: soaps and detergents

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Practical experiments, investigations and other activities for 11–16 year olds to explore the chemistry of cleaning products like soaps and detergents

In this collection of activities, students develop their understanding of key chemical ideas relating to soaps and detergents. Suitable for 11–16 year olds, the resources draw on a variety of scientific, historical and everyday contexts, with activities ranging from making and testing soap to product analysis. Stimulate and engage your students to learn about:

• The chemical composition of cleaning products
• How soaps and detergents work
• Saponification, soap ‘scum’ and soapless detergents
• The history of soap
• Experimental design and planning investigations

Each activity includes instructions for students, as well as editable worksheets and resources available for download.

1. Testing shower gels and soaps

Students conduct a practical experiment using samples of 5–6 shower gels and soaps, determining their pH values and testing their effects on cooking oil. After recording their observations, students answer a series of short questions to help them interpret their results and explore what further tests could be done to identify the ‘best’ cleaning product.

The extension activity gives students the opportunity to build on their work in ‘Testing shower gels and soaps’ by planning their own investigation to compare the properties of soap and detergent products. (It may be helpful to use the demonstrations in ‘How do soaps and detergents work?’ (below) as guidance.)

An additional handout, ‘Did you know about shower gels and soaps?’, provides further information about the ingredients and composition of these products.

Download the resources

‘testing shower gels and soaps’ worksheet.

PDF | Editable Word document

‘Extension activity: testing soaps and detergents’ worksheet

‘did you know about shower gels and soaps’ handout, 2. look at the label.

Students choose three shower gels or soap bars to research and analyse. Using information from the ‘Cosmetic ingredients database’ handout, students look up key ingredients in each product and identify what they do (eg surfactants, emulsifiers and so on). For each product, they also record its price and any claims made about it by the brand or manufacturer. When they have completed their research, students answer a series of questions to help them compare the different products and reflect on how they are used.

The ‘Cosmetic ingredients database’ handout is only available for download using the links in the box below. It will not be included with the ‘Download all’ option at the bottom of this page.

‘Look at the label!’ worksheet

‘cosmetic ingredients database’ handout, ‘product analysis’ sheet, 3. making soap.

Students conduct a practical experiment to make their own soap using cooking fat, water and sodium hydroxide. They then work through a short series of questions to explore the process involved and draw out key points about the chemical reaction that takes place.

An additional handout, ‘Did you know about detergents?’, provides further information about saponification, soap ‘scum’ and soapless detergents. The handout also features questions to check and reinforce students’ understanding of what they have read.

‘Making soap’ worksheet

‘did you know about detergents’ handout, 4. the history of soap.

Students read a short text about the history of soap and soapmaking, before answering questions to check and develop their understanding of what they have read. They explore why soap only started to be used for washing people after 1853, and how soaps were advertised in the past.

‘The history of soap’ worksheet

5. using soap and soapless detergents.

In this group activity, students read a range of people’s views about using soaps and detergents. After discussing the different ideas expressed with their group, students work together to put the views in rank order according to how far they agree with each one. They then discuss their ranking and the reasons behind it with the class.

‘Using soap and soapless detergents’ handout

6. forever blowing bubbles.

Students apply their knowledge about soaps and detergents to design an experiment investigating the effect of different types of soap on bubbles, with the objective of answering the following questions:

• Why do the bubbles made by bubble bath disappear when you then use ordinary soap?
• Does this depend on the type of soap, the type of bubble bath, or both?

‘Forever blowing bubbles’ handout

Additional resources.

This key words handout provides further information about important terms relating to the chemistry of soaps and detergents.

Testing shower gels and soaps worksheet

Extension activity: testing soaps and detergents, did you know about shower gels and soaps handout, look at the label worksheet, product analysis sheet, making soap worksheet, did you know about detergents handout, the history of soap worksheet, soap and soapless detergents handout, forever blowing bubbles handout, key words handout, additional information.

This activity was originally part of the Contemporary Chemistry website, compiled and published in 2004 with V. Kind’s Contemporary chemistry for schools and colleges

The chemistry behind fireworks

Crystal chemistry

Hydrogen fuel cells: the future of transport?

Investigating catalysts and what sank the Kursk

Shampoo and the chemistry of hair care

Lipid chemistry and dietary fats

Vitamins and the chemistry behind them

Star chemistry and molecules in outer space

Atoms and nanochemistry

• 11-14 years
• 14-16 years
• Practical experiments
• Investigation
• Applying scientific method
• Acids and bases
• Applications of chemistry

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DIY: Make Your Own Soap

A step-by-step guide to making soap.

Find out more about The Open University's Science courses and qualifications

In theory, you can make soap by treating almost any fat or oil with sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide (for a 'soft' soap). Some recipes use animal fats like tallow (from beef) or lard (from pork). Others use vegetable oils, like coconut or olive oil. Soapmaking (or saponification as the chemical reaction is called), like any chemical experiment, is sensitive to the purity of the reactants, the reaction conditions used and the care with which you carry it out.

In our first attempt at making soap, we tried to produce sodium hydroxide from seawater using electrolysis. This was scuppered when the windmill electricity generator was blown down in high winds.

We then resorted to dissolving wood ashes in water to give a dilute potassium hydroxide solution, which we boiled with olive oil, but this too was unsuccessful.

By purifying our starting materials, and paying closer attention to every step in the process, our third attempt (again with potassium hydroxide) eventually produced a liquid soap.

In this activity, we'll use a mixture of coconut and olive oil, with sodium hydroxide (sometimes called caustic soda), to make a solid soap. Homemade soap is particularly good for your skin because the glycerine formed as a byproduct of saponification remains in the soap, to soften your skin.

The experiment takes about three hours, but your soap product will need to be 'matured' over a four- to six-week period before you can use it.

Make your own

What you'll need:.

For 250g of soap, you’ll need the following:

• 32g solid sodium hydroxide*
• 125g vegetable fat
• 55g pure olive oil (50cm3)
• 55g white coconut oil*
• 100cm 3 distilled or rain water (not tap water) **
• 5g essential oil* of your choice, or the juice of a lemon (optional)
• spectacles or goggles
• rubber gloves
• cotton housecoat or apron (not nylon)
• kitchen scales
• plastic or glass measuring jug
• 2 one-litre heat-resistant glass bowls
• 2 plastic tablespoons (one for the oils and one for the sodium hydroxide solution)
• thermometer (0 to 100°C)
• suitably sized plastic moulds

* available from most pharmacies or health food shops ** 1cm 3 is the same as 1ml

Precautions:

• You MUST wear protective rubber gloves and eye protection (prescription spectacles should do) throughout, as well as a cotton housecoat or apron to protect your clothes from splashes.
• You MUST read and understand all the warnings printed on the caustic soda container before you start this experiment. The solutions you’ll be handling are caustic, and will burn your skin on contact. They will also damage most kitchen surfaces.
• If you get any: – on your skin, rinse it off with copious amounts of running water, until your skin no longer feels soapy – in your eyes, wash them immediately with cold running water, and go to a hospital – in your mouth, wash it out with water until the unpleasant taste has disappeared.
• Never use aluminium or zinc utensils; they will react with the sodium hydroxide solution.
• Have a large bowl of clean, cold water handy, for use in the event of an accident.
• Remove all food and drink from your work area, and keep children and animals well away from your workspace and chemicals.
• Always work in a well-ventilated area (if possible, outside), and avoid working on your own.

FIRST PUT ON YOUR PROTECTIVE GLOVES, APRON AND SPECTACLES

• Next weigh out the vegetable fat, olive oil and coconut oil into one of the mixing bowls. Warm the mixture gently by standing the bowl in hot water, stirring all the time, until it reaches 45° C. Don’t let the temperature of this mixture rise above 50° C.
• When the sodium hydroxide solution and the mixture of fat and oils are both at the required temperature, pour the former slowly into the latter and stir thoroughly for 15 minutes with a spoon.

The time it takes to trace depends on the particular fats and oils you use; the lighter the fats or oils, the longer they’ll take to trace.

All this may just seem like cooking, but there’s some serious chemistry going on here. As saponification proceeds, the oils, fat and caustic soda react together, heat is generated, water evaporates and the soap begins to harden.

• If you want fragrant soap, stir in the essential oil or lemon juice at this stage.
• Pour your traced mixture into the plastic moulds and put them in an airing cupboard.
• Tidy up your work area straightaway and thoroughly wash all of the utensils you’ve used in hot soapy water.
• After a week or so, your soap should be hard enough to remove it from the moulds. Put your rubber gloves on to do this! At this stage, it will still contain some unreacted sodium hydroxide. To make it safe to use, stand it on newspaper in the open air at room temperature for two to three weeks, after which saponification should be complete. The longer you leave it, the better your soap will be.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU USE YOUR SOAP UNTIL YOU’RE SURE THAT IT CONTAINS NO UNREACTED CAUSTIC SODA! EVEN THEN, TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, ONLY USE IT TO WASH YOUR HANDS; NEVER USE IT TO WASH YOUR FACE.

You might like to try to and improve on the above recipe by using different oils and fats, or different reaction times. You could also add food colours to your soap to improve its appearance. This is the way practising synthetic chemists work, experimenting with different starting materials and reaction conditions, until they get the result they want. So experiment away and have fun!

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• Originally published: Sunday, 4 July 2010
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Home → Features → Resources → How To

How to make soap at home — the science and art behind soap making

Soap making is one of those science experiments you can do at home that will almost always work if you know what you're doing.

For thousands of years, soap making has been an important part of human civilization, and for good reason. From the ancient Phoenicians who crafted soap from ash to the modern-day hobbyists who craft their own blends of soap, the art and science of soap making has been a constantly rewarding (and important) endeavor. With only a few simple ingredients and a bit of creativity, anyone can make soap that is not only effective but also luxurious.

Making soap at home is a process, but it’s one that can be worthwhile. It allows you to control the quality of the ingredients you use and customize your desired product. You can experiment with different scents, colors, and textures; you can mix different scents, consistencies, and materials. It gives you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment as you create something with your own two hands.

But there’s more to soap making than just aesthetics — soap making offers a glimpse into the world of chemistry and hygiene in your very home. Join us on a journey to discover the science and art behind soap making — from the raw materials to the chemical reactions, we’ll explore the fascinating world of soap and why you should consider making your own.

For most people, soap is merely a tool to get rid of the bacteria on your skin, but for others, it can be a way of expressing their artistic views. Whatever your reasons are, I bet you wondered at least once how it’s made, or if you can make your own soap.

As it turns out, you don’t have to be a scientist to start making your own soap, even though it requires some minimum knowledge of basic chemistry; don’t worry, we said basic — and we’ll go through it all. In fact, soap making is one of those science experiments you can do at home that will almost always work if you pay attention.

If you are careful and prepared, the process of creating a soap bar can be really fun and allow you to use your imagination. But if you don’t follow the instructions it can also be quite dangerous. This is why you need to fully understand what soap actually means and make sure you have everything you need.

History of soap making

Firstly I think you might want to know a little bit about the history of the soap making. This hygiene product is so common nowadays that we don’t even imagine life without it. But who invented it?

The first evidence of soap usage dates from 2800 BC, in Babylon, where they used a combination of alkali salts and cassia oil (or Chinese cinnamon tree) for cleaning usage. The ancient Egyptians were also using a mixture of animal or vegetable oils and alkali salts, to bathe themselves.

In some other parts of the world, like the Middle East, they were mixing ash and vegetable oils in order to clean their clothes while in Europe the soap-making industry flourished in the Medieval times when Spanish and French soap makers were the leaders back then in this “industry”.

What is soap, actually?

Technically, soap is a mixture of alkali salts (or lye) and vegetable or animal oils. This is essentially what soap is. Of course, you can add different compounds and tweak it based on your preference, but the gist of soap is that simple mixture.

The chemical reaction between lye (sodium hydroxide) and oils is called saponification . From this reaction the glycerol or glycerin results, and, of course, the solid soap is the final product. Basically, you just need two ingredients lye (sodium hydroxide and water) and oils.

But isn’t glycerin an explosive?

If you’ve watched Fight Club and paid attention to the details, you may have pieced together the fact that glycerin is indeed used for producing the nitroglycerine which is used in general for dynamite and other explosives — but rest assured, the glycerin in soaps is as safe as it can be. Plus, it also has the role of a softening agent.

What about the sodium hydroxide, isn’t that toxic to your skin?

Oh well, the answer is: YES it is, but after the reaction between the lye and the oils is finished you won’t even have a drop of sodium hydroxide in your soap bar, otherwise the reaction won’t fully take place and it wouldn’t transform into soap.

The sodium hydroxide itself is very dangerous for the skin (it can actually cause serious burns and injuries if it is not properly used) and it’s usually used for cleaning pipes, some pottery, and sometimes even in the food industry, but this is another story.

Soap making processes

OK, so, let’s do this. There are three ways you can make your own soap:

1. The Cold proccess

2. Hot process

3. Melt and pour

Hot process is the most used one for ages because it is a very simple way of making soap and you don’t really have to worry about the amount of ingredients. It is named “hot process” because you use heat in order to finish the reaction between the ingredients. The soap can be used the day after it was made, but it is recommended to let it settle down for about one week before using it, for safety reasons.

Cold process is also preferred by many home-made soap makers because it’s actually faster and the smells and scents of your soap won’t be affected as much as they would when you use high temperatures. As you’ve already guessed maybe, it’s called “cold process” because you don’t need heat to finish the reaction. With the cold process you have to be really careful with the amount of ingredients and temperatures you use (told you, chemistry), and the soap that results should be used only after a month or two depending on the ingredients you’ve used.

Melt and pour is also a process preferred by many because of its simplicity. For this process, you have to buy a soap base, or make it your own, which usually has no scents or color. What you have to do is melt the soap bar, add some colorants and scents, and voilà, you have a soap half-made by you actually.

The equipment you need to start making soap

Before making your own homemade soap, be sure you have everything you need in order to start the process. Depending on the process you might need different types of equipment. The most important equipment is the safety gear. You need protection goggles , face/mouth mask , latex/rubber gloves , an overall to protect your clothes, and some boots . Yes, you will look like someone that went to Chornobyl, but this way you will keep yourself away from some unwanted burns and other accidents.

The next step is to prepare the equipment needed for soap making. The most useful thing is the stick blender . It is usually not recommended to use the same one you use for the food, but don’t worry, you don’t need a very powerful one, a cheap one can do the job you need.

You will also need an accurate weighing scale (a small kitchen one would be great) and a thermometer . These items you will need most for the cold process because you have to be really careful with your quantities and the thermometer will help you know when to mix the two solutions (lye and oils).

• Stainless steel containers . It can be like a pot or a big bowl, but be sure they are stainless steel otherwise you will create unwanted reactions.
• A rubber/silicone spatula , which will be used to pour the soap into your molds and a s tainless steel/ wood spatula to help you mix the ingredients at first.
• Silicone/wood molds . You can use the silicone molds that are usually used for cupcakes or just cakes in general (it is wiser not to use them for both soap and cookies).
• A crock-pot will only be used for the hot process, because of course you need the heat to create the reaction between the ingredients in order to make the soap but you don’t want to burn your soap with a normal pot. For the cold process, a crock-pot is also useful but you can also improvise one because you will need it only for a very short amount of time. You need two stainless steel containers of different dimensions. You fill the big one with water and put the smaller one above, so all the vapors from the water will heat your oils (you don’t want to fry your oils, you just want to heat them a little bit until they melt).

Ingredients required for making soap

The most important ingredient is of course the safety ingredient that you will have to keep close to yourself in case of anything happens:  a bottle of vinegar . The quality doesn’t matter, you just need something that is acidic to neutralise the lye if it gets on your skin. DON’T USE WATER if the lye ends up on your skin, because you will only exacerbate the reaction and you’ll get serious skin damage and burns.

Let’s get to the fun part. Because there is no soap without lye, the first ingredient needed in order to make your soap for the cold and hot processes is the mixture of pre-measured quantities of water and Sodium Hydroxide . The water can also be tea, distilled water, or even ice.

Because without them we won’t have a soap bar, we need the fats . You can actually use every type of fat you want (not those used for cars or engines, heh); from the most common vegetable oils like olive oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil to vegetable natural butter like cocoa butter, shea butter, etc. For the cold process, it is very important to use very good quality oils otherwise you won’t get that pleasant fresh soap smell.

You need  essential oils . The variety is so large here, from lavender and orange essential oil to eucalyptus and tea tree, you can choose whatever you want your soap to smell like – go crazy!

As an extra, you can use some natural scrubbing agents like coffee grounds, or bran , and you can add  coloring agents . It is usually safer to use alimentary ones in small quantities or mineral coloring powders used usually for make-up. And of course, you can put some small dried plants for a scrubbing effect or just because it looks nice.

The greatest thing about experimenting to make your very own all-natural and organic soap is that you can use any kind of oil and fats according to your own skin preferences and needs. For instance, if you intend to reduce the size of inflamed pimples or eye bags, go with castor oil, as you can benefit from its anti-inflammatory properties.

Another creamy and fatty ingredient that you can use is goat milk. It is high in Vitamin A which is great for repairing skin tissues. In case you decide to go with goat milk, make sure to freeze it, getting it very cold isn’t good enough, it needs to be frozen.

Goat milk has a lot of cream in it and equates to a creamier soap that offers better moisturizing qualities. It is due to its amazing healing qualities that goat milk skincare products have become increasingly popular especially among people who suffer from overly dehydrated skin issues like eczema.    

The cold process of making soap

Because it is the most complex and it is the basis of all processes, we will discuss the cold process in most detail.

For the cold process, you have to be aware of the fact that you should weigh all of your ingredients and be careful with the temperatures (see tips).

• Step 1 . Be sure that you will start making your soap in a well-ventilated room, and that the table you’re going to work on is free of anything that you don’t need for your process and clean. Put away anything that you don’t need or might annoy you in the process.
• Step 2 . Prepare your safety equipment and wear it!
• Step 3 . Prepare all of your other equipment (the stick blender, containers etc.) and make sure that they are all clean and ready to use.
• Step 4 . If it is your first time, or you just don’t know how to measure the ingredients, use soap calc , which will generate your own recipe and you will know what amount of each ingredient to use in order to come up with a successful result.
• Step 5 . After you have the recipe down start weighing all of your ingredients and remove from your table everything you don’t need anymore.
• Step 6.1 . It’s time to start the real science experiment. You will have to mix the amounts of pre-measured water and sodium hydroxide. BE CAREFUL !! Always pour your sodium hydroxide into water, never the water on the hydroxide otherwise you risk serious damages and burns to your skin because of the reaction between the ingredients the temperature will get kind of high. Also be careful with the vapours that result from the reaction. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until the hydroxide dissolves very well in the water. (You have to be really patient, it will take a while).
• Step 6.2 . While you’re waiting for the lye to cool down a little bit, mix all of your oils (except the essential ones) and/or butter. Place them in a crock-pot whatever you are using instead. Afterwards, wait for all the butter to melt and keep stirring until everything is mixed together. When everything is blended perfectly, remove them from the heat source.
• Step 7 . Use the thermometer to measure temperatures. The reaction will take place only if both solutions (the lye and the oils) have the same temperature. So you either heat one or cool the other with a container full of ice.
• Step 8 . When both ingredients have the same temperature start mixing. Poor the lye solution into the oils and start stirring with the spatula for a couple of minutes.

• Step 10 . Add your scents, essential oils and other extras you have at this point. Continue stirring gently until everything becomes homogeneous again.
• Step 11 . Prepare your molds (they should be clean and disinfected).
• Step 12 . Pour into molds your soap-to-be using the silicone spatula.
• Step 13 . Cover every mold with plastic foil and put your soap-to-be in a dry, dark, airy place covered with blankets or towels to keep a high temperature.
• Step 14 . Leave them for 24-48 hours after which you will remove the molds and let them in the same dry, dark and airy place, but without the blankets and towels this time, for about a month or two. This depends very much on the degree of solidification and on the oils you’ve used.
• Step 15 . Clean everything using vinegar first! Only afterward you can use detergents or other cleaning products.
• Step 16 . Reward yourself with a nice cup of tea, and relax. The soap is done!

In terms of quantities, everything is based on the fats you want to use – you calculate everything from that. We’re not going to go into any specific recipes, but just as an example, for an oil base of 800 grams (28 oz), you will use around 250 grams of water (8.5 oz) and just over 100 grams of lye (4 oz). In terms of essential oils, about 50 grams (1.6 oz) will definitely do.

Hot process

For the hot process, you should follow the steps from the cold process, but you don’t have to measure the temperatures. This time you will just put them in the crock pot and let the heat do its magic. You will also need to use your stick blender for a little bit, just at the beginning and the first stage, the trace will appear much quicker.

From this point on, the ingredients will separate sometimes, which is also normal, but you are looking now for a gel stage phase. From time to time use your spatula to mix the entire quantity of soap.

So how do you know when your soap is ready? For a trained eye, it’s ready when everything becomes a very thick gel-paste actually, but it is easier to use some pH test strips just to be sure. The soaps are alkaline which means that the pH can vary between 8 and 11; if it’s higher you should let it cook for a little bit more – otherwise, it will be too harsh on your skin. This happens when ingredients didn’t have enough time to fully react. It is actually easier with the strips because they will show you the exact stage of your soap and if the reaction between the lye and the oils is complete.

For this process, the essential oils will be used after you remove the pot from the heat.

Tips on soap-making

Try out a soap journal . Always put down your recipes, ingredients, observations and anything that might be important. This way you will improve your recipes and the quality of your soaps while also keeping track of your previous experiments.

At first, is easier to use a soap calculator to know the amount of each ingredient to be used in your soap. The calculator also has some pre-determined coefficients, like the one for the water as % of the lye, which is easier at first to use as it is, for safety reasons. Normally for the lye, the formula is 1 part lye and 2 parts of water, but because this usually depends on the quality, type, and amount of oils you use you should only try this on your own after you are a little bit more experienced.

If you use your soap calculator, you will also see that the super-fat coefficient which actually means that your recipe will have some extra oils that will not become soap. They are very useful because they will make your soap softer and more nutritious. In the beginning, it’s better to use a coefficient of five (even though you will find out from experience that it can also be lower) because it’s of course better to have a little bit of extra oil than a little bit of extra lye that didn’t quite finish the reaction.

Remember to mark your date of processing , this one is for the cold process because you will need to know when you will be able to use it.

You can make your own cheap plant extracts instead of essential oils by putting some lavender (or some other dried plant) in a jar, filling it with olive oil/sunflower oil, and letting it in a dark place for about two weeks. It doesn’t smell as powerful as an essential oil but it surely gets all the other properties of the plants that might be really useful for different types of skins.

When buying sodium hydroxide try to buy one that’s as pure as possible – otherwise, the other elements in its composition will get involved in the reaction and we don’t want that, because you will end up with a low-quality soap bar.

Of course, you can use lard or other animal fats – many cultures have been doing this for centuries – but you have to realize that it will pass the smell onto your soap. Also, in my view, using animal products when you have such a large variety of eco-friendly oils you can use is quite cruel. It may be cheaper, but it is it really worth it? Think about it.

How you can make more eco-friendly soap

Soap making is a constantly evolving process, and after you’ve got the basics down, you can think about ways of “greening” your product. The goal is to end up with something that’s not only healthier and cheaper, but also eco-friendly.

If you ever wondered what can you do with the large amounts of oil that resulted from cooking, now you have a solution. Collect it in containers and use the hot process to make your own soap with few ingredients. It’s perfectly safe for skin use, although the smell isn’t going to be as nice. However, you can use this soap to wash your clothes, carpets, or anything that needs cleaning. It’s dirt cheap, and while the quality isn’t going to be excellent, it’s quite decent.

Homemade soap is healthier than the soaps you buy from the supermarket because of the quality of the ingredients you use and the lack of preserving agents and low-quality ingredients that are used in the industry – you control what goes inside, so you know it’s good. You can also customize your soap to tweak its properties according on your needs, skin type, and so on.

WARNING! The soap-making process can be a very fun science experiment to try at home, but be really careful with children, if they are involved, and also be sure that you have all the safety equipment for them. Also for kids maybe is better to use the melt-and-pour method which is much more safer.

From the precise measurements of ingredients to the careful manipulation of chemical reactions, making soap truly combines the art and science of creation. The best part of it is that this science can be very useful and enjoyable — it makes for great gifts, personalized soap bars for your family, or maybe even a side gig if you put your mind to it. Or it could simply be an experiment you try one time to see how it works. Either way, if you’ve made soap before, or if you’re considering it, share with us your experience and thoughts — we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to share your experience and discuss in the comment section.

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Homemade Soap with Kids

• Experiment , Holidays , Painting , Pre-School , Science Experiments

25 Comments

Soap Making with kids…

In preparation for Mother’s Day, we decided to make soap for the grandmas.

I wanted to use an organic soap base, but couldn’t find any on short notice. We chose two soap bases that they sell at Michael’s and Amazon.

This list contains affiliate links

Shea Butter suspension soap base   (Amazon) or Shea Butter Soap (Michaels)

Essential Oil

Embossing Soap Molds

Embossing Soap Stamps

Rubbing Alcohol (for spraying the molds)

We broke the soap up into pieces and microwaved it for about a 1.5 minutes. Clear directions are on the box. This could also be heated in a double broiler.

Once melted, we added a few drops of Lavender oil and oatmeal, and mixed it up.

To keep bubbles out of the soap, N prepared the molds by spraying them with rubbing alcohol. She loved this step. Adult supervision with rubbing alcohol is obviously recommended!

We poured a little bit of soap into each mold and then placed embossing soap stamps on top of the soap. This keeps the stamps from sliding around.

I then poured the soap mixture on top.

Note: In subsequent batches I didn’t bother “gluing” the stamps down, which improved the appearance of the soap.

Waiting for the homemade soap to cool is the hardest part!

However, to keep our spirits high, this was a good time for lunch. What did we eat?

Oatmeal, of course!

Aren’t they pretty?! The two cupcake-looking soaps you can see way back there came out of Silicone Cupcake Molds.

What to Avoid!

In case you’re like me and think, “hmmm, why bother buying that soap base when I can just get some soap and melt it down and make a new bar of soap?”

Here’s what happens…

I thought that I could take a bar of vegetable glycerin soap from Whole Foods and give it the same treatment. This is what happened when I put it in the microwave. Eeek!

I should have known better since I’m familiar with the Microwave-Ivory-Soap-Experiement , which is something to try on another day. It puffed the soap up into a stiff cloud…pretty to look at but completely useless for soap-making.

Then it was time to wrap them up.

We made our own wrapping paper. Check out Handmade Wrapping Paper with Kids for a quick tutorial on how to set this child-friendly activity up.

Good real-world practice with tape cutting, folding, and wrapping.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful, nurturing, intelligent, kind, selfless, and inspiring moms!! Moms are amazing!

Oh, that ivory soap experiment is fun, isn’t it? We had one of my sons’ birthday parties at a local science center last year and that’s one of the things they did. You’re so good to make special grandmother gifts. I swear, mothers of young children do the most work of anyone for Mother’s Day, and it’s a totally unfair system.

Ha! Yes, I can imagine it will get easier once the kids can make their own projects happen from start to finish. Happy Mother’s Day!

What a fabulous idea and Love the wrapping paper too! Looks like you had a blast! Never made soap before! That will be on our list!

It was fun, and totally held N’s attention because she gets so invested in figuring out how things work.

I think I’ll be adding it to our list as well!

If only there were time to do it all…

these are just so lovely and yummy!!! THANK YOU for giving them to us yesterday – what a treat! the rainbow wrapping is so so so pretty that i hardly want to peek inside, but now seeing how beautiful those bars look in the picture, i want to! beautifully made. i am loving your photography on this entry, rachelle (as with every entry you post!)

thanks jen! and we loved spending time with you girls, of course.

Awesome project! I feel like I missed something in regards to the rubber-stamp impression. How did you do that in the bottom of a plastic mold?

I just updated the post with a photo of this step. Thanks for asking!! And happy mother’s day.

Thanks, and the same to you 🙂

WOW! I love it and you make this look waaay too easy! haha!!!

I’ve given you an award today! Head on over to my blog to pick it up!

That’s amazing! I love the ingredients that you added. I have no idea where I would source those soap bases you speak of but I will do some googling! i love that you wrapped them in homemade paper too. Please tell me that (1). you are giving them wrapped in the lop-sided wrapping she did and (2). that you kept some for yourself?? Hope so!

beautiful. I love how she made her own wrapping paper and wrapped them. What a great job!

Who wouldn’t be happy with a present like this one! The wrapping paper is beautiful – our kids at preschool love painting in this way using droppers. We tried to make soap once, but it didn’t quite go as planned:

http://progressiveearlychildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2009/12/soap-balls.html

I think you’ve inspired me to give it another go!

I have featured this as one of my top 3 picks today! I LOVE it 🙂

Thanks Anna!!! So exciting 🙂

What a fun and adorable project! Rachelle you never cease to amaze!! Looking forward to trying this out 🙂 I hope you have a lovely mothers day and thank you for inspiring me (and I’m sure a lot of other mums around the world) to spend more time nurturing our kids creativity.

You look like you’re having so much fun 🙂 And a wonderful finished product I must say with the wrapping!

Bllack mold may also be considered the most toxic off shapes.

It not ust kills the mold and mildew bbut additionally prevent them returning. Keep unique guard when dealing with algae; it is acutely slippery when wet.

How long did you wait for the soap to set?

I will try this at home.

Really very good blog you should definitely check the ethix products soaps best and quality here!

[…] Tutorial: tinkerlab […]

It is a beautiful article stating about the soap making experiments.In order to get better information and guidance can be taken from this blog specifically. It plays a vital role in taking us through. It can be really great for people like me who are looking for grabbing more knowledge about.

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Making Soap With Chemistry!!

Introduction: Making Soap With Chemistry!!

In this Indestructible Instructable I will teach you to make soap!!!

Step 1: Setting the Stage

The first thing you will need to do is gather your materials and set up your lab area. The materials you will need are:

In this experiment you are using hazards chemicals do not let the solution come in contact with you skin or eyes. Until saponification has happened.

• Thermometer
• 6M Solution of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)
• 1000 ml beaker
• Scale (grams)
• Ingredient (Look up soapcalc.com and go through list of ingredients and pick one.)
• Gloves (plastic)

Step 2: Calculations

Before starting you experiment you will need to calculate the amount of each ingredient you will need to add to your solution. Go to the website I mentioned early, soapcalc.com. On this site you can enter what different ingredients you used and how much of each you would like to use. Then it will tell you how much NaOH(Sodium Hydroxide) you will need to add.

Step 3: Working Your Experiment

After prepping the station, you will want to start a double boil. Start up your hot plate and place your beaker on the hot plate. You will then want to add your ingredient you want you soap to mainly consist of. My group and I used olive oil. Once you have started your hot plate pay close attention to the temp that it reaches a temperature of 49 degrees Celsius but does not exceed 54 degrees. It is important that as you start your hot plate that you keep a close eye on the temperature because if you go over the mark for the experiment, it will screw up the entire experiment. After your ingredient has had time to liquefy, add your shorting. As the solution heats up the saponifiction process is japanning. You will want to stir as this happens until the solution has become thick.

Step 4: End of the Process

After the solution has thickened, cover the top of the beaker and keep on a low heat. Keep track of time and check the solution every 5 minutes to check if the solution is ready to be pulled of the hot plate. After 25-40 minutes it should be thick enough that the entire surface is somewhat bubbly and the around the edge it has collapsed. If this has not happen yet continue waiting until this has happen. When this does happen turn off the heat and pull the beaker off, please use hot pads to grab the beaker, so you do not burn your hands . If you plan to add scents this is the time to add them, Things you could use for this are lavender or cinnamon. Then next you will want to put your solution into molds and with haste. Once in the molds, make sure the molds are cover to keep from your soap spilling. After about 24 hours our soap should be harden and ready to use but if you wait a few more days it will be more in tact and less easy to break or fall apart.

Step 5: Cleaning Up

Cleaning up is a very important step. It is very important that you clean your area, wipe down the area you used for this experiment to bring the risk or you or another person coming in contact with the chemicals you used. You will want to thoroughly clean out the beaker or container you used for this experiment for the same reasons for cleaning your station.

Step 6: Discussion

When picking what ingredient you would want to use for your base, it is important to review what oils or fats(fatty acids) will produce the best outcome. For instance if you used Linoleic Acid you have properties such as conditioning and/or have a silky feel to it. It is also possible to put additional ingredients to your mix. In the stage where I discussed the Calculations you will need to make for this experiment. There you can add more ingredients and how much of that ingredient you want to take up the soap. The saponification value how many milligrams of potassium hydroxide are needed to saponify a gram of fat. It mostly depends on the kind of fatty aid within a certain fat. It is also very important that you do not use to much sodium hydroxide, because it become to basic and become harmful to you. Soap can not be made without lye. Though diffident types of lye make different properties for your soap. If you used commercial lye you will produce a hard soap where as if you use lye made from a wood ash it would produce a softer soap. In this process the triglyceride is treated with a strong base which releases the fatty acid and glycerol. In the world there are molecules called microbes, these are everywhere in the world from your phone to the toilet handle. Some are harmful and some are harmless but both stick to the oils in your hands. The chemicals in the soap combined with the rubbing of the soap back and forth remove the microbes. Saponification is the process of making soap from fats and lye. The chemical reaction between any fat and sodium hydroxide is a saponification reaction. A process where triglycerides react with sodium hydroxide to make glycerol and a fatty acid(soap). When using a sodium hydroxide, it creates a hard soap. A pH level is the measurement of a solution to see if a solution is more acidity or basic. The more basic something is the more dangerous for you it is, where acidity is the other way around.

Step 7: Reflection

I found that the soap my group and I produced is really great. It hold together very strongly and works like a charm. The only difference I can see between the soap we made and the soap made commercially is shape and scent, so in the long run I believe our soap is pretty great. Using different amounts of our ingredients changed our soaps strength. What I mean by strength is how well our soap held together where I saw other groups that used more ingredients then the shorting had less strong soaps.

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• Why We’re Unique

A study of saponification reactions

Introduction: (initial observation).

Soap has played an important part in human history and has long been part of civilization. Even though it has been around for thousands of years it has only been within the past 200 years that it has been widely used to clean the human body. Saponification is the process of making soap by reacting a strong base and a fat.

Soaps also include products that are not generally known as soaps. Shaving creams, greases and many industrial lubricants for example are made using the same process of saponification.

Based on the reports of US census bureau in 1997, about 60000 workers have been employed by about 2000 soaps and detergents manufacturing companies in United States.

This project is in two parts:

In part 1 you make soaps using simple traditional methods in order to make yourself familiar with soap making techniques and related chemical processes.

In part 2 you will study the effects of one specific factor in the soap quality. Following is a list of some sample questions that you may choose from.

• Can soap be made from stearic acid (or other fatty acids) instead of animal fat? (Exp. 1)
• How does the choice of fat affect the properties of the soap? (Exp. 2)
• pH of the soap affect the foaming ability of the soap?
• How does the type of fat affect the cleaning ability of the soap?
• How does the type of base affect the hardness/ softness of the soap?

This project guide contains information that you need in order to start your project. If you have any questions or need more support about this project, click on the “ Ask Question ” button on the top of this page to send me a message.

If you are new in doing science project, click on “ How to Start ” in the main page. There you will find helpful links that describe different types of science projects, scientific method, variables, hypothesis, graph, abstract and all other general basics that you need to know.  

Project advisor

Information Gathering:

Find out about soaps and their applications. Read books, magazines or ask professionals who might know in order to learn about the process of making soap.

Learn about sodium soaps, potassium soaps and soaps of other metals such as zinc and calcium.

Also learn about soaps that are made with different fats.

Keep track of where you got your information from.

Following are samples of information that you may find.

Fatty Acids

Some organic acids such as pulmitic, stearic and oleic acid are known as fatty acids. Fatty acids have a general formula of CnH2n+1COOH.

Some saturated fatty acids are:

Butyric : CH3(CH2)2COOH

Lauric (dodecanoic acid): CH3(CH2)10COOH

Myristic (tetradecanoic acid): CH3(CH2)12COOH

Palmitic (hexadecanoic acid): CH3(CH2)14COOH

Stearic (octadecanoic acid): CH3(CH2)16COOH

Arachidic (eicosanoic acid): CH3(CH2)18COOH

Fatty acids can be extracted from animal fats and vegetable fats. The process of extraction is known as hydrolysis, in which the molecules of fat will break down to the molecules of acids and molecules of alcohols. So fats are really a compounds of acids and alcohols. In organic chemistry compounds made by reaction of acid and alcohol are known as esters.

R-COOH + R’-OH ==> R-CO-R’

Acid + Alcohol ==> Ester

R and R’ have a general formula of CH3-(CH2)n –

Esters are usually encountered as sweet smelling organic compounds commonly produced by many plants and fruits. However, the most common esters found in nature are fats and   vegetable oils , which are esters of glycerol and fatty acids .

Most fats are composed primarily of   triglycerides .

Triglycerides (or triacylglycerols ) are glycerides in which the glycerol is esterified with three fatty acids .. They are the main constituent of vegetable oil and   animal fats .

Animal fat is the triglyceride of stearic acid, CH 3 (CH 2 ) 16 COOH, i.e., the tristearate ester of glycerol; glycerol tristearate.

Please note: All soaps are esters; but, not all esters are soaps. Some esters are solvents, fragrances, flavors and monomers. Now you know why esters are so important. You may also know why some plastics are called polyester.

Making soap:

In the process of making soap triglycerides (fat) are reacted with sodium or potassium hydroxide to produce glycerol and a fatty acid salt, called ‘soap’.

Fat or lipids that contain fatty acid ester linkages can undergo hydrolysis. This reaction is catalyzed by a strong acid or base. Saponification is the alkaline hydrolysis of the fatty acid esters..

Question/Purpose:

What do you want to find out? Write a statement that describes what you want to do. Use your observations and questions to write the statement.

The purpose of this project is to experiment soap making and learn about the factors affecting the quality of the soap.

Identify Variables:

When you think you know what variables may be involved, think about ways to change one at a time. If you change more than one at a time, you will not know what variable is causing your observation. Sometimes variables are linked and work together to cause something. At first, try to choose variables that you think act independently of each other.

Independent variable (also known as manipulated variable) is the type of fat used in soap making.

Dependent variable (also known as responding variable) is the properties of the resulting soap.

Hypothesis:

Based on your gathered information, make an educated guess about what types of things affect the system you are working with. Identifying variables is necessary before you can make a hypothesis.

This is a sample hypothesis:

Stearic acid can be used to make soap with better or identical properties. My hypothesis is based on my study of the chemical reaction that makes soap.

If you want to test other fatty acids too, you may adapt a hypothesis like this:

Fatty acids such as stearic acid, lauric acid, pulmitic acid, oleic acid

Note that the results of your experiments may or may not support your hypothesis

Experiment Design:

Design an experiment to test each hypothesis. Make a step-by-step list of what you will do to answer each question. This list is called an experimental procedure. For an experiment to give answers you can trust, it must have a “control.” A control is an additional experimental trial or run. It is a separate experiment, done exactly like the others. The only difference is that no experimental variables are changed. A control is a neutral “reference point” for comparison that allows you to see what changing a variable does by comparing it to not changing anything. Dependable controls are sometimes very hard to develop. They can be the hardest part of a project. Without a control you cannot be sure that changing the variable causes your observations. A series of experiments that includes a control is called a “controlled experiment.”

Experiment 1: Making soap using stearic acid

Is this a good experiment for you?

Do this experiment only if you can find and purchase stearic acid. If you want to do additional experiments, you will also need to find and purchase other fatty acids such as palmitic acid and oleic acid.

Introduction :

In a normal process of soap making we add melted fat on sodium hydroxide solution. This reaction results a mixture of soap and glycerin. Then we have to add salt in order to separate soap from the mixture. The reason that we add salt is that soap does not dissolve in salt water, so adding salt will force the soap to separate from the solution. After we separate the soap, we have a leftover mixture of salt and glycerin. Utilizing or disposing this solution is an unpleasant burden on traditional soap makers. I am wondering if we can avoid such a byproduct by using fatty acid instead of fat.

Soap made of animal fat and caustic soda is Sodium stearate with the formula of CH3(CH2)16COONa. I am wondering if we can simply use sodium hydroxide and pure stearic acid (instead of fat) to make this soap. In this way we will not get glycerin as a byproduct and we don’t have to add salt to separate the soap.

Stearic Acid: CH3(CH2)16COOH (Molecular weight=284, Melting point=71ºC)

Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide): NaOH (Molecular weight=40)

Steel Pots or glass beakers (Not aluminum)

Stirring rod or spoon

Safety note:

Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) is strongly corrosive; wear goggles, rubber gloves and protective clothing while handling caustic soda.

Procedure :

• In a 2 liter glass beaker or a steel pot dissolve 40 grams of Sodium Hydroxide in 500 ml of water. Warm up the solution if necessary to about 70ºC.
• In a separate container melt 284 grams of stearic acid. Stop the heat as soon as the entire acid is melted. (Note that fatty acids are not corrosive).
• Gradually add the entire melted stearic acid on the caustic soda solution while continuously stirring the solution.
• Continue to stir the compound for an additional 3 to 5 minutes while keeping it hot to complete the reaction.
• Transfer the newly made compound to a tray covered by a sheet pf plastic. Let it dry for a few days. Cut it to small squares and test them for their cleaning properties.

Questions :

How consistent is the compound?

Do you still have to add salt in order to solidify and separate soap?

How does it smell like?

Use a wet pH paper to test the pH of the compound that you have made. How does it compare to the pH of the soaps that you have at home.

How wet is your product? Do you have to reduce or increase the amount of water? Why? (Note that very little water does not allow the reaction to complete; so, instead of soap you may get a mixture of caustic soda and stearic acid. Too much water will results a very wet product that takes a long time to dry.)

Additional Experiments:

You may repeat this experiment with 256 grams palmitic acid, or with 270 grams oleic acid. Note that 256 and 270 are the molecular weights of palmitic acid and oleic acid.

Experiment 2: Making soap with different animal and vegetable fats

This is a good experiment for everyone. In this experiment you try to find out how does your choice of fat affect the properties of the soap. Note that for this experiment your independent (manipulated) variable is the type of fat. The dependent (responding) variable is the ability of each soap to dissolve oils.

Fats can be extracted from varieties of plant and animal sources. Fats extracted from plants include corn oil, olive oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, linseed oil and many more. Fats extracted from animals include butter, lard, and beef fat. In some areas you may also purchase oils from sea animals such as wale. In this experiment you will try to find out “How do the properties of the soap vary when made with different types of fat?”

At least 3 different types of plant or animal fats

Stirring rod or wooden spoon

Procedure (Part 1):

• In a separate container melt or warm up about 300 grams of the fat that you are testing. Make sure the fat is liquid and about 70ºC hot.
• Gradually add the entire melted or liquid oil stearic acid on the caustic soda solution while continuously stirring the solution.
• Add saturated salt solution or salt powder while stirring the hot solution until the soap curds float on the top.
• Let the mixture to cool off and then separate the solid soap curds from the top of the salt solution and dispose of the remaining solution. At this time the salt solution also includes glycerol and some unused caustic soda solution.
• Press the extracted soap in cheese cloth to remove extra water and leave the solid soap in a tray to dry.
• Repeat these procedures with at least 3 different fats.
• Compare the color, the odor, the hardness, the washing properties of the soaps that you have made.

Procedure (Part 2): This part is for students who need to have measurable results and a data table.

• Dissolve one gram of each soap in warm/ hot water in a small bottle
• Add 20 ml oil (corn oil is fine) to the bottle
• Swirl the mixture for 2 minutes so the soap water can dissolve the oil
• Let the mixture sit for one hour
• Separate and measure the amount of oil that remains un-dissolved

Your results table may look like this:

Materials and Equipment:

• Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide)
• Stearic Acid

Equipment :

• Beakers or steel pots
• Wooden spoon
• Thermometer

Results of Experiment (Observation):

Experiments are often done in series. A series of experiments can be done by changing one variable a different amount each time. A series of experiments is made up of separate experimental “runs.” During each run you make a measurement of how much the variable affected the system under study. For each run, a different amount of change in the variable is used. This produces a different amount of response in the system. You measure this response, or record data, in a table for this purpose. This is considered “raw data” since it has not been processed or interpreted yet. When raw data gets processed mathematically, for example, it becomes results.

Calculations:

Description

Summary of Results:

Summarize what happened. This can be in the form of a table of processed numerical data, or graphs. It could also be a written statement of what occurred during experiments.

It is from calculations using recorded data that tables and graphs are made. Studying tables and graphs, we can see trends that tell us how different variables cause our observations. Based on these trends, we can draw conclusions about the system under study. These conclusions help us confirm or deny our original hypothesis. Often, mathematical equations can be made from graphs. These equations allow us to predict how a change will affect the system without the need to do additional experiments. Advanced levels of experimental science rely heavily on graphical and mathematical analysis of data. At this level, science becomes even more interesting and powerful.

Conclusion:

Using the trends in your experimental data and your experimental observations, try to answer your original questions. Is your hypothesis correct? Now is the time to pull together what happened, and assess the experiments you did.

Related Questions & Answers:

What you have learned may allow you to answer other questions. Many questions are related. Several new questions may have occurred to you while doing experiments. You may now be able to understand or verify things that you discovered when gathering information for the project. Questions lead to more questions, which lead to additional hypothesis that need to be tested.

Possible Errors:

If you did not observe anything different than what happened with your control, the variable you changed may not affect the system you are investigating. If you did not observe a consistent, reproducible trend in your series of experimental runs there may be experimental errors affecting your results. The first thing to check is how you are making your measurements. Is the measurement method questionable or unreliable? Maybe you are reading a scale incorrectly, or maybe the measuring instrument is working erratically.

If you determine that experimental errors are influencing your results, carefully rethink the design of your experiments. Review each step of the procedure to find sources of potential errors. If possible, have a scientist review the procedure with you. Sometimes the designer of an experiment can miss the obvious.

References:

List of References

http://jennyscott.freewebpage.org/Soap/soappageshistory.htm

Saturated and unsaturated fats

Soap making

Hot process soap.

I’ve been making soap for a few years now, and recently I’ve been experimenting with Hot Process Soapmaking. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s faster than cold process soap in that it (usually!) doesn’t require a cure time.

With Hot Process soap, you are doing two things in the pot – completely finishing the saponification process, *and* boiling off the excess water.

You may choose to use a little less water than your recipe dictates if you are doing Hot Process soap – however it is wise to be sure that you have sufficient to completely dissolve the lye prior to pouring into the oils.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This webpage assumes you are sufficiently experienced with cold process soapmaking and the safety issues associated with that addiction; in particular, do not attempt hot process soapmaking without adequate clothing, ventilation, eye/face/skin protection, readily available supplies of copious amounts of cold running water, and a good 2-3 hours uninterrupted by children, well-meaning spouses, or pets.

For newcomers to soap: Soapmaking is not rocket science. And it’s a lot of -extremely addictive- fun. But it can be very dangerous if you get the highly caustic lye *anywhere* on your skin. It burns. Sensible safety precautions are absolutely essential. Have I frightened you off yet?

I’m not going to go into the finer details of cold process soapmaking at this stage. Anyone who has a nice site with cp instructions, please let me know (apologies, I haven’t got enough time to search you out!) and I’ll include a link here.

Note also that I’m using an all-veggie recipe (It’s what I call the ‘Ozzie Supermarket Shelf’ Recipe, as you can get everything you need at Coles or Action!!) Anyone interested in the recipe, let me know, eh!

If you’re wanting to put together your own recipe, there are a number of sites around that will let you do that; I personally use Therese Lott’s Excel Sap Calculator, which is just *brilliant* and very easy to use. Once again, let me know if you want a link to a lye calculator on your site here.

Please also excuse the state of these pages – I’m primarily out to (finally!) get the pictures up and running – so, I’m after information rather than graphic brilliance right now. But please do let me know if you can’t read the instructions, or if you have any other problems (including problems in *following* the instructions!!!)

Here’s my son Daniel. (Well did you think I could take a picture of myself all dressed up in soapmaking gear?). If you’re not dressed like this, or a reasonable approximation thereof, you’re not ready to make soap. (And no, they don’t make Bananas in Pyjamas plastic coats in adult size. Yet.)

Did you spot the deliberate mistake? Daniel’s not wearing long trousers. Our excuse: it was the middle of an Ozzie summer and over 40degreesC outside – he didn’t want to wear long pants when he wasn’t going to get a go of making soap…. But don’t *you* try this at home folks – bare skin is a no-no where lye is concerned!

Here’s the oils, ready to go. Make sure the liquid oils are in the pot before you start heating – it’s safer and you don’t get burned patches appearing on the bottom of the pan that later transfer themselves to your soap.

This is the way we pour the lye into the water (note: **LYE into WATER** please – otherwise you could get an explosion – this mixture heats up incredibly!!)

Yes, I can see I have a dirty pot here. At the time I took the photograph, I couldn’t. Another safety requirement for soapmaking – GOOD LIGHTING. There could have been *anything* in that pot, eh.

Pouring lye water into the melted oils. This picture shows the pour far slower than I really do it. I slowed the pour so that I could take the picture with the other hand before I ran out of lyewater! With cold process the temperatures of the oils and lyewater might matter, as might the rate of pour. With hot process, you pour lye as soon as the oils are melted, regardless of what temperatures you have for each component.

This is Trace. Gidday Trace. In hot process soapmaking, trace is sometimes present for a fraction of time – maybe 10 seconds or so – and sometimes you don’t get to see it at all, as the mix wooshes through trace to separation.

This is separation. See the curds of soap, resting on the bottom of the pot, covered by the oil, and floating on the very surface is that scummy stuff – well, that’s the bit we want, folks – that’s finished soap. In order to translate the curds and oil into finished soap, you need to heat the pot. GENTLY. And keep stirring ALL the time.

The first time I did this, the heat was too high, and I didn’t know enough to stir all the time. Result: Volcanoes of caustic mix jumping higher than my head, and etching of the base of the pot by the caustic solution. NOT something you want to have happen to you. So stir. ALL the time the pot is on the heat, eh.

Ok the mix is now boiling merrily along. DON’T STOP HEATING. Keep the gentle heat and the stirring going. You need to keep going for approximately 20 minutes from boiling point, to start with.

Those huge boiling bubbles that appeared when the mix first hit boiling point, have gradually reduced in size until the whole top of the pan is filled with frothy ‘champagne’ bubbles. The darker yellow swirls you can see are finished soap, and when the whole batch is finished, that’s what it will look like in the pot. Consistency of old petroleum jelly… but I’m getting ahead of myself. Next photo….

Here’s a close up of the champagne bubbles. Right in the centre of the pot you can see there are still some larger bubbles happening; soon as these settle down to one or two spots only, then you can stop (relief!!) for a while.

Here we go. The pot is full of champagne bubbles, with some finished soap on top and the heat is turned OFF. You can leave the pot for about 10 minutes – but don’t go too far away – you’ll see why later on!

Looks like a cake baking, doesn’t it! The exothermic (giving off heat) reaction of saponification is continuing the process all by itself, even though there’s no heat being applied to the pot. What you can see in the middle is the champagne bubbles reaching the top surface of the mix, and the darker, cooling areas of finished soap separate in the middle and slide down the sides of the pot. The whole thing will keep turning quite nicely like this all by itself for a few minutes.

Here’s a close up of that process. The heat is off, and the pot is turning the soap by itself. This is the stage that it starts to smell good.

The heat’s been off for about 10 minutes now, the champagne bubbles are no longer breaking through the surface as the soap is turning in the pot.

By breaking the surface of the soap, you can see that the champagne bubbles are continuing to work. You’ve got three layers here; the champagne bubbles, and on top of that the darker finished soap, and on top of that the whiter cooled finished soap. That top colour is the colour your finished, cooled and cut soap will be. (Exciting, isn’t it!!)

When the pot looks like this, it’s time to reheat. Just as a matter of interest, I have left a pot for a couple of hours to go completely cold when I had to race out one time – I simply reheated it up through boiling to the champagne bubble stage again and all was fine….. It’s my fond belief (never wrong yet!!) that no soap is ruined unless you’ve burned it in the pot (and that is utterly disgusting and I wouldn’t wish burned soap on my worst enemy!!)

Here’s a close up of the soap ready to reheat. Once again, a gentle heat, and stir all the time the heat is on. Make sure you stir into all the corners and across all the base of the pot, to avoid volcanoes.

Champagne bubbles starting to form, second time around.

It’s a good idea to turn off the heat now, and once again, don’t walk too far away, because……

If you carry on heating the soap, sometimes it doesn’t know when to stop rising after you turn the heat off…….

And it can try climbing out of the pot. If this happens, stir it down, incorporating air as you stir – the air will cool the mix little by little, until you get the soap ‘turning’ as it did previously.

Once again, wait until the champagne bubbles no longer break the surface of the soap before re-heating again. Repeat this ‘heat and stir-champagne bubble-turn off heat’ cycle until, all of a sudden, something else happens.

Suddenly, as you heat and stir, instead of champagne bubbles, the mix will all at once ‘meld together’ as is shown in the picture above. It’s like a gel, almost…..

Here’s a close up. At this stage the soap is nearly done (YAAAAY!!) and you just need to heat a little more to drive off some more of the water, and complete the saponification process.

This is ready to pour – er, glop – into the mold. It hasn’t been coloured or fragranced (more on that below). If you want to superfat, now is the time to do it – a few ml of Jojoba can add a marvellous ‘silkiness’ to the gloppy gel in your pot!

If you heat much beyond this point, you can get a situation where the soap dries out too much and does not want to stick to itself in the mold, but crumbles instead. If this happens to you, try a little extra oil (for example I’ve sometimes added 50ml of Almond oil in a 1.7Kg oil batch if the final product seemed too dry)

This is the way we glop the soap, glop the soap, glop the soap…… it’s almost like a rebatch, but it’s a delightful light colour, with no lumps of unmelted soap in it – the lighter bits are just cooler than the darker bits, and that disappears after the soap is cooled and cut.

And there you go – the cleanest soap pot you’re likely to see in a while! Note that the surface of the soap isn’t very pretty – this can be shaved off when cutting, and made into soapballs etc. I’ve pictured a particularly ‘dry’ batch here to show you how the soap doesn’t want to stick to itself if it gets too cold, which is what happened to the surface whilst I was fiddling with the camera. By the time I smooshed it all down into the mold, it was a bit late for a few lumps of soap.

Now, if you’ve completed saponification, the soap will be ready to use soon as it’s cooled and cut (try the tongue test – but be careful! If your tongue starts tingling 1/2 cm away from the soap – give it a week to cure and try again!) If you haven’t boiled off a sufficient amount of water, the soap will be ‘wet’ to cut, and will shrink somewhat when drying (If it’s wet, don’t pack in shrinkwrap straight away – not a pretty sight four weeks later!!)

The jury’s still out on fragrancing, but at this stage (thanks to some buddies from the Soap List!) I’ve experimented with fragrancing at around 100degreesC – any cooler and the soap wants to fracture rather than hold together, the fragrance doesn’t mix in properly, and the soap needs to be packed into the mold under pressure in order to avoid crumbling.

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Science Project

3 Amazing Soap Science Fair Projects (for Middle & High Schoolers)

No, I’m not talking about soap operas! I’m talking about a much less melodramatic kind of soap: the one living in your bathroom.

Soaps, in general, have a bubbly character, they are fun to use, and most importantly they will keep things clean!

They have all kinds of properties and benefits for you or your household.

These experiments will help you understand soaps in general, their stain-removing effectiveness, and their pH levels.

1. Is Homemade Soap as Good as Store-Bought?

Most store-bought soaps contain a vast number of dangerous chemicals, from detergents to lathering agents as synthetic materials. Even though they are packed in pretty packaging, it’s all part of precise marketing and harmful chemistry.

Store-bought soaps contain chemicals like surfactants, parabens, pesticides, and formaldehyde, that penetrate the skin within a few uses. Many companies do not even list these chemicals as they don’t comply with FDA rules .

Conversely, homemade soaps do not contain dangerous chemicals (not unless you want them to!). They are healthier for the skin, rich with natural moisturizers and antioxidants. Last but not least,, they are cruelty-free and animal friendly.

When comparing both types of soap, it’s easy to say that homemade soaps are better. But let’s put this to the test!

⚠️ For your own safety, you will test soap’s cleaning abilities on different fabrics!

Supplies Needed

• Homemade soap;
• Store-bought soap;
• Red food dye;
• Yellow food dye;
• Blue food dye;
• Ink (or an ink pen);
• Cherry juice;
• Carrot juice;
• Apple juice;
• Sunflower oil;
• 1’ x 1’ Cotton cloth/ old bedsheets;
• 1’ x 1’ Polyester cloth.
• Plastic foil;
• Telephone or camera;
• Water source.

This experiment should be conducted outside or in a bathroom to avoid staining items in your environment.

If you’re conducting this experiment inside, make sure to move away any electronic devices near you.

• Prepare your environment, and remove any personal belongings that won’t be used in the experiment to avoid staining.
• Cut the cotton, and polyester cloths into 16 equal rectangles.
• Wrap your table with plastic foil, and place the materials for the experiment on the table.
• Prepare a place for drying, label one side with homemade, and another one store-bought.

Staining With Ink

• Take 2 cotton, and 2 polyester cloths and pour ink on them.
• Allow them to dry completely.
• In a sink, wash one cotton cloth with homemade soap, and another one with store-bought soap. Do the same with the polyester cloths.
• Make sure you know which cloths are washed with homemade soap and which are washed with store-bought soap. You can label them with a waterproof marker if needed.
• Place the cloths washed with homemade soap under the “Homemade” sign, and the cloths washed with store-bought under the “Store-bought” sign outside, and let them dry completely.

Staining With Food Dye

• Take 6 cloths.
• Dye 2 cotton cloths with red food dye, 2 cotton cloths with yellow food dye, and 2 cotton cloths with blue food dye. Repeat the step with polyester cloths.
• Separate the colored cloths into 2 piles, each pile should contain 1 cotton and 1 polyester cloth stained with red, yellow, and blue food dye.
• Wash one pile with homemade soap, and the other one with store-bought soap.
• Leave the cloths outside under the right sign, and allow them to dry thoroughly.

Staining With Fruit Juice

• Prepare 6 cotton cloths, and 6 polyester cloths.
• Pour cherry/ beetroot juice onto 2 cotton cloths, carrot juice onto 2 cotton cloths, and apple juice onto 2 cotton cloths. Repeat the procedure with polyester cloths.
• Place them outside and let them dry.
• Separate them into 2 piles, each containing cotton and polyester cloths stained with cherry/ beetroot juice, carrot juice, and apple juice.
• Wash one pile with homemade soap and the other one with store-bought soap.
• Place them outside in the right pile, and allow them to dry completely.

Staining With Sunflower Oil

• Prepare 2 cotton and 2 polyester cloths.
• Soak the cloths in oil for 3 minutes.
• Place them outside and allow the oil to dry completely.
• Part the cloths into 2 piles, each pile should contain 1 cotton cloth and 1 polyester cloth.
• Place them outside, near the right sign, and wait for them to dry completely.

Comparing Cloths

• Cotton cloths washed with homemade soap;
• Polyester cloths washed with homemade soap;
• Cotton cloths washed with store-bought soap;
• Polyester cloths are washed with store-bought soap.
• For easier comparison, label each cloth correctly, e.g. cotton cloth stained with carrot juice washed with homemade soap.
• Photograph every cloth, for future presentations.
• Fabric. You can create your own exciting factors for a more creative rating!
• After rating each cloth, compare the end results from homemade and store-bought soaps (you can even compare the different textiles).

Ways to Modify This Experiment

You can substitute the cotton and polyester cloths with different types of fabric, you can use cotton twill fabric (also known as denim), linen, chiffon, or lace, OR simply said, use diverse fabrics made with natural or synthetic fibers. Each of these fabrics has different absorbent capabilities.

If you want to get better results and see the difference between homemade soap and store-bought soap, use more types of fabrics, and more types of soaps!

You can use dishwashing soap, antibacterial soap, plant-based soap, and exfoliating soaps!

You can use different colors of food dye. Instead of buying additional colors, you can use the red, yellow, and blue food dyes to create other colors. Just follow the color wheel and you’ll end up with many different options.

There are different types of ink you can use – printer ink, tattoo ink… Use your imagination! You can even make ink at home by boiling coffee and putting gum Arabic or honey until it thickens and becomes sludge.

As for teas, you can use black tea for a darker color, hibiscus tea for a reddish color, and green tea for a yellowish color.

Instead of using cherry juice, you can use beetroot juice. The same goes for carrot and apple juice. You can experiment with different juices, either homemade or store-bought!

Instead of using sunflower oil, you can use coconut oil, olive oil, or even animal fat. Each of these oils has different densities, which will be quite a challenge for washing out.

And last but not least, you can use different water temperatures to test the soap washing abilities.

Use your creativity to mold the experiment to your liking. If you want, you can use all of these modifications to get more precise results. Ultimately, this experiment can have many outcomes, depending on the factors implied.

Store-bought soaps contain more chemicals, which can act as stronger cleaning detergents, but they are more dangerous for the skin and the environment.

Homemade soaps have safer ingredients. It means they won’t harm you, your pets, or the environment.

2. Testing pH of Soaps

There are many ways you can test the pH levels of soap. Some may sound crazy, such as pressing your tongue on the soap. If the soap contains an excess amount of alkali, it will release electroshock to your tongue.

As a curious individual (maybe even too curious for my own good!), I have tested this on my own. I can assure you that the electroshocks aren’t that strong. But overall, it’s not a fun experience!

This test has been used for centuries, but it only implies that the saponification process is not complete. It doesn’t show the pH levels of soap, so no need to test it out.

The best way you can test the pH levels of soap is with pH reagents like pH strips and pH drops.

• 0.5oz homemade soap shavings;
• 0.5oz store-bought soap shavings;
• Latex gloves;
• 10oz distilled water;
• 2 glass bowls;
• 2 plastic spoons.
• Prepare your surroundings, and remove everything that is not needed in the experiment.
• Clean the glass bowls and plastic spoons with hot water.
• Put on your gloves, and you can begin with the testing!
• In a glass bowl, pour 5oz of distilled water and mix in 0.5oz of homemade soap shavings.
• With a clean plastic spoon, mix the solution until the soap disperses into the water.
• Take 1 pH strip and dip it into the solution. Set it aside and prepare for the second test.
• Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6, but instead of using homemade soap, use store-bought soap.
• Wait for both pH strips to show the result. And you can compare the results!

💡 Want to take it a step further? Repeat the steps with different kinds of soaps, whether they are solid or liquid, shampoos and body washes, or even cleaning detergents.

Due to a large number of chemicals, the store-bought soap should have a pH level ranging from 9 to 12. If the results are higher than 12, that implies that the soap is a strong alkali, and it’s dangerous to use.

Alkaline soaps are very corrosive, so you should avoid using them on skin, hair, and pets. They can irritate your skin and they will cause a chemical burn, in the end, there’s no need of throwing them away because they have alternative uses like as cleaning detergents. To avoid the dangers you should always test store-bought soap.

Unlike store-bought soap, homemade soap is neutral and it should have a pH level ranging from 6 to 10. If the results are higher than 10, that indicates that the saponification process is not over. 

If this happens, you should let the soap rest for a few days, and conduct the experiment one more time. 

If the results are still higher than 10, they indicate that the recipe contains too much lye!

Instead of using pH strips, you can use red cabbage. Red cabbage contains a color-changing pigment called anthocyanin, and it changes its color depending on the pH levels of the solution.

• Shred red cabbage into small pieces.
• Soak it in distilled water for an hour. The ratio should be 2 parts cabbage, and 1 part distilled water.
• With a pipette, take out 0.4oz and pour it onto the soap.
• With a clean hand, rub in the cabbage liquid until the soap forms a foam.
• Wait for a few minutes until the foam changes color.

Based on the color you should be able to determine the pH level of the soap.

If the soap is acidic (below 7) the foam should have a color ranging from red to pink to magenta. If the soap is neutral (pH level of 7) the foam should be light purple. Finally, if the soap is alkaline, it should have a color ranging from dark purple to blue to green to yellow.

Another modification you can incorporate with the experiment is to do pH testings every 2 hours while making the soap, to observe the whole saponification process. The saponification process lasts from 24 hours to multiple weeks depending on the ingredients used for making the soap.

Each test strip should have a different color, starting from dark blue, and ending up with green.

Furthermore, you can test the pH levels of plant-based soap , or plants rich in saponins.

• Start by preparing a 1:1 mixture of distilled water and plant leaves.
• In a pot, pour the mixture, turn the stove on medium heat, and bring the mixture to a roiling boil.
• Allow the mixture to boil until it becomes syrupy liquid.
• Let it cool down for a bit, and dip a pH testing strip into the mixture.

The pH levels of plants rich in saponins are quite the opposite of regular soap. Their pH level ranges from 4 to 7, and they are considered acidic. Therefore these plants have stronger antibacterial properties. 

This experiment is great for learning about pH levels and putting them into practice. It allows you to scrutinize the dangers of alkaline soaps, natural pH testers, and saponification .

3. Testing Antibacterial Properties of Homemade Soap

Overall, antibacterial soaps are designed for killing viable organisms present on all kinds of surfaces. They contain chemicals like triclosan, triclocarban, chloroxylenol, and many more. These chemicals act as disinfectants, and they act rapidly.

The use of antibacterial soaps can help you get rid of living bacteria and viruses that have a bigger percentage of lipids in their structure. However, they do not affect fungi, different kinds of endospores, and viruses that don’t contain lipids in their structure.

This topic has sparked some interest in scientists, and they have debunked the term “antibacterial soaps.”

The thing is, EVERY soap has antibacterial properties, so the label antibacterial is redundant.

When comparing store-bought “antibacterial” soap with homemade soap, the store-bought soap is more likely to irritate your skin. On the other hand, the homemade soap will be more simple and it will be harmless if made correctly.

But, in the end, both types of soap should give similar results.

💡 This experiment should be conducted over a longer period, and it should be tailored to your schedule!

• Store-bought antibacterial soap;
• 8 Petri dishes with an agar base;
• Microscope.

Part 1: Spending Time Outside + Homemade Soap

• Prepare 2 Petri dishes before starting your day, and label them correctly, for example, Activity + Soap.
• Continue with your day, and try to avoid washing your hands. ⚠️ To avoid bacterial infections, you must avoid touching your face with your hands!
• After spending your day, take 1 Petri dish and press your fingers onto it.
• Go and wash your hands with homemade soap for 30 seconds or more!
• After washing your hands, prepare the second Petri dish, and once again, press your fingers onto the Petri dish.
• Store both of the Petri dishes in a cold place for 2 days, and wait for the bacteria to cultivate. If you want to speed up the process, you can store them in a room with a higher temperature.

Part 2: Spending Time Outside + Store-Bought Antibacterial Soap

Repeat the first part from the beginning to the end. But instead of washing your hands with homemade soap, wash them with store-bought soap!

After this part, you should have 4 Petri dishes stored in a cold place!

Part 3: Working on a Laptop/ Using a Telephone + Homemade Soap

To get the best results, this part of the experiment should be done on a busy workday!

• Early in the morning, with clean hands, prepare 2 Petri dishes, and label them correctly.
• Continue with your work. ⚠️ To avoid excessive screen time, don’t use your laptop or phone unnecessarily just for the experiment!
• After finishing your work, take one Petri dish and press your fingers firmly onto it.
• Wash your hands with homemade soap for 30 seconds or more!
• Take the other Petri dish and, once again, press your fingers on it.
• Store the Petri dishes in a cold place for 2 days. Or until something interesting happens!

Last Part: Working on a Laptop/ Using a Telephone + Store-Bought Antibacterial Soap

On a new day, repeat the third part of this experiment, but instead of using homemade soap for cleaning your hands, use store-bought antibacterial soap.

At the end of the experiment, you should have 8 labeled Petri dishes ready to be examined!

Examination

• Assemble the microscope, read the regulations, and set the magnification regarding the guidelines.
• Prepare the Petri dishes for examination.
• Take a closer look at the bacterial cultures present on the Petri dishes that were used before washing your hands.
• Compare the before and after results of washing your hands.
• Compare the Petri dishes that were used after washing your hands with homemade, and store-bought soap. In the meantime count the number of bacterial cultures in the Petri dishes and write them down.
• You should be able to see the difference between the effects of homemade, and store-bought soap.

You can photograph the Petri dishes, and use the photographs in presentations and when comparing the soaps next to each other.

Additional Steps

You can extend the experiment by adding more tests after doing different kinds of everyday activities.

Some recommended examples include: after handling pets, after going swimming, after gardening, and even after a night out!

First and foremost, instead of pressing your hands on the Petri dish, you can use a clean cotton swab to collect the bacteria present on your hands.

You can try out different types of soap, starting from a normal bar of soap, store-bought or homemade, to different kinds of liquid soap, hand disinfectants, and even medicinal soap.

The results should show that a homemade bar of soap is more or less equally effective as store-bought soaps , whether they are solid or liquid, and normal or antibacterial!

If you’re making the soap just for this experiment, you can use essential oils like lemongrass essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, orange essential oil, and tea tree oil. These essential oils have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties that are effective against more than 25 types of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

When the right essential oils are combined, they will get rid of viable materials, without harming your skin.

To sum things up, all soaps have antibacterial properties. But some specific soaps contain harmful chemicals which can damage your skin, and are toxic if used on children and pets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of soaps are safe to use on pets.

Most natural soaps are safe to use on pets, they keep their natural oils on their fur and they don’t harm the pet in any way.

Store-bought soaps that don’t contain parabens, paraffin, sulfates, and perfume are also safe to use on pets. 

Which soaps are the most effective antibacterials?

All soaps have antibacterial properties, but some soaps have proven more effective than others!

Store-bought antibacterial soaps rely on chemicals like triclosan, triclocarban, and chloroxylenol, to kill living bacteria, and lipid-containing viruses. These soaps aren’t effective on bacterial endospores, viruses containing no lipids, and fungi.

Unlike antibacterial soaps, regular bars of soap containing lemongrass essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, orange essential oil, tea tree oil, and many more, have proven to be more effective in eliminating microorganisms living on all types of surfaces!

Soap bars containing essential oils have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, thus they are able to eliminate more types of viable microorganisms!

Ana Marija is a young STEM aficionado with a passion for writing. She is a non-formal educator in natural and social sciences, and currently studying theoretical physics at University. Fascinated by music and art, she takes an avant-guarde approach in combining modern-day activities with science.

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CHE485 - Lab Report on Preparation of Soap and Properties Comparison with Synthetics Detergent (2017)

Soaps and detergents are used frequently in our daily life. There is a significant difference between them where the soaps are produced from the natural products while the detergents are synthetic or man-made. The objectives of the experiment is to prepare soap and compare its properties to that of a synthetics detergent. The soap is prepared by heating the mixture of mineral oil, ethanol and sodium hydroxide until they become paste-like mixture before being cooled off in ice bath for 15 minutes and filtered using vacuum filtration apparatus. The filtered soap is then stored in vacuum chamber for one week to ensure the water is fully removed from the soap. The synthetics detergent used in the experiment is Dynamo. The pH of the soap and detergent is 11 and 8, respectively. Emulsification occurs only on the distilled water sample and not on detergent solution and soap solution sample. Soap produce precipitate if in contact with acidic water or hardness in water such as Ca2+, Mg2+ and Fe3+ ion as in the experiment but not the case for detergent. The hydrochloric acid needed to change the pH of the soap solutions to 3 is 10 drops of HCl while for detergent solution is 2 drops of HCl. Relative cleanliness for detergent solution, soap solution and detergent without dilution with distilled water are the most clean, clean and slightly clean, respectively. Detergent solution is more effective compared to soap solution. The objectives are successfully obtained, therefore the experiment is successfully done.

Related Papers

Arif Hanafi

Eisya Azhari

Butwal Campus Journal

Dr Krishna Prasad Sharma

Witness Thomas

ABSTRACT In the present study five bacterial strains were used to study the antibacterial activity of soap and detergent by disc method and turbidity method. It was found that Staphylococcus aureus was good bactericidal as it unable to grow in any of the detergent concentration and other species showed varied lev el of minimum inhibition concentration. It is possible that antibacterial soaps and detergents have the antibacterial agents that can either kill or inhibit the bacterial cells. It mig ht be possible that some bacterial strains become resistant which leads to their survival even at high concentrations of soaps. The resistant bacterium against soap in the present study was Pseudomonas aeroginosa.

International Journal of Materials and Chemistry

Amra Bratovcic

In this paper, two different groups of liquid soaps were prepared. The first group of samples consisted of anionic surfactant (SLES), amphoteric surfactant (BETAIN) and nonionic surfactant (DEA). The second set of samples consisted of anionic surfactant and two nonionic surfactants. The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of the type of surfactant as well as the mass fraction of surfactants on the physicochemical properties of liquid soap. The surface tension, electrical conductivity and density for different concentrations of all examined type of surfactants have been determined as well as the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Moreover, the studies have shown that by increasing concentrations of zwitterionic (amphoteric) surfactant, and by decreasing concentration of nonionic surfactant, a mild decrease in pH value and viscosity increase occurred. In contrast, with increasing polyglycoside concentrations and decreasing concentration of DEA, a mild increase in pH but a decrease in viscosity was observed. In order to monitor the stability of the liquid soaps obtained, the appearance, color and odor were observed at three different temperatures at +4°C, room temperature and at + 40°C, in the dark and under UV light during the three months.

International Journal of Advanced Research

Open Journal of Applied Sciences

Aloys Osano

Scientific Research and Essays

Legesse Adane

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Saponification Lab Handout (Hydrolysis of Triglycerides)

• Last updated
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• Page ID 263831

• Kathryn Haas
• Duke University

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Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH, Lye) is highly corrosive.  In this experiment, you will prepare soap by hydrolysis with a concentrated solution of NaOH .  As always, be sure that you wear PPE including appropriate eye protection, gloves, and a lab coat or apron.  Wipe all surfaces of your bench after using the NaOH.  The experiment can be performed safely if proper precautions are observed.

In this Experiment, we’ll make soap from olive oil.  So.. what is olive oil, anyway?  Just like any oil, olive oil is a triglyceride. A triglyceride is composed of a glycerol molecule and three fatty acids.

The fatty acids shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\) have a variable group. "R", attached to a carboxylic acid. The R group is a long hydrocarbon tail. All fatty acids have a "fatty" part (the hydrocarbon tail) and an "acid" part (the carboxylic acid head). Some common fatty acids are shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\). Note the differences in their hydrocarbon tails. 

The trigylcerides in a natural oil, like olive oil can vary depending on the conditions in which the plants (or animals) grow.  The structure of any one molecule of olive oil varies within one sample (it is heterogeneous) and the fatty acid content varies depending on manufacturer, region, season! In general, the approximate amounts of any fatty acids in olive oil varies within the following ranges: 

Olive Oil Palmitic acid: 7-20% Oleic acid: 55-83% Steric Acid: 0-5% Linoleic Acid: 3-21%

Making soap from olive oil

To make soap, we will perform a hydrolysis reaction on olive oil to separate the glycerol from the fatty acids (Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\)). The result will be soap that consists of glycerol and fatty acids.

How much sodium hydroxide do we need?

The answer to this question isn't simple because we can't simply calculate a molecular weight for olive oil due to the fact that the chemical makeup of any container of olive oil may be different. But, we can make a good guess. Just in case, we can decide to add just a little bit less NaOH than our guess. After all, a soap that's a little oily (moisturizing) is much better than one that is corrosive and dangerous to use!

The recommended alkaline ratio is an approximate amount of sodium hydroxide that should be added to hydrolyze a given type of oil. For olive oil, the recommended alkaline ratio is 13.4 g NaOH for every 100 g of Olive oil.

 Why does soap work to remove dirt and oil?

The hydrolysis reaction shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\) results in fatty acid anions; these are the conjugate bases of fatty acid molecules. The acidic hydrogen is removed from the carboxylic acid functional group to yield a carboxylate anion. The fatty acid anions make a salt with sodium cations. 

Fatty acids are amphiphilic (aka amphopathic). They have a hydrophobic (fatty) tail and a hydrophilic head. The anion is especially attracted to polar molecules, like water, while the fatty tail is not. The fatty tails interact more favorably with other nonpolar molecules, like the ones found in grease, oils, and dirt. This allows the molecule to interact favorable with both polar and nonpolar molecules at once. The fatty tail can dissolve grease, oild, and dirt, while the hydrophilic head can dissolve in water. The amphophilic properties of fatty acids allow them to act as soap (Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\).

Proceedure:

 Weigh 100.0 g of Olive Oil into a 1 L screw-top bottle.  It is important to have at least 100.0 g, but it is ok if you weigh out slightly more than this amount.

 Get a 250 mL beaker.  In this beaker, cautiously weigh out 12.74 g of solid NaOH. Try to get this amount as close to 12.74 g as possible.  It is important to have no more than 13 g of NaOH.

 Carefully add 33.0 mL of distilled water to the sodium hydroxide.  Be careful, this solution is corrosive and will get hot as the NaOH dissolves.  Stir gently with a glass stir rod, being careful not to splash the corrosive liquid.

When the sodium hydroxide solution has completely dissolved, gently pour the NaOH solution into the 1 L bottle with the olive oil. 

Close the bottle tightly.  Be sure the cap is screwed on properly and then shake vigorously to mix the olive oil and sodium hydroxide.  After the reaction is mixed completely, pour about 3 mL of the mixture into a small beaker and set it aside.

 Each partner should label a paper cup with their name.  Put any fragrances you wish into your cup.  Then pour half of the remaining mixture into each cup. Stir well with a glass stir rod so that the fragrance is evenly mixed.  

Put your cup in the oven until the reaction is complete.  It may take a few hours before your soap is safe to use. 

Wipe your bench area with a wet sponge or cloth to ensure there are no NaOH spills on your bench.

Soap Analysis:  Record observations in your lab notebook.

1.  Dissolve a small drop of your unfinished soap in one test tube and a piece of finished olive oil soap (about the size of a pea) in a second test tube. Add about 5 ml of distilled water to each. Test the pH of each tube and record your results.

2.  Repeat the experiment above with a high purity soap, Ivory Soap. How does the Ivory Soap compare to the finished olive oil soap?

3.  Wash your hands with a small sample of finished olive oil soap. Does it have satisfactory cleansing qualities? Explain. (If this is an online lab during the pandemic, you can skip this question... but do wash your hands often!)

4.  Place 5 ml of distilled water in one test tube, 5 ml of tap water in a second test tube, and 5 ml of 1% calcium chloride in a third. Add small (pea-sized) equal quantities of finished olive oil soap to each and shake the tubes very vigorously. Describe the relative extents to which lather and foam appear in each test tube.

Data and Results:

Use a blank sheet of paper to answer the following questions.

1.  Below is a triglyceride that might be found in olive oil.  Draw the products of hydrolysis of this triglyceride.  Label the identity of each one of the products (glycerol or give the name of the fatty acid).

2.  Write a paragraph or two discussing what happened at the molecular level during this experiment, and focusing on the the analysis of your soap. Use the pre-lab information and the observations you made under ‘Soap Analysis’ to stimulate your discussion. You should explain your observations here using your chemical knowedge. Your paragraphs must be clear, concise, and must be MORE than JUST the observations—show us that you understand the chemistry of soap.

• Grades 6-12
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100 Last-Day-of-School Activities Your Students Will Love!

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How To Make a Baking Soda Volcano With Free Observation Sheet

This experiment will have kids erupting with applause!

The classic baking soda volcano experiment has been entertaining kids (and adults) of all ages for decades. But it’s more than just a lot of fun. This experiment also teaches kids about simple chemical reactions and physical properties. The best part? It’s easy to do and uses only a few basic ingredients. Read on to see how to conduct the baking soda volcano experiment, and fill out the form on this page to grab your free recording sheet!

How does the baking soda volcano experiment work?

This experiment involves pouring vinegar mixed with dish soap into a small amount of baking soda. The baking soda acts as a base while the vinegar is an acid. When the base and the acid come together, they create an endothermic reaction that produces carbon dioxide. The dish soap helps to create the foaming effect as the “lava” pours out of the volcano.

What does the baking soda volcano teach?

The baking soda volcano experiment is a great way to demonstrate a chemical reaction between an acid and a carbonate. When the carbonate (found in the baking soda) is exposed to the acids (found in the vinegar), it creates a decomposition reaction that releases carbon dioxide as gas. While this experiment is an example of an acid-base reaction, it’s also a great simulation of a real volcanic eruption.

Is there a baking soda volcano video?

This video shows how to make a volcano erupt using ingredients you can probably find in your kitchen.

Materials needed

To do the baking soda volcano experiment, you will need:

• Baking soda
• Food coloring
• Mini Paper Cups
• Plastic Volcano Form

Our free recording sheet is also helpful—fill out the form on this page to grab it.

Baking soda volcano experiment steps:

1. to start, place a tiny paper cup into the hole at the top of the plastic volcano mold..

2. Once your volcano is set up, pour 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda into the paper cup.

3. Next, add about a half cup of vinegar into a plastic measuring cup.

4. Add a few squirts of dish soap to the vinegar solution.

5. Add some squirts of red and yellow food coloring to the vinegar mixture.

6. Use a plastic spoon to mix all the ingredients in the plastic measuring cup together.

7. Pour the vinegar solution into the small paper cup at the top of the volcano.

8. Finally, watch and enjoy the eruption!

Grab our free baking soda volcano experiment worksheet

Fill out the form on this page to get your free worksheet. The worksheet asks kids to guess the correct order of the steps in the experiment. Next, kids must make a prediction about what they think will happen. They can use the provided spaces to draw what happens before and after they add the ingredients. Did their predictions come true?

Additional reflection questions

• What role does the dish soap play in the reaction that occurs?
• How would it be different if you added baking soda to the vinegar instead of the other way around?
• What do you think would happen if you added a different liquid than vinegar?
• What do you think would happen if you added more baking soda?

Can the baking soda volcano experiment be done for a science fair?

Yes! If you want to do this experiment for a science fair, we recommend switching up some of the variables. For example: Does the amount of baking soda matter? Does the type of dish soap? Form a hypothesis about how changing the variables will impact the experiment. Good luck!

Looking for more experiment ideas? Check out our  big list of experiment ideas here.

Plus, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters for more articles like this., you might also like.

16 Red-Hot Volcano Science Experiments and Kits For Classrooms or Science Fairs

Kids will erupt with excitement! Continue Reading

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50 Fun Kids Science Experiments

Science doesn’t need to be complicated. These easy science experiments below are awesome for kids! They are visually stimulating, hands-on, and sensory-rich, making them fun to do and perfect for teaching simple science concepts at home or in the classroom.

Top 10 Science Experiments

Click on the titles below for the full supplies list and easy step-by-step instructions. Have fun trying these experiments at home or in the classroom, or even use them for your next science fair project!

Baking Soda Balloon Experiment

Can you make a balloon inflate on its own? Grab a few basic kitchen ingredients and test them out! Try amazing chemistry for kids at your fingertips.

Rainbow In A Jar

Enjoy learning about the basics of color mixing up to the density of liquids with this simple water density experiment . There are even more ways to explore rainbows here with walking water, prisms, and more.

This color-changing magic milk experiment will explode your dish with color. Add dish soap and food coloring to milk for cool chemistry!

Seed Germination Experiment

Not all kids’ science experiments involve chemical reactions. Watch how a seed grows , which provides a window into the amazing field of biology .

Egg Vinegar Experiment

One of our favorite science experiments is a naked egg or rubber egg experiment . Can you make your egg bounce? What happened to the shell?

Dancing Corn

Find out how to make corn dance with this easy experiment. Also, check out our dancing raisins and dancing cranberries.

Grow Crystals

Growing borax crystals is easy and a great way to learn about solutions. You could also grow sugar crystals , eggshell geodes , or salt crystals .

Lava Lamp Experiment

It is great for learning about what happens when you mix oil and water. a homemade lava lamp is a cool science experiment kids will want to do repeatedly!

Skittles Experiment

Who doesn’t like doing science with candy? Try this classic Skittles science experiment and explore why the colors don’t mix when added to water.

Lemon Volcano

Watch your kids’ faces light up, and their eyes widen when you test out cool chemistry with a lemon volcano using common household items, baking soda, and vinegar.

Bonus! Popsicle Stick Catapult

Kid tested, STEM approved! Making a popsicle stick catapult is a fantastic way to dive into hands-on physics and engineering.

Grab the handy Top 10 Science Experiments list here!

Free Science Ideas Guide

Grab this free science experiments challenge calendar and have fun with science right away. Use the clickable links to see how to set up each science project.

Get Started With A Science Fair Project

💡Want to turn one of these fun and easy science experiments into a science fair project? Then, you will want to check out these helpful resources.

• Easy Science Fair Projects
• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas

50 Easy Science Experiments For Kids

Kids’ Science Experiments By Topic

Are you looking for a specific topic? Check out these additional resources below. Each topic includes easy-to-understand information, everyday examples, and additional hands-on activities and experiments.

• Chemistry Experiments
• Physics Experiments
• Chemical Reaction Experiments
• Candy Experiments
• Plant Experiments
• Kitchen Science
• Water Experiments
• Baking Soda Experiments
• States Of Matter Experiments
• Physical Change Experiments
• Chemical Change Experiments
• Surface Tension Experiments
• Capillary Action Experiments
• Weather Science Projects
• Geology Science Projects
• Space Activities
• Simple Machines
• Static Electricity
• Potential and Kinetic Energy
• Gravity Experiments

Science Experiments By Season

• Spring Science
• Summer Science Experiments
• Fall Science Experiments
• Winter Science Experiments

Science Experiments by Age Group

While many experiments can be performed by various age groups, the best science experiments for specific age groups are listed below.

• Science Activities For Toddlers
• Preschool Science Experiments
• Kindergarten Science Experiments
• First Grade Science Projects
• Elementary Science Projects
• Science Projects For 3rd Graders
• Science Experiments For Middle Schoolers

How To Teach Science

Kids are curious and always looking to explore, discover, check out, and experiment to discover why things do what they do, move as they move, or change as they change! My son is now 13, and we started with simple science activities around three years of age with simple baking soda science.

Here are great tips for making science experiments enjoyable at home or in the classroom.

Safety first: Always prioritize safety. Use kid-friendly materials, supervise the experiments, and handle potentially hazardous substances yourself.

Start with simple experiments: Begin with basic experiments (find tons below) that require minimal setup and materials, gradually increasing complexity as kids gain confidence.

Use everyday items: Utilize common household items like vinegar and baking soda , food coloring, or balloons to make the experiments accessible and cost-effective.

Hands-on approach: Encourage kids to actively participate in the experiments rather than just observing. Let them touch, mix, and check out reactions up close.

Make predictions: Ask kids to predict the outcome before starting an experiment. This stimulates critical thinking and introduces the concept of hypothesis and the scientific method.

Record observations: Have a science journal or notebook where kids can record their observations, draw pictures, and write down their thoughts. Learn more about observing in science. We also have many printable science worksheets .

Theme-based experiments: Organize experiments around a theme, such as water , air , magnets , or plants . Even holidays and seasons make fun themes!

Kitchen science : Perform experiments in the kitchen, such as making ice cream using salt and ice or learning about density by layering different liquids.

Create a science lab: Set up a dedicated space for science experiments, and let kids decorate it with science-themed posters and drawings.

Outdoor experiments: Take some experiments outside to explore nature, study bugs, or learn about plants and soil.

DIY science kits: Prepare science experiment kits with labeled containers and ingredients, making it easy for kids to conduct experiments independently. Check out our DIY science list and STEM kits.

Make it a group effort: Group experiments can be more fun, allowing kids to learn together and share their excitement. Most of our science activities are classroom friendly!

Science shows or documentaries: Watch age-appropriate science shows or documentaries to introduce kids to scientific concepts entertainingly. Hello Bill Nye and the Magic Schoolbus! You can also check out National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, and NASA!

Ask open-ended questions: Encourage critical thinking by asking open-ended questions that prompt kids to think deeper about what they are experiencing.

Celebrate successes: Praise kids for their efforts and discoveries, no matter how small, to foster a positive attitude towards science and learning.

What is the Scientific Method for Kids?

The scientific method is a way scientists figure out how things work. First, they ask a question about something they want to know. Then, they research to learn what’s already known about it. After that, they make a prediction called a hypothesis.

Next comes the fun part – they test their hypothesis by doing experiments. They carefully observe what happens during the experiments and write down all the details. Learn more about variables in experiments here.

Once they finish their experiments, they look at the results and decide if their hypothesis is right or wrong. If it’s wrong, they devise a new hypothesis and try again. If it’s right, they share their findings with others. That’s how scientists learn new things and make our world better!

Go ahead and introduce the scientific method and get kids started recording their observations and making conclusions. Read more about the scientific method for kids .

Engineering and STEM Projects For Kids

STEM activities include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In addition to our kids’ science experiments, we have lots of fun STEM activities for you to try. Check out these STEM ideas below.

• Building Activities
• Self-Propelling Car Projects
• Engineering Projects For Kids
• What Is Engineering For Kids?
• Lego STEM Ideas
• LEGO Engineering Activities
• STEM Activities For Toddlers
• STEM Worksheets
• Easy STEM Activities For Elementary
• Quick STEM Challenges
• Easy STEM Activities With Paper  

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

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Soap Making

Soap Making Supplies Wholesale

You can find a complete line of soap making supplies at Bulk Apothecary that provide the quality you expect at prices that fit the budget. We offer pretty much everything you need to make your own soap, from bases and molds to books and soap making kits. Whether you’re just starting your own soap making business or looking for ways to expand your operations, explore our selection of high-quality products and get your supplies today.

Making the Best Soap with the Best Supplies

Your soaps can only be as good as the ingredients that go into them, which is why we only source the finest ingredients and supplies from ethical producers around the world. At Bulk Apothecary, we specialize in providing the highest-quality colors , additives , botanicals , seeds , bases , and more so you can design and produce the very best soaps.

We currently stock thousands of great items, including ready-to-package soap bars and loaves and the packaging and labeling supplies you need to get your products retail ready. You can get the basic supplies for soap making, like lye , or really start to experiment with some unique, wholesale essential oils . Check out our complete line of wholesale soap making supplies and order your ingredients from an experienced, trusted provider.

As a huge supplier of wholesale soap making supplies we  pride our self on offering some of the best prices in the entire USA on items  like aromatherapy essential oils, melt and pour soap bases, molds, cutters,  colors, unscented bases, plus ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter,  glycerin and anything else you might need for making your own lotion or soap.  We do this in hopes of over time becoming the "go to" resource for  our industry. It is for that reason that we recently created a blog where you  will find all sorts of great information including recipes, tips and more for  fun projects and valuable information on all of our aromatherapy oils. If there  is information that would like to see on our blog, please don't hesitate to  make suggestions to one of our courteous customer service reps. We love to hear  from our customers and find out what they would like to see. This also includes  product suggestions. With over 1,000 sku's and growing we are constantly  scouring the globe to find new great soap supply items that we could add to our  store. In fact, many of the items that we carry today were at one time  suggestions from our customers. If there is an essential oil or line of melt  and pour soap base that you would like to see added to our store, simply bring  it up the next time you are speaking to one of our reps. They will bring it up  in our next product development meeting and who knows, you might see it on our  site the next time you visit our online soap making store. Lastly, if you would  like to submit your favorite recipe to our blog, just shoot us over an email  with a detailed description of the product along with any product pictures and  a list of items that you used to make the soap. If we like your article we will  gladly add it to our blog with a brief description of your company. This will  then drive traffic to your website.

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