2 ‘Quick read’ thermometers – that measure at least up to 95 deg C or deg F. Note: you can use one thermometer but we prefer to use two, one for the lye water and one for the carrier oils (vegetable oils/fats);
An accurate electronic weighing scale (we use scales that are accurate to .1 Oz or 1 gram able to toggle between metric and imperial weights);
Wax paper / grease proof paper for lining your soap moulds (you’ll need masking tape to stick the paper to the walls and base of the mould);
Large stainless steel sauce-pan to melt your carrier oils in (for larger batches, we tend to use stainless steel stock pots, you can buy these on eBay or there are many online etailers);
Large, heat resistant glass jug / vessel (for your lye water);
Safety goggles;
Rubber gloves (Marigold type gloves work well);
Set of thick, old clothes;
Face mask (recommended to prevent fume inhalation but not essential provided you are working in a well-ventilated area with 1 or 2 windows open);
A couple of stirrers or spatulas (silicone works best);
Water bath (if you have the luxury of allowing your lye water to cool down naturally – overnight for example this is not necessary) – when making soap we aim to mix the lye water and oil at similar temperatures (between 90-100 deg C for most recipes) and make use of our heat source (hob) and a water bath with ice in it to regulate the temperatures more quickly. Your water bath can be your kitchen sink, or, if you have a large stainless steel, catering vessel this works equally well (before you start ensure that your stainless steel and glass containers fit in to your water bath). If you need to cool down your lye water or carrier oils simply place in the water bath and take regular readings until the temperature reaches the right level;
Plenty of newspaper to cover your kitchen table / work surface to prevent corrosion from splashes;
Moulds (here, almost anything will do – we’ve used shoe boxes, plastic CD boxes, wooden toy boxes, empty Pringles snack cans, old takeaway plastic food cartons, tin cans with the ends cut off (be careful when cutting off the end) etc. etc.Tip: for plastic/water resistant moulds, if you’re not sure what the volume of your mould is, fill it with water, take out your weighing scales, place a similar sized container on your scales, tare the scales (zero them) and then pour the water into the container on the scales. This will give you a good approximation of the volume by weight of your mould.
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