Ingredients

• Bay is, of course, a necessary essential oil when making bay rum soap. Bay rum soap usually includes a mixture of citrus-scented oils along with the bay oil to achieve that classic scent. Choose orange, clove, allspice, pepper, lime or bergamot oils to find the combination you like best.
  
  A combination of different oils is used to achieve the proper consistency and texture of soap. These oils combine in the cooking process and then cool and solidify to create a bar of soap. Try hemp, mango butter, palm kernel and coconut oils.
  
  Every soap requires water to help in combining the ingredients, but for a more moisturizing soap, use milk instead of water. Finally, use lye to make to make the soap more stable and help it to better harden.
  
  

Cold Process Method

• The cold process soap-making method involves combining ingredients, cooking them to a certain temperature and allowing the mixture to cool and harden into finished soap. The oils used for soap-making and the lye are heated to specific temperatures, then combined. Mix these liquids until they reach a thick consistency, then pour into a soap mold. Once in the mold, the soap hardens and cures for several hours to several days. Remove from the mold and allow the soap to cure for a few days longer.
  
  It is important to wear protective clothing (mask, gloves and clothing that covers any exposed skin) when using lye to create soap, as lye causes chemical burns if touched directly or inhaled.
  
  

Making a Soap Mold

• The soap mold is key to making the specific size and shape soap you prefer. Pre-purchased molds are convenient and easy to use, but you can make a mold at home easily and inexpensively. Make a mold for round soap using a length of PVC pipe with wax paper on the ends. Try lining a cardboard box or plastic tub with wax paper and simply pouring the liquid soap inside to solidify. Cut your soap into smaller pieces or bars after removing it from these types of molds.
  
  Soap molds are also made of small cans, cups or even milk cartons. With small disposable molds like these, simply cut the mold itself to release the soap. For a novelty soap, try clam shells (found on the beach or purchased in a store) for a fun, seashell-shaped soap.