Homemade natural soap is soap crafted in small batches using ingredients such as plant-based oils, butters, and other carefully selected materials. Traditional handmade soap is often made using the cold-process method, which combines oils or fats with a solution of sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye.
Although lye is necessary to make traditional soap, it is consumed during the properly completed soap-making process called saponification. The finished bar of soap is not simply raw lye mixed with oils.
Depending on the recipe, handmade soap may contain oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, or sunflower oil, along with ingredients such as shea butter, oatmeal, goat milk, herbs, or essential oils.
Every ingredient contributes different characteristics to the finished bar, including its cleansing ability, firmness, lather, and feel on the skin.