What temperature should you aim for when making soap?

There are several plants that can be used as soap because they are high in saponins, and you might have one or two growing in your garden.

To gel or not to gel? That is the question!

I have told the story about making my first batch of soap many times and I realised recently that I have never written a blog about my first steps into the world of soap making. I suppose it is better late than never!

If you are new to soap making, having the right equipment to hand is essential to ensure that you can safely make a batch of soap.

Once you have selected a suitable container to use as a soap mould you will then need to work out your recipe size. In other words, how much soap will fill your chosen mould?

Fatty acids are basically the building blocks of soap, and each fatty acid in your soap recipe will create a different soap with different qualities.

My students are always asking for soap making book recommendations, so I thought it was about high time that I write a blog about some of my favourite soap making books.

A question that I am frequently asked by participants in my soap making classes is:

“Can I sell my handmade soap?”

I love flowers and plants in general, so it stands to reason that when it comes to adding a fragrance to my soap then essential oils are the obvious choice. In fact, essential oils are the only way to add a natural fragrance to soap.

There are so many oils for soap making that you will be spoiled for choice. You can use endless combinations of them to produce different bars of soap with different qualities such as cleansing, conditioning, creaminess etc.

Soap or sanitiser? That is the question. Which one is more effective to protect us from germs?

Soap making involves science and art. Whereas art is the fun and exciting part of making soap, it seems that many people feel apprehensive when they see or hear the ‘S’ word (science).

Variety is the spice of life as they say, and spices can certainly bring variety to your soap and a whole lot more too. As well as the colour and texture that spices can add to soap there are also many skin benefits.

When you start out in the wonderful world of soap making there is lots of terminology that you will need to get your head round. It can be confusing, but you don’t necessarily need to know the language of soap making to start creating your own soap. It will all fall into place over time so don’t run before you can walk.

It’s that time of year again when you can’t escape from being bombarded with pink when you are out shopping. It’s everywhere you look and the retailers’ shelves are bulging with pink products.

In a previous blog I shared five frequently asked questions from my soap making courses and as a follow on from that post I am sharing another five frequently asked questions.

With the current chaos created by Brexit everything is up in the air for many businesses and many areas of law that have given us protection with EU membership are hanging in the balance.

Over the years I have heard many weird and wonderful things about soap making and it’s time to dispel the tall tales that circulate far and wide.

When I started making soap, I wanted it to be completely natural so when it came to fragrance, essential oils were the natural choice.