The making of soap (Photo Feature)

Veda Herbal Product is a small-scale industry that makes soaps, essential oils, massage oils, hair oils, etc. They have a range of fragrances—citronella, mint, honey blend, neem, rose, sandalwood, lemongrass, etc. Butter tree soap is one of their best selling products. Their products are used in hotels in Nepal and exported to Japan and various European countries.

“Butter tree soap is a great alternative to perfume-mixed commercial soaps. It has high medical value too,” says Rajiv Pandey, the founder of Veda Herbal Product. Located in Bhangal in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, the company was founded five years ago. Pandey’s father was an Ayurvedic doctor who provided the necessary information needed to launch the brand.

The process of making handmade soap generally involves mixing fats or oils with a strong alkali solution (such as lye) to initiate a chemical reaction called saponification. The process starts with collecting all the ingredients needed for the soap recipe, including oils or fats, lye, water, fragrances, colorants, and any other additives. The oils and fats are heated until they melt and mix. Lye is then added to the water and stirred until it dissolves completely. The desired fragrance is added once both the oil and lye solution have cooled to a suitable temperature.

The workers then pour the soap mixture into molds of the desired shape. The soaps are left in the molds for 24-48 hours, after which they are cut into bars. The bars are placed on a rack in a well-ventilated area to cure for four to six weeks. This allows excess water to evaporate, resulting in a harder, longer-lasting bar of soap.