The first area of safety we need to cover is how to handle lye properly. Lye is a very dangerous chemical that can cause serious burns, harm and even death if not used and stored properly. I don't want to scare you too bad on this issue, but lye is not something to take lightly.

First and foremost, if you have children, the first thing you should do is to purchase a lock before you bring lye into your home! You will want to keep your lye and a few other ingredients you'll be using out of reach of any children, and locked up tight so that nosy wee ones can't find a chair somewhere and reach the cabinets you thought were too high for them to reach. So buy a lock for a high up cabinet and hide the key where children cannot find it!

When mixing lye, make sure that you are either outdoors or in a well ventilated area, as the fumes do get harsh when mixing the lye with water. I leave my window open and have a fan running when mixing mine, unless it's a large amount, then I take it outside.

You will need the following basic supplies for all of your soap making needs. These are items you will be using no matter what method you choose.

1. Double Boiler or 2 Huge stainless steal or enamel pots.

2. Two or more large Pyrex measuring cups.

3. A selection of wooden, stainless steal, or plastic spoons for mixing.

4. Thick Latex Gloves

5. Plenty of dishtowels or paper towels to clean up spills and splashes.

6. Large glass mixing bowls that are microwave safe.

7. Sharp paring knife and large kitchen knife.

8. Plastic Measuring Spoons and Cups for measuring additives

9. Molds...I use Rubbermaid plastic containers for my hot process and cold process soaps. I also use wooden molds with my cold process that my husband built me. I have included plans to make a wooden mold here. You may want some pretty molds you can purchase from Michael's for your melt-n-Pour. Candy Molds also work well for Melt-N-Pour. You can also use New Kitty Litter boxes to make soaps that are the perfect sized shapes, just make sure they are new and not used.

10. Fragrances

11. Colorants (Optional)

12. Additives (Optional)

Melt & Pour

Melt and Pour is one of the easiest methods for making your own custom soaps. They are made from a pre-made base that can be melted down and additives added to give your soaps a unique touch all your own.

Rebatching Soap

Rebatch is a bit like the melt and pour method, except it's more of a melt and plop method. Instead of melting a clear base until it is liquid, you will be melting plain soap base until it is a thick gel. The reason I call it melt and plop, is because you have to plop the gel into your molds. It does not pour as the melt & pour does.

Microwave Method

You can make small batches of soap in your microwave. This is a nice technique to use when creating your own recipes as you can try the recipe in a smaller batch first to see if it has the desired results.

Here are some of my best recipes. These will get you well on your way to making dozens of nice bath products that you can resell or give as gifts.

Milk-N-Honey
This recipe calls for milk instead of water.
20 oz milk
50 oz soap flakes
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Vitamin E Capsule
Few drops to ½ teaspoon of your favorite scent (optional)

Fresh Herbal Soap
20 oz water
50 oz soap flakes
½ teaspoon basil (calming)
¼ teaspoon ginger (toner)
¼ teaspoon sage (clarifying)
1 Vitamin E Capsule
Few drops to ½ teaspoon of your favorite scent (optional)

More great rebatch recipes are found here.

You're going to fall in love with these breezy, yummy and fruity soap recipes.

Flower garden
3 cups base
1 tbsp each of 5 different flowers.
No scent or color needed.

Oats n Honey
3 cups base
3 ozs beeswax
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp oats

Mango Moisturizer
4 cups base
1/4-cup coconut oil
½ cup almond oil
2 tbsp mango fragrance

A lot more easy and successful melt & pour recipes are found here.

These natural recipes help problem skin (acne, wrinkles and scars). After using these refreshing facial treatments your pampered skin will feel nourished and it will have healthy glow.

Rosewater Face Wash (for oily skin)
1-cup rosewater
1 cup distilled water
¼ teaspoon tincture of benzoin
1 Vitamin E Capsule

Mix the ingredients together. The liquid will turn milky due to the benzoin. Store in a covered glass jar and use daily to wash face. Helps clear up acne and tones your skin.

Rosewater Cream(Cold Cream that helps eliminate wrinkles and scars)
6 oz extra virgin olive oil
2 oz beeswax
2 oz rosewater
5 Vitamin E Capsules

More easy and successful melt & pour recipes are found here, along with bath gel recipes, fruity facials, face masks, hand lotion, skin lotion, lip gloss, and lots more.

If you want your items to sell, you must package your items attractively. You can do this cheaply and still achieve very professional results.

You can wrap your soaps in wax paper, saran wrap, parchment paper or shrink-wrap.

To package bath salts, find an origami site off the Internet and learn to make an origami box. Once you can make those then you can beautiful paper boxes of many shapes and sizes for all your products.

So how do you price your products so that you don't overcharge, yet still show a nice profit?

First you need to calculate approximately how much you have invested in the ingredients.

Next, calculate the time you have spent making your batch, cutting and wrapping your bars.