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Soap Making Essentials

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 2 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #957 in DIY, #18725 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

I confess. I am a soapmaker!

 

Do thoughts of colonial housewives or flowery hippy chicks come to mind?

Well, I am neither. I am a middle class average housewife and mother who loves to express her creativity through the craft of soapmaking.

As a bonus, my family and friends all get to use lovely handmade soaps that make their skin happier than it has ever been.

For the love of soap making! 

frontcover-200The craft of soap making has become a very popular hobby during the last few decades.

Can you imagine what a chore it must have been in colonial times? Having to render tallow and leach lye from ashes before even starting the soap making process?

Today, all you have to do to get your ingredients is sit down at your computer and order them. They come right to your door...or mailbox.

Soap making is easier now too! If you can follow a recipe, you can make homemade soaps.

You're probably saying "Yeah, right! What about the lye. That stuffs bad for you. Isn't it?". Lye or Sodium Hydroxide, as it is also called, is a caustic soda so yes, it is bad for you in its raw form.

camillia-soap-200You'll be happy to hear that once handmade soap is finished being made, it no longer contains lye.

During the soapmaking process a chemical reaction takes place that causes the lye and oils to join together. This process is call saponification. Once saponification takes place, the lye no longer exists...it's now a new product....soap!

Saponification? Chemical Reactions? Now your having thoughts about mad scientists aren't you?

If your worried about having to set up a lab and get all sorts of weird scientific equipment, don't. Most of the supplies you'll need you probably already have right in your kitchen.

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A pot, some bowls, a whisk, empty jars, a spatula, candy thermometer ... everyday kitchen equipment. Your most expensive purchase will probably be a weight scale that is accurate to the nearest gram.

Large-Group-200My favorite part of the soapmaking process (and sometimes the hardest) is deciding on what type of soap to make. There are so many options to choose from that I often have a difficult time trying to pick just one.

You first have to decide what type of base oils to use. What colors and textures or design ideas do you want to try? Botanicals or spices? Essenitals oils? The choices are only limited by your imagination.

A homemade soap recipe is a great place to start when you're a beginner. As you become familiar with the soap making process, you will be able to create your own unique recipes that are tailored to meet the needs of your skin type.

Soap making becomes an addiction...once you start you'll never be able to stop. Thank goodness it's fun to do and creates something thats good for you!

The Soap Blog 

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The Soap Blog is a great way to keep up-to-date with what's happening here at Soap Making Essentials. It lets you know when new content is created or when special updates occur.

You'll find information about new homemade soap recipes, decorative ideas, essential oils or anything else that is fun, interesting and related to soap.

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Soap Making Essentials Flickr Photos 

Here are some examples of soaps you could easily learn to make yourself.

lavender-soap by Soap Making Essentials

olive-oil-soaps-200 by Soap Making Essentials

Comfrey Infused Soap by Soap Making Essentials

basic-soap-200 by Soap Making Essentials

Camellia Oil Soap by Soap Making Essentials

apricot-soap by Soap Making Essentials

Group of Six Different Soaps by Soap Making Essentials

balls-200 by Soap Making Essentials

PearTrio by Soap Making Essentials

Oatmeal by Soap Making Essentials

almond-oil-soap by Soap Making Essentials

Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter soap by Soap Making Essentials

Shea Butter soap by Soap Making Essentials

coffee-200 by Soap Making Essentials

sweet-citrus-honey by Soap Making Essentials

saltbar2 by Soap Making Essentials

Share your thoughts about Soap Making Essentials! 

ChristiannaGarrett-Martin

What a great review! Thank you for the information. I shall definitely try to make my own. I have been wanting to for a while now :)

5 STARS and Favourite!

Christianna

Posted September 30, 2008

adela apahidean

I think you are great! I am glad I found your web site! I am looking for information; I want to make soap. I am from Romania(EU)and in my contry I foun only 1 serious co. making natural soap. I want to make my own soap and maybe start a small buisness.I paint icons and I am a mother of 3 boys. I wish you all the best!

Posted August 21, 2008

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cdwinsby

About cdwinsby

I created Soap Making Essentials with the hopes of inspiring others to embark on their own soap making adventure!

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