About this module
In Level 1 you learned to make soap safely. In Level 2 you learn to make soap people will buy again, that the FDA will register, and that earns you a profit.
Who it is for. People who have finished Soap Making (Level 1), or who already make soap and can show the same skills. National Proficiency II covers varied work done under limited supervision.
CTVET status. CTVET lists Soap Making at National Proficiency I only. The nearest official NP II programme is Cosmetology. This module is not a CTVET curriculum. It follows CTVET's format so it can be put forward later.
Bridge from Level 1: what you already know
- Wear full PPE, mix lye safely (lye into water) and give first aid for splashes
- Calculate caustic soda from SAP figures with a 5% superfat and water at twice the lye
- Make cold-process palm and palm kernel oil bars to trace, then mould, cut and cure
- Make ash-lye black soap
- Neutralise LABSA liquid detergent and check its pH
- Use pH strips and a plate test, and name common faults
- List the FDA label items and cost one bar
Level 1 did not cover true liquid soap made with potash, laboratory tests, FDA fees, or a full costing. This manual covers them.
How the module works
Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme split of about 30% school and 70% workplace.
Unit 1 · Design your own recipes
A recipe is a balance: hard enough to last, cleansing enough to wash, gentle enough for skin.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Use a lye calculator | calculates NaOH and KOH with purity set, and checks the result by hand |
| 1.2 Design a recipe | designs a recipe from local oils to a target hardness, cleansing and conditioning |
| 1.3 Choose superfat | chooses superfat and lye strength to suit body, laundry or liquid soap |
Range. Three recipes: body bar, laundry bar, liquid soap. Evidence. Recipe sheets with calculations.
SAP values for both lyes
KOH needed = SAP (KOH) ÷ 1000 × oil weight NaOH needed = SAP (KOH) ÷ 1403 × oil weight
The 1.403 is the ratio of the weights of KOH and NaOH molecules.
| Oil | KOH per g | NaOH per g |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut | 0.255 | 0.182 |
| Shea butter | 0.182 | 0.129 |
| Castor | 0.182 | 0.129 |
| Olive | 0.190 | 0.135 |
Use Level 1's palm and palm kernel figures.
Purity. Potash is often about 90% pure and caustic soda about 97%. If a calculator assumes 100%, your soap gets a little extra superfat. SoapCalc lets you set 90% KOH.
Hand check
How much KOH (at 100% purity) does 1 kg of coconut oil need? How much 90% KOH is that?
Soap qualities
SoapCalc gives target ranges: hardness 29–54, cleansing 12–22, conditioning 44–69. Coconut and palm kernel oil clean strongly but can strip skin, so most recipes keep them at 30–35%, or raise superfat to 8–10% if higher. Palm and shea give a creamy lather.
Laundry bars use 0% superfat and often 100% coconut oil, and are not for skin.
Three recipes
- Design a body bar, a laundry bar and a liquid soap recipe in a lye calculator.
- Check each lye amount by hand.
- Record the qualities numbers and explain your choices to your trainer.
Local oils
Price palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil and shea butter at two sellers.
Unit 2 · Hot process and true liquid soap
True liquid soap is made with potash (KOH), not caustic soda. It is a different product from the LABSA detergent of Level 1.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 2.1 Make hot-process soap | cooks bar soap and judges when the cook is done |
| 2.2 Make liquid soap | makes KOH paste, then dilutes, thickens and neutralises if needed |
| 2.3 Record a formula | records and repeats a tested formula |
Range. One hot-process batch; one liquid soap batch. Evidence. Batch records; finished products.
Hot process
In hot process the soap is cooked until saponification is complete, so it can be used once hard, in about 1–2 days; a week of drying gives a harder bar. Cold process needs 4–6 weeks. Hot-process bars look more rustic, and fragrance fades less.
True liquid soap
- Make a paste with KOH; NaOH cannot simply be swapped in.
- Cook until the paste turns translucent.
- For clear soap keep superfat at 2–3% or less.
- Dilute about 1 part paste to 1–3 parts distilled water; tap water minerals make it cloudy.
Neutralising is optional. Some makers use a 20% citric acid solution; a pH of 9–11 is normal for true soap. Salt thickens high-olive soaps but not soaps with much coconut.
Recipes from forums. The neutralising and thickening advice comes from experienced makers' forums, not official sources. Test small batches and record results.
If you sell liquid soap for washing skin, it is a cosmetic.
Potash burns. KOH causes severe skin burns and eye damage, like caustic soda. Cooking paste can boil over and spit: wear a face shield as well as goggles, heavy gloves and long sleeves, and keep water at the cooker.
Two batches
- Make one hot-process bar batch. Record the cook time and signs of done.
- Make one KOH liquid soap paste, dilute it and record the ratio.
- Test pH and clarity. Write the formula so another person could repeat it.
Compare
Compare your liquid soap with the LABSA liquid soap from Level 1: feel, lather, cost.
Unit 3 · Black soap for market
Black soap is a Ghanaian treasure. Make it the same every time, and it can sell anywhere.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Standardise black soap | standardises ash lye and oil blend for consistent batches |
| 3.2 Add value | adds shea, honey or herbs without spoiling the soap |
| 3.3 Prepare for testing | prepares black soap for standard testing and packaging |
Range. Two black soap batches. Evidence. Batch records; packaged samples.
Improved black soap
An improved black soap project at Senase used coconut oil, palm oil, potash, honey, perfume, thickener and preservative. More than 1,300 women in 48 groups were trained and organised with a warehouse. In northern Ghana women raised incomes by adding local herbs for new colours and shapes.
Traditional black soap has a pH of about 8–10; shea is added to soften palm kernel oil's stripping effect. A study found local black soap had far more moisture than factory soap and less fatty matter. Ghana's black soap standard is GS 289.
Make it the same every time
- Use the same ash source and record it
- Measure the oil blend by weight, not by eye
- Record cook time and colour
- Dry to the same firmness before packing
- Keep a sample of every batch
Standard batch
- Make two batches of black soap from the same written recipe.
- Add shea and honey to one.
- Compare them: colour, firmness, lather, feel.
Standard
Ask the GSA office how to buy GS 289 and what it costs.
Unit 4 · Additives, curing and shelf life
Scent, colour and texture sell soap, but only within safe limits.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 4.1 Use fragrance safely | uses fragrance and essential oils within IFRA and supplier limits |
| 4.2 Use colours and exfoliants | uses colours and exfoliants at safe rates |
| 4.3 Prevent rancidity | prevents orange spots and sets a realistic best-before date |
Range. Three scented and coloured batches. Evidence. Additive calculations; curing record.
Fragrance limits
IFRA sets maximum safe levels for fragrance in rinse-off products such as soap. The IFRA maximum is a ceiling, not a target. A supplier rule of thumb is about 3.5% essential oil in cold process, but if the IFRA certificate for an oil says less, the lower figure applies. Ask your supplier for the IFRA certificate for every oil. Lemongrass is high in citral, which can cause skin allergy.
Colours
Natural colours are used at about half a teaspoon to a tablespoon per pound (about 450 g) of soap, mixed into oil first.
Orange spots and shelf life
"Dreaded orange spots" come mainly from rancid oils; high superfat, some fragrances, contact with non-stainless metal and damp curing make them worse. Rosemary extract helps little. Cure soap somewhere dry, cool and airy.
Samples sent to the FDA must have most of their shelf life left, so set a best-before date you can support.
Additive batch
- Calculate the fragrance amount for a 1 kg batch within the IFRA limit.
- Make three small batches with different colours.
- Cure them and record any spots or changes each week.
Certificates
Ask a fragrance supplier for IFRA certificates for two oils.
Unit 5 · Quality control and standards
Test every batch. Record every test. One bad batch can lose a customer.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 5.1 Run bench tests | tests pH, hardness and lather on every batch |
| 5.2 Explain lab tests | explains TFM and free alkali, and sends samples to a laboratory |
| 5.3 Keep batch records | keeps records good enough for an inspection or recall |
Range. All batches made in the course. Evidence. Batch record book; lab sample form.
Laboratory measures
- TFM (total fatty matter) is the main measure of soap quality: the fatty matter left after splitting soap with acid.
- An East African toilet soap standard, as a comparison, requires TFM of at least 76% and free caustic alkali of no more than 0.1%.
- Ghana has its own standards for toilet soap, laundry soap and black soap. Buy them from the GSA.
- The FDA needs an original certificate of analysis from a recognised public analyst for locally made products.
The tongue "zap" test. Many experienced soap makers touch soap to the tongue to check for free lye and say pH strips are unreliable. This manual keeps the Level 1 rule: never taste soap. Use bench tests to screen, and a laboratory free-alkali test to be sure.
Batch record
- Batch number and date
- Recipe and weights actually used
- Lye supplier and purity
- Temperatures and times
- Test results (pH, hardness, lather)
- Number of bars made and packed
- Where each batch was sold
Quality day
- Test every batch from Units 2–4 and record results.
- Fill in a batch record for each.
- Prepare one sample for a laboratory with the right label.
Find a lab
Find the nearest laboratory that tests soap and what it charges.
Unit 6 · Register, label and scale up
A registered product can enter shops, hotels and export markets. An unregistered one stays at the roadside.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 6.1 Plan registration | lists the ORC and FDA steps and costs |
| 6.2 Make a legal label | produces a label with all required items |
| 6.3 Scale up safely | plans and safely runs a 20–50 kg batch |
Range. One product; one large batch. Evidence. Registration checklist; label; batch record.
Step 1: register the business
Register with the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC). In the 2026 schedule a sole proprietorship costs GH¢130 and renews at GH¢70 a year.
Step 2: FDA licence and product registration
- The FDA's form for local cosmetics lists a yearly manufacturing licence and a three-year product registration, with fees by size of business: for a cottage business, a GH¢50 licence and GH¢300 registration. Submit six samples plus two of each variant, your business certificate and documents.
- A later fee schedule lists different amounts. An FDA official has said small businesses may sometimes group 2–3 products under one fee.
- Registration takes about 1–2 months after samples are tested.
- The Progressive Licensing Scheme helps businesses with 1–5 production staff through pink, yellow and green licences, with support and lower fees.
- Mercury, steroids and hydroquinone are banned, and a product that claims to treat disease is a drug, not a cosmetic.
Fees differ between FDA documents. Confirm the current fee with the FDA office before you apply.
Step 3: the label
The label must show: product name, ingredients by their INCI names, net content, batch number, manufacture and best-before dates, directions and warnings, storage, maker's name and address, country of origin, "keep out of reach of children", "for external use only" and the FDA number. Cosmetic labels must not claim to cure anything, and must not fade in sunlight.
Step 4: bigger batches
Big batch safety.
- Mix lye in a lidded, labelled HDPE or stainless drum on the floor, never at face height.
- Two people lift any pot over 20 kg.
- No aluminium, ever.
- Keep a water drum at every station; flood any splash with water for at least 15 minutes.
- Rope off the area. Workers must be 18 or over.
Register and scale
- Complete a registration checklist with costs for one product.
- Design a full label for it.
- Run a 20 kg batch with your team under supervision and record it.
FDA visit
Visit or call the FDA regional office in Takoradi. Ask about the Progressive Licensing Scheme.
Unit 7 · Cost, sell and grow
Know what each bar costs you, choose buyers who pay well, and build a brand people remember.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Cost a batch | costs a 20 kg batch and prices for retail, wholesale and institutions |
| 7.2 Market the brand | plans location, sales pitches and social media |
| 7.3 Find finance and export routes | names finance and export steps |
Range. Own products. Evidence. Costing sheet; marketing plan.
Costing
Accra marketplace listings in October 2026 showed caustic soda at about GH¢320 per 25 kg, palm kernel oil at GH¢600–650 per 25 litres and red palm oil around GH¢400 per 25 litres.
Cost a batch
A 20 kg batch uses oils and lye costing GH¢420 and makes 230 bars. Packaging costs GH¢0.60 a bar, fuel GH¢30 and labour GH¢120. What is the cost per bar? What price gives 40% profit on cost?
The market
Ghana exported over 66,000 tonnes of soap in 2022, mostly to West African neighbours, but still imports 50,000–55,000 tonnes a year. There is room for good local brands.
Export
FDA's 2025 export guideline requires ORC registration, FDA product registration and an electronic permit for each shipment. Selling soap into the EU needs a responsible person there and a safety report. In the United States, plain soap with no claims is treated differently from soap that claims to moisturise or kill germs.
Location settings that give good returns
No study ranks the best places to sell soap, so these are practical guides:
- A small production room near a road, with water and good ventilation
- Shops and supermarkets in Takoradi and Sekondi
- Hotels and guest houses along the coast (small guest bars)
- Schools, hospitals and offices (bulk liquid soap and laundry soap)
- Markets for black soap and herbal soaps
Business ideas and ingenuity
- Hotel guest soaps with the hotel's name
- Bulk liquid hand soap in refillable containers for offices
- Gift boxes for weddings and Christmas
- Black soap with shea and honey for export shops
- Training others in soap making
- Laundry bars for washing bays and hostels
Market yourself
- A brand name, a logo and the same label on every product.
- WhatsApp Business and Instagram with clear photos and prices.
- Free samples for hotel and office managers.
- Show your FDA number: buyers trust registered products.
Finance and support
- The Ghana Enterprises Agency has given over GH¢700 million to small businesses and runs grants for growing firms.
- In the Western Region, NEWIG and the Coca-Cola Foundation trained 54 women, including 9 persons with disabilities, in Sekondi-Takoradi, with start-up kits.
Accessibility
The Mpohor-Fiase District Assembly trained persons with disabilities in liquid and solid soap, branding and marketing. A visually impaired graduate trained in soap making needed seed capital to start. Practical changes: talking or tactile scales, raised-dot labels on lye containers, a seated work bench, a step-free floor and a buddy for any lye work.
Business plan
- Cost one 20 kg batch with your own prices.
- Set retail, wholesale and hotel prices.
- Design a one-page marketing plan.
- Pitch your product to one hotel or shop.
GEA visit
Visit the GEA office and ask about support for small manufacturers.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Batch record | A written record of everything about one batch |
| DOS | Dreaded orange spots: rancidity in soap |
| Hot process | Cooking soap until saponification is complete |
| IFRA | International Fragrance Association; sets safe fragrance limits |
| INCI | International names for cosmetic ingredients |
| KOH | Potassium hydroxide (potash); used for liquid soap |
| SAP value | Lye needed to turn an oil into soap |
| TFM | Total fatty matter; the main soap quality measure |
Logbook
- Unit 1: three recipe sheets with hand checks
- Unit 2: hot-process and liquid soap batch records
- Unit 3: black soap batch records
- Unit 4: additive calculations; curing record
- Unit 5: test results; lab sample form
- Unit 6: registration checklist; label; large batch record
- Unit 7: costing sheet; marketing plan
- Every homework, dated
Self-check quiz
- How do you change a KOH SAP value into an NaOH amount?
- Why keep coconut and palm kernel oil at 30–35% in body bars?
- Why must liquid soap be made with KOH?
- Why use distilled water for liquid soap?
- What is the IFRA limit, and which figure do you follow?
- What causes orange spots?
- What is TFM?
- Name six things an FDA label must show.
- Name three big-batch safety rules.
- How do you find the cost per bar?
Further reading and sources
Best next reads: your Level 1 manual; the FDA's cosmetics registration and labelling guidelines; the Hub's Money Skills manual.
What this module does not cover: medicated soaps (these are drugs), detergent powders, and factory-scale saponification.
Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.