Soap making business in Malawi is one of the good businesses ideas to start in Malawi. Too good is the fact that making soap at home does not demand technical skills. Unless you want to venture into large-scale business, soap making does not need to buy expensive materials. You can make soaps using materials found in the kitchen. This tutorial is a step by step guide on how to make soap at home.
Why soap making?
Making soap is easy task which is both interesting and profitable. Soap making is a business that requires less capital to start. Materials used to make soap can easily be found and they are affordable.
The chemicals used in making soap are caustic which means they can burn the skin. As such handle equipment and chemicals with care. Read safety rules before attempting to make your first soap. This tutorial provides details on how to make your own bar soap at home.
Soap making business is lucrative because there is always demand for the product. Regardless of the season, come rain come sunshine people will always want soaps for bathing, washing, and cleaning. As you know many people cannot do without soaps, even for a day.
Read: What Small Business to Start in Malawi
How is soap formed?
Soap is made by combining three major ingredients. The main components of a soap are distilled water, lye (base), and vegetable oils or animal fat. The type of oil determines the characteristics of the soap formed. Some oils make hard soap while others makes soft soaps but more lather. It is possible to make soaps with moderate hardness that forms more lather (foam) by proper combination of oils.
Safety rules
- Wear safety gloves and goggles when making soap
- Make soap outside the house. Soap reactions produces strong fumes
- Lye is a caustic chemical
- Use water to neutralize contaminated skin
Materials
- Lye (Sodium hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide)
-NAOH makes hard bar soap
-KOH makes soft. Hardened by add common salt
- Oils from vegetables or animal fat (Lard and Tallow)
- Fragrance
- Colors
- Thermometer (resistant to high temperatures up to 120 )
- Pots (steel metals, aluminum should not be used)
- Stick blender
- Vinegar
- Distilled water (rain water) tap water
- Molds
- Cutter/knife
- Packages
- Stirring stick
- Essential oil
- Scale (kitchen scale)
Digital scale, gloves, and cooking oil
MAKING RECIPES
Being able to make soap recipe is one of the most important thing for soap makers. The ability to make own recipes gives the freedom to make soaps with customized qualities. If you cannot design a recipe then you can buy some formulas. In the next few words I explain how you can you can decide the amount of each ingredients to use. The main ingredients in soap recipes are lye, oils and water. Optionally you can add, perfumes, fragrances, and colors to make your bar soap more attractive. Basic mathematical skills are required to successfully make soap recipe.
Calculating amount of Lye
Lye is pure sodium hydroxide which is a base used in soap making. Multiply SAP values with the mass of lye (e.g. .136 x 24 = 3.6 ounces of lye). Every type of oil has a specific saponification (SAP) value.
Weighing (Lye, oils and fragrance)
In soap making all measurements must be correct. Inaccurate weighing may result into making the bars soaps to either be too hard or too soft. Weigh all ingredients in grams for accuracy. Do not measure the amounts in Volume even the volume of water.
Read: How to Register a Business in Malawi
Superfat your recipe
To superfat soap a recipe is to reduce the amount of lye to make the soap soft and less harsh. Many experienced soap makers superfat by (5 -10%), but 8% is common.
Calculate amount of water needed
As pointed out already measurements including the amount of water has to be in grams. In order to find the amount of water to be used in the recipes multiply the amount of lye in grams by 2.5. For instance if 6.5 grams lye will be used amount of water will to use will be equal to 2.5 x 6.5 (16.25g)
A sample Soap Bar
Soap making Procedures
- Pour distilled water in a bowl
- Put on rubber gloves and goggles
- Slowly pour lye crystals into water (while stirring with a spoon or stick)
- Allow lye water to cool to 100(solution become clear)
- Mix the oils (solid oils be melted by using double boiler to melt them but do not burn)
- Slowly pour mixed oils in the bowl with lye water.
- Start stirring with stick or stick blender
- Continue to stir in one direction until you reach TRACE
- Add essentials oils, fragrance, and (Common salt to harden KOH soap)
- Pour soap into molds (line it with paper/oil the surfaces)
- Cover the mixture with wool
- Leave it for 12 – 24 hours to solidify
- Cut them into pieces
- Let the soap air dry for 4 – 6 weeks
Read: Why is Malawi Poor
SAP VALUES AND SOAP CHARACTERISTICS
The table below shows saponification values for different types of oils and specific characteristics of bars which will be formed. To have a good soap you may need to mix more than one type of oil. However, for practice you can work with a single type of oil.
| OIL | SAP | Soap Characteristics |
| Sunflower | .136 | Lathering and conditioning |
| Soybean | .136 | Lathering, conditioning |
| Olive | .135 | Lathering, conditioning |
| Corn | .136 | Lathering, conditioning |
| Sesame | .133 | Lathering, conditioning |
| Coconut | .191 | Hardening, lathering |
| Palm | .142 | Hardening and lathering |
Sample Soap Bars I made
After following the steps in this tutorial you will be able to start making quality bar soaps. Making perfect soap requires more practice and patience.
If you’ve any questions related to soap making business in Malawi let me know in the comment section or through email.
Ibrahim assan
am interested send the exact details
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hello Ibrahim
What details do you need?
Chifundo Namitepa
Very interested with this venture but I would like to know more about soap making. What is your email address so that I can contact you? Mine is cnamitepa@yahoo.com, feel free to inbox me.
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hello Chifundo
I am glad you found the content for this post interesting. You can contact me on chimwemwe@mawila.com.
Thank you
Fortune kwacha
Wow….that’s so interesting.infact I wanna know more. Let’s talk one to one if u dont mind please
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hello Fortune
You’re most welcome.
I would also love to talk to you one on one.
My email
chimwemwe@mawila.com
Andrew
Hi Chimz am Andrew, I am in south Africa and I have been thinking of coming home and start something and this making soap biz is what comes in mind please can provide me with more information about this biz
Chimwemwe Nuka
Welcome home Andrew
alinafe Nyirenda
Hey Chimwemwe, I am very interested to learn more about soap making, feel free to email me, alinafe_n@yahoo.com
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hey Alinafe
I am glad to meet you here.
I will be happy to teach you how to make soap practically home.
I have sent you an email
Thank you for visiti
Mel
Hi Chimwemwe, I am having a hard time find lye/sodium hydroxide.
Do you have any suggestions of shops i can find it?
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hie Mel
May I know where you’re from. I know some supplier in Lilongwe and in Blantyre.
Regards
Emmanuel
where can i get the materials here in lilongwe? thanks
Salomy
Hey Chimwemwe,am so interested in soap making business but dont know how;would you love to share more ideas with me please on how to make a good soap? Here’s my email address;temboatmartha @gmail.com
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hello Salomy
I can train you on how to make soaps.
Email me on chimwemwe@mawila.com or WhatsApp on 0991230725
Regards
Nisha
Hello Chimwemwe your articles are good
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hello Anisha
Thank you for your feedback
Frank
Chimwemwe, where did you get the Lye in Malawi. That is all I need to know, thanx much appreciated
Jonathan
Wow this has been so helpful..!!!
Dennis
Tc gud how can I contact u Mr
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hello Dennis
You can contact me through the following contacts
Cell: +265 991230725
email: chimwemwe@mawila.com
Regards
Savita
Am interested in soap making, I want to learn more
Oscar Caleb
Wise wise this is kind of information i could love to be hearing all the time. Like many others i have the issues too. i am concerned about issues to do with colours, fumes but also the prices of ingredients in general. REGARDS: Oscar caleb
Spax
Do i need special certification like ISO requirement to start the soap making business in Malawi?.Please reply in detail to my email if possible.
Chimwemwe Nuka
Not necessary
simion kabango
i want to start this business please help me
foster mutale
hello chimwemwe, am Zambian and would love to know how to make the soap too. pls email me on fmutale1983fm.fm@gmail.com
Martha
I am Interested in soap making but I don’t know where to get other ingredients
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hello
I have some of the materials can sell to you. Lets connect.
Thanks
Rodgers
I love it please if possible send me a good well explained business plan and its Expenses if any cost I will pay . Email rodsham10@gmail.com
Snogger
Good news to hear. I will contact you, Sir Chimwemwe Nuka
Miriam jonga
Ii am interested in soap making.i need to start this project can you help me.
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hello Miriam
I am willing to help
Please contact me using the contact details shared on the post
Thank you
Lusako Kaula
Thanks for your spirit of sharing.. I once organised a training for some rural women in Dowa on how to make soap but we used a consultant who wasn’t willing to share the source of the materials that were being used during the training. Your tutorial has rekindled my interest in the soap making business and would love to keep in touch for one on one mentoring as we go along this journey.
Regards!!!
Lester Carsten
I’m interested, and I would like be guided in details.
Chimwemwe Nuka
May you contact me through email or WhatsApp . See contact details at the bottom of this page
Martin
Hi chimwemwe I’m ready to buy machine for making bar soap can you help me? Teaching how to make it? I’m in south Africa
Mada
Wow,this is amazing, I should give it a try. Thanks so much
Chimwemwe Nuka
Welcome Mada. Try it. Email me if you need some more help
Aaron Chibalo
Hie chimwemwe am happy that I have discovered this, I have been looking for this for long time but I have some questions so please if it’s possible to communicate on email or whatsapp help me my email address aaronchibalo@gmail.com
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hello Aaron
Glad you found the post useful
Email: chimwemwenuka@gmail.com
WhatsApp 0991230725
Christopher Chikadza
Thank you Chimwemwe, I find this helpful and I will link with you on WhatsApp so that I can inquiry some addition information and how I can find some ingredients. God bless you!
Allan Kalima
This is powerful. I will contact you Sir. I need to hear more about soap making.
Yougoh
I like this sir, I will be Dere to take a lesson
Eliza
Hie sir where exactly do u stay so that I can have a practical learning
Chimwemwe Nuka
Hie Eliza. I stay in area 24, Lilongwe. We also do it online.
Lazarous Peter Maluwa
I want to start this soap making business. Please help
johnson chilembo
Hi,am doing a business research for home made soap,please can you help me with soap making progress and how to calculate cost per bar soap
Modester Goodwell
Hello Chimwemwe I find the content to be so helpful and I am very interested to venture into this soap making program. Will get you through your email