After reading some about making soap from scratch, listening to extremely helpful friends on Facebook, I learned a little about what to do and what not to do. Most especially, I learned not make it from scratch -- visit your local craft store, Michael's to be exact. (To read more about my first attempts at making soap, visit my blog).
Soap making would be a great project for showers, parties, little girl parties if you have extra adults on hand to help with the hot soap, and bridesmaids gifts or gift giving for any occasion.
After some trial and error, I have now made 34 bars of soap. And while I'm still learning, I do know that it is wonderfully fun and fantastically easy. And if I can find more storage space or willing recipients, I plan to keep making bars of soap.
For more detailed information on recipes, etc., Amazon carries a book that got me started down that path called, "Basic Soap Making."
Things I've Learned About Soap Making
1. Go to Michael's and buy soap base; they have many kinds including glycerine, Shea butter base, olive oil base, goat's milk base, etc.
2. Add an "essence" rather than a fragrance. An essence is an essential oil, a natural derivative of the plant itself, rather than just a man-made fragrance.
3. Toast additives when you can, like oatmeal, it brings out its natural flavors and oil.
4. Grind additives to an almost powder like consistency.
5. Use dedicated utensils for soap making. I used a coffee grinder for my lavender. And while I thoroughly scrubbed the grinder, there was still a hint of lavender in my husband's coffee.
Soap Recipes I've Used
From everything I could glean from experienced soap makers; most agree that you should use 1 tablespoon of additive to 1 pound of base.
To begin, you will cut your solid soap base into approximately 1 x 1 inch squares and place them in a heavy glass container. I used a large Pyrex liquid measure. You will microwave the soap in 10-15 second segments until the base is completely liquid.
Then while still hot, add whatever you like. After completely incorporating your additives into the soap base, I stir with a heat-resistant plastic utensil, pour liquid into soap molds and let sit for approximately an hour at the minimum.
Un-mold ... and enjoy.
It's that simple. Molds can be as practical as plastic containers you already have around your house; yogurt or butter containers, or you can purchase molds at the craft store.
Here are the recipes I used:
Lavender Oatmeal
1 pound of Shea butter soap base
1 tablespoon of toasted oatmeal, ground
1 tablespoon dried lavender buds, ground
16 drops of essential lavender oil
Depending on your mold; this will yield about 4 full size bars of soap.
Honey Oatmeal
1 pound of Shea butter soap base
1 tablespoon of toasted oatmeal, ground
1 tablespoon of honey
Depending on your mold; this will yield about 4 full size bars of soap.
I am looking forward to further experimenting with other recipes and looking forward to trying a citrus based glycerine soap next. If you've tried some recipes you've enjoyed using, I would love to hear from you.
