Once you move away from basic recipes you’ll find that you want to get into using soap making ingredients such as essential oils. These are probably the most important ingredient that you will be using and it’s also the one you have to use with the most care. You will literally have hundreds to choose from and once you have become a bit more accomplished you will even start to mix different scents together.

One of the most common oils used for soap is olive oil. Using olive oil in soap gives it a moisturizing effect. Another oil choice that a number of soap makers use is coconut oil. If you want your soaps to have a lot of lather then coconut oil is what you need to choose. Another standard oil is almond oil. Almond oil for soap making is easy to use, great for soap moisturizing and absorbs well. Another favorite is canola oil. It can be used as a substitute for olive oil and also has moisturizing properties as well as producing a good lather.

Some other additives you might like to try are things such as aloe vera juice, beeswax and honey, clays, coffee, different fruits and vegetables as well as herbs and flowers.

Next you want to look at ways to color your soap. One of the most common things to use to color your soap is to use crayons. You do have to be careful, as crayons contain wax and may not be the best choice for a beginner. Advanced soap makers will know how to use crayons as a color additive. Different herbs can be used for natural coloring. For instance if you use dill in your soap you will find that is will give you an excellent green hue. Other natural plants will also allow you to add color to your soap. Another thing to try is glycerin colorant chips. They are easy to find and usually have a very intense pigmentation.

Molds are you next most important soap making ingredient. Soap making molds are relatively inexpensive and if you do some searching around your house you can probably come up with many ideas right from your own home. They should be made of plastic but if you want more fancy molds most hobby stores or craft shops carry a large variety of plastic and wood molds. Some people like to use silicone molds and these too come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. You might also want to check out candle molds as they often make excellent molds for soaps. One last thought if you want to get very creative is to use polystyrene. It can be used for basic molds but you will be able to create patterns in the bottom of your mold to make your soap making more creative.

Lye for soap. Where to buy lye for soap has become a challenge since the standard Red Devil Lye was removed from grocery shelves. There are still a number of suppliers of lye and you will find a complete list in our Ebook, Soapmaking Made Easy. This is probably the one soap making ingredient that you must be very careful with. It can do a lot of damage and that is why it is recommended to use rubber gloves and eye protection.

All of the above should get you off to a good start in finding and using different soap making ingredients. We do go into it in more depth in our book, but you now have some of the basics to work with.

Some of the things you will need for your first attempt at easy soap making are, glycerin soap, soap dye, soap molds or even candy molds will work, a microwave safe measuring cup, spoon, coffee stir stick and a knife. That’s it! Easy soap making at it’s best.

The only things you will need to buy are the glycerin soap, the dye and the molds if you don’t already have some. With it being this inexpensive you can afford to fail and try again but we’re hoping to help you prevent any failures. It’s also a great project for kids.

So…let’s get started on our first soap making adventure.

Cut off two or three pre-measured pieces of glycerin soap. Microwave the glycerin soap for approximately twenty to twenty-five seconds, unless the package has instructions that say otherwise. Then keep microwaving in small intervals until the soap is melted.

Next you slowly add the chosen dye color. Add your color slowly as this will allow you to judge the intensity of the color and choose how dark you want it to be. As your adding the dye, keep stirring with a spoon so that the color mixes well and you can judge the depth of the color.

Now it’s time to pour the soap into the mold you have chosen. Do this very slowly so that you don’t miss or fill it too high. Now set it aside for about forty-five to fifty minutes to allow it to get hard. Depending on where you live it could take up to an hour to harden. Often some soaps harden sooner than others and it also varies depending on how high above sea level you are.

Once the soap has completely cooled off just turn them out of their molds. If they don’t come out easily just put them in the freezer for fifteen minutes and then try it again. And there you go, you’ve just made your first batch of soap.

Easy soap making is fun for all ages. This is a great way for kids to make nice little presents for their teachers or friends.

Here are some easy soap making tricks for you to try.

If you would like your soap to have layered colors simply put in the first color and let it cool. In about 5 minutes it should have formed a skin and it’s ready for a second layer. Slowly add the second layer of color.

Another fun thing to do is to make up your own colors by simply mixing different dye colors until you have your own unique color.

If you are not ready to invest in soap molds don’t worry. There are many things around your house that will be perfect for soap molds. Just about anything that will hold water can be used as a soap mold. Be creative and inventive. You can also use such things as cookie molds or muffin pans. They will both work well.

Be sure to sign up for our free mini-course and learn many more soap making ideas and tips.

In our 133 page book, Soap Making Made Easy – An Easy Guide To Making Your Own Soap, we cover molds much more extensively, and show you the many options available to help you with easy soap making.

This is one of the best ways to get started with easy soap making and the results are likely to come out perfect. This is very important for the beginner in order to gain some confidence.

Basically there are four different kinds of soap making kits for beginners. The easiest soap making kits are the “Melt & Pour” ones. There is very little chance of failure and you get almost instant gratification as the soaps are normally ready in about an hour. These are also great kits for kids as there are no chemicals involved and the soaps are usually glycerin based. Be sure that any melt and pour kit comes with molds. This is one of the most important pieces of equipment in easy soap making. If it doesn’t have molds there are many things around your house that you can use as a substitute.

The next type of soap making kit is the cold process kit. This is not a kit for children as it comes with caustic chemicals and you must be very careful when using some of these chemicals.

The kit should come with essential oils as well as lye and soap molds. When using the chemicals in this kit it is important to be using rubber gloves as well as eye protection. Most kits will come with this protective gear as well as a thermometer that is used during the cooking stage of your batches of soap.

The next type are kits that are for specialized soaps. These soaps can be for treating conditions such as dry skin, eczema or acne. They also normally include basics for baby soaps, bath soaps as well as aromatherapy soaps. These kits are usually the most fun to work with and your kitchen will smell like an aromatherapy factory.

Your kit should include everything to help you get started making great smelling soaps. The kits should always include good molds for a beginner to use, and should have a number of different essential oils and even cocoa butter. This allows you to make great moisturizing, luxury soaps. With complete instructions you should have your first perfect batch within hours of getting your kit.

When you are buying your kit make sure that you look at all the different kinds of kits so that you are sure you are getting the right one for you and for the type of soap that you want to make.

If you’re looking for a melt and pour kit, you don’t want to end up with a cold process kit. Don’t be afraid to ask the salespeople in the craft store to help you. They’ll be glad to answer all your questions and will probably offer many ideas and suggestions to you.

You might also want to check out your local community colleges to see if they have any courses on soapmaking. You can also look for local craft stores that have demonstrations or if you prefer one on one instruction, simply find someone else who makes their own soaps and ask if they will help teach you.

If you are the learn it yourself type, then be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletter or purchase our Ebook. It can be downloaded immediately and you’ll learn all the basics as we take you to more advanced levels.

You can buy lye from a chemical supply house in your area but it will come in a large quantity. Try teaming up with others that are using lye for soap making and buy your bulk supplies together. The size of bag that you will be buying will be around thirty-five to fifty pounds and in the end it will cost much less than what you were paying in the store for Red Devil Lye.

Another idea is to look around at some of your local hardware supply stores. Some stores sell Roebic Crystal Drain Opener which is 100% lye. You can purchase this in a 2 pound container which will work well if you can not find other to go in with you on getting the larger supply of lye. No matter which you buy it is wise to check the manufacturers web site for complete details and for safety instructions. Once you have found a good supply place, make sure to stick with them, develop a relationship with them so that they will always have it on the shelves for you.

For those who are concerned with the environment you should know that once your soap is made there is actually no lye left and therefore it is environmentally safe. When you combine fat with lye in the soap making process, the lye gets used up in the reaction. The end result is a glycerol and soap. In the “olden days” lye was made from potassium hydroxides from wood ashes and water and then combined with fat from animals. In present day soapmakers are using different types of vegetable oils or palm and coconut oils rather than animal fat. There are actually two different types of lye. One is from sodium hydroxide and will result in a very hard soap, or potassium hydroxide that will result in a much softer soap or even a liquid soap.

There is no doubt about it though, lye is a very dangerous and caustic based material. On its own it can really be harmful and it is prudent to take extra precautions with it in your own home. It should be stored in a high place out of the reach of children and in a tightly sealed container. You also need to wear rubber gloves and protective eye wear when you are using it during the soap making process. Once it is mixed with oils in the soap making process it is then safe as it is neutralized and becomes harmless.

A few words of caution. Lye can be dangerous. If it comes in contact with your skin you need to get it off your skin using vinegar and water and then get medical attention. Have this solution nearby when making your soap. If you get it in your eye flush the eye immediately with cool water and do so for at least 20 minutes. Have an eye wash cup nearby at all times. Then get medical attention as soon as possible. If it gets swallowed contact your nearest poison control center. If you follow all the precautions you should have no problems and you soap making adventures should be smooth sailing.

Once you have learned the art of soapmaking and feel comfortable with some of the basic recipes you’ll be able to start branching out into specialty soaps. This is where your business can really take off. As you develop recipes that are completely your own and become popular you’ll have people flocking to you to buy their favorites.

Most people when they first start learning basic recipes often give the soaps to friends and family. As your skills develop and they get an abundance of soap from you, they’ll start passing them on to their friends and families. It won’t be long before your name gets out there and you’ll have people looking to buy soap from you. As you develop specialties, you’ll start to have a lot of repeat business. Your market can expand even more as people buy soaps for their friends and families as presents.

When you have a soap making business it’s not hard to find places to sell your soaps without having to open your own store. There are always flea markets around and if you give out your business card with each purchase you name will get out there even more. Another great idea is to approach local B&B’s so that they can have specialty soaps for their guests. You can even offer to take back soaps that are not completely used and turn them into liquid hand soaps for these businesses or sachets for the closets to help keep people’s clothes smelling really fresh and scented.

Approach local small boutique hotels and offer your products to them. Give them a discount if they will keep your business card in the bathroom with the soap products. Spas are another great place to promote your products. Spa owners are always looking for unique products for their customers. At Christmas time you can get a small booth in your local mall and sell them as individual soaps or make up Christmas baskets.

Once you have gained more confidence in your soap making abilities, you can then look at selling them on Ebay. This will really broaden your customer base and has the potential to make you a lot of money.

As you begin your business get waterproof labels made up that you can use in the packaging of your soaps. Develop or get someone to make you a company logo. This can go on the actual soap, as well as your labels and business cards. It’s all part of advertising and promoting your business and it’s very inexpensive.

Another thing to do to promote your business is to have pictures done of your products. In this computer age it’s easy to do yourself, or find a friend who is good at it and exchange soap for pictures so that there is no cost to you other than the materials. Bartering with soap for other products will save you a lot of money. Photos will help people to remember your products and your business name. They are also great to take to craft shows if you don’t want to take your entire inventory.

So if you’re looking for some extra money you’ll find that a soap making business may be just the right thing for you, or you and your entire family.

Allow the entire batch to cool and then whip it again in your blender. Now simply add cold water to the mixture until you have about six cups. Whip it all up again and pour it into an open lidded storage container and when it is cool you are ready to start filling pump dispensers. It’s wise to shake them before using them.

Liquid soap making is one of the most popular types of soap making as it lathers quickly, is really convenient and it beats having to deal with bar soap at your sink. Liquid soap that is store bought is not cheap and you can save a lot of money by simply making it yourself. A basic recipe for beginners and one that you can make in a crock pot is:

16.5 ounces of sunflower oil
7 ounces of coconut oil
5.5 ounces of potassium hydroxide
16.5 ounces water that is distilled (this is for the lye mixture)
40 ounces water that is distilled, used with the soap paste to dilute it
2 ounces of boric acid
3 ounces of essential oils. These can be mixed as long as the total is no more than 3 ounces
Some type of color if you want to color it.

Mix all your oils in the crock pot on a very low temperature until it reaches approximately 160 degrees. During the time these are heating, mix the lye and water in the standard way. The potassium hydroxide is a bit volatile in water but this is normal. It makes some odd sounds but don’t worry. When this is done and mixed completely and clear looking then gradually add it to your oils in the crockpot gradually stirring it until it is all mixed together.

Then you can start to blast it together with a stick blender. It can take a long time to get trace. Don’t worry if it takes 30 minutes or a bit more. This is normal. After trace leave the soap for about 20 minutes. If you still see separation just stir it again and put the lid on.

Keep checking. It can take up to 4 hours for this mixture to cook and it will go through different stages so don’t be concerned. Just keep stirring it every half hour. You can even use a potato masher to help you if it gets really sticky. Once it starts to get creamy and looks like Vaseline it will start to look more translucent.

Now it’s time to dilute the paste using the 40 ounces of water that is remaining. Bring it to a slow boil by adding the water to the paste. Then turn off the heat and let it sit with the lid on. You can let the entire mixture sit overnight as you are simply in a wait and see mode. When it is completely dissolved you next need to neutralize it. Here you can add fragrance or essential oils after the neutralizing process.

Bring the mixture to 180 degrees. While doing this make your neutralizing solution. Take your boric acid and mix it into 8 ounces of boiling water. Make sure to stir it well and keep it hot. This is crucial. For every pound of soap paste add 3/4 of an ounce of neutralizer.

This recipe makes about 2.8 pounds of paste so you should add about 2 ounces of solution. Slowly put the neutralizing mixture into the heated soap mixture making sure to stir it very well at the same time. Add it one ounce at a time, let it sit for awhile and then add a half ounce. If it is still clear you can add the remaining amount of the mixture. Now add your essential oils or fragrance while the entire mixture is still hot.

Pour into a large container and let the entire mixture rest and cool. Any particles will sink to the bottom. When pouring into containers let the particles at the bottom stay there. Do not add to your dispensers. You’re now ready to start enjoying your liquid soap, or giving it as gifts to friends and family.

Cream soaps have a whipped cream feeling to them and make a great body wash. Of course it will depend a lot on the oils your use and how much water you put into your process but it’s not hard to control the texture at all. Depending on the adjustments you make you can have a soap that is almost salve like, or semi liquid or a soap with the texture of fluffy to dense whipped cream.

There are recipes for cream soap making that are hot press soaps and cold press soaps. If you do try the cold process soap method it can actually take close to 8-10 days for saponification to be completed. No matter which method you use, both of them will require the use of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. This is the first time I have ever used these in combination so it was quite interesting.

This is not really a soap for a beginner, but more for the experienced soaper. It is simple to make, once you have a good understanding of the other processes. This is not a method that used a stick blender, but uses the cake mix style mixer. Stick blender can not be used due to the fact that they just don’t seem to give you the volume you need from the oils you use.

Using a mostly cold process soap procedure this type of soap can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before it will get hard. Then it will need to cure for another 4-6 weeks. If you have the patience you’ll like making cream soap. It can be extremely creative as well. If you use a piping bag you can work with two or three different colors. You’ll also have a wide variety of molds you can use. For the most part silicon molds will work best for this type of soap but the molds will give you a lot of creative options.

The best part about cream soap making is the you do not have to work with hot oils and worrying about temperatures. Since there is no trace step you don’t have to worry about knowing when you have reached trace. Cream soap can be made using vegetable or animal fats or a combination of the two. The aromas will normally be a bit more intense and will hold for a long time. Since the base is very white using colors, especially pastels work very well. And finally, this type of soap will float in water. Kids and adults alike will love this feature.

A Basic Vegetable Soap

28 ounces of coconut oil
24 ounces of olive oil (make sure you get the lightest color)
30 ounces of vegetable shortening (the best one available at reasonable cost)
12 ounces of lye
32 oz. cold water
1.5 – 4 ounces essential oil or any fragrance oil.

Temperatures should range from 95-120 degrees.

Vegetable Perfection Recipe

48 ounces Crisco
21 ounces Soybean Oil (Canola or Olive Oil will also work)
18 ounces Coconut Oil
28 ounces of cold water
12 ounces lye crystals

Temperatures: 100 degrees

If you trace this by hand is should be ready in about 20 minutes.
Then cure it for about 24-48 hours before cutting.

Totally Vegetable

56 ounces olive oil
30 ounces vegetable shortening
9 ounces Castor oil
12 ounces lye crystals
28 ounces cold water
2 Teaspoon of salt dissolved a little hot water. Then add to lye solution.
Advanced users can try this without the salt to see a different texture.

Almond/Peanut Oil

36 ounces almond/peanut oil blended
16 ounces coconut oil
36 ounces olive oil
24 ounces cold water
12 ounces lye crystals

Temperatures: 90-100 degrees

24 hours later is the cutting stage. This will give you very firm bars.

Almond and Chocolate Swirly

16 oz. palm oil
14 oz. coconut oil
52 oz. olive oil
6 ounces cocoa butter
32 oz. cold water (4 cups)
12 oz. lye crystals

Add at trace:

1 ounce Bitter Almond fragrance oil (order from Sweet Cakes)
2-3 T. cocoa powder blended into about 1/4 of the soap at trace (after pouring 3/4 of it into mold)

Temperature: 95-100 degrees

Add the Bitter Almond oil early in the trace. Then pour 3/4 of the soap into your mold.
Quickly mix the cocoa powder into the remaining soap (using a stick blender will make this very easy), then drizzle it on the top of the white soap in a swirly fashion or simply a back and forth direction. A butter knife run gently back and forth will help the two colors blend together.

The soap may have ridges on top from the swirl.
This soap will come out hard and will lathers well.
This makes a great gift for friends, as they usually love the scent of chocolate and almonds.

Peaches and Almonds

32 oz. soybean oil
16 oz. palm oil
16 oz. olive oil
14 oz. coconut oil
8.5 oz. almond oil
28 oz. cold water
12 oz. lye crystals

Temps around 90-110 degrees

Added at light trace:

2 oz. Peach Deluxe Fragrance Oil from Sweet Cakes
1 tsp. Bitter Almond Fragrance Oil from Sweet Cakes
1 Teaspoon paprika (to give it some color)

This recipe gives you a soap with a wonderful smoothness and texture to it.
Small bottles of sweet almond oil are available at most grocery stores.
For Fragrance Oils visit Sweet Cakes at:
http://www.sweetcakes.com/

Decadent White Chocolate

40 ounces soybean oil
16 ounces olive oil
16 ounces coconut oil
8 ounces palm oil
8 ounces cocoa butter (food grade is fine)
28-32 ounces cold water
12 ounces lye crystals
1 oz. fragrance or essential oil if desired at trace, such as peppermint or almond.

Temps 100-110 degrees

The cocoa butter will give the lather a rich creamy feel and it will be very gentle on your skin.

Lots Of Suds – All-Vegetable

24 oz. coconut oil
24 oz. olive oil
20 ounces soybean or canola oil (or feel free to blend it)
16 oz. palm oil
12 oz. lye crystals
24–26 oz. cold water

Temperatures around 110 degrees.

This will produce a very hard bar that will have a great silky lather.

Vegetable Soap With A Hint Of Coconut

40 oz. olive oil
24 oz. soybean oil
14 oz. coconut oil
10 oz. palm oil
12 oz. lye crystals
26 oz. cold water

Temperatures around 110 degrees.

The Best Classic Soap

24 oz. coconut oil
40 oz. olive oil (Harder soap – substitute 2 oz. cocoa butter for 2 oz. of olive oil)
18 oz. palm oil
12 oz. lye crystals
24 – 28 oz. cold water

Temperature around 110 degrees.

Castile Soaps With Tons Of Olive Oil

It is best to use a stick blender. Hand stirring could mean a 36-48 hours to trace, instead of just a few minutes.

78 oz. olive oil
6 oz. coconut oil
6 oz. palm oil
24 oz. cold water
12 oz. lye crystals

Oils at 140 degrees, Lye Solution at 110 degrees.

This is a basic castile recipe. The soap will turn out nice and smooth.

My Best Castile Soap

24-28 oz. cold water (depending on how firm you want the bars in 24 hours)
12 oz. lye crystals
55 oz. olive oil
16 oz. palm oil
16 oz. coconut oil

Temps around 110-115 degrees

My Best Castile With Soybean Oil

40 ounces olive oil
16 ounces coconut oil
16 ounces palm oil
16 ounces soybean oil

Temperature between 90-100 degrees.

Make sure that this soap have a lot of air or it will sweat.

Castile – Coconut and Soybean

40 ounces olive oil
28 ounces soybean oil
18 ounces coconut oil
28 ounces cold water
12 ounces lye crystals

Temperature: between 90-100 degrees

If hand stirring you may want to use higher temperatures up to 120.
Using the stick blender with lower temperatures will give you more time before trace.

Mint Swirl

3/4 oz. spearmint essential oil (1.5 Teaspoon)
3/4 oz. peppermint essential oil (1.5 Teaspoon)
1/4 oz. eucalyptus essential oil (1/2 Teaspoon)

You can buy peppermint and eucalyptus oils at your local pharmacy.

After mixing the essential oils at light trace and while you wait for the soap to thicken, pour most of the soap into a large mold. Leave about 1/8 of it in the pan.

Then add Crayola crayons, which have been kept warm and melted in a small container on the stove:

1/2 blue/green Crayola crayon

A little bit of the original oils in a bit of warm water.
Mix the coloring in thoroughly and drizzle this over the white soap in the pan, keeping it even in back and forth motions. Then take a knife and run it back and forth, first in one direction and then other or even on a diagonal. Try reaching the bottom and sides of your molds.

For a good swirl you need to do this at a thin trace. If the soap gets too thick, your contrasting color will just rest on top and not feather very well.

Soap Scrub For The Gardener

Use Castile base recipes for this soap.

The following were added at medium trace:

2 ounces orange oil
1 ounce eucalyptus oil
1/2 ounce citronella oil
1/4 ounce tea tree oil
1-1.5 Teaspoon poppy seeds
1 Teaspoon pulverized dried orange peel

The orange eucalyptus fragrance that will make you pucker-up a bit! People either hate this soap of love it. It has a really nice clean scent and repels bugs.

If you’re trying something new, the best thing to do is try out your idea first before you get involved in making a large batch and risk it being ruined. So, let’s look at some of the most frequently made mistakes and see how you can learn to avoid them happening to you.

Soap Making Mistake # 1 – Making A Large Batch Without Testing A New Recipe

If you’re using a new recipe for the first time, it’s a very wise move to test it with a small batch and avoid having to throw away a large amount of ruined soap, not to mention the cost involved. Start with about two pounds. This allows you to test your recipe and make sure that the probability of it working is high. You will not waste a lot of money just to see it end up in the garbage. If it works on this size batch, then you’re ready for a much larger one, and you’ll feel fairly safe that it will come out right.

Soap Making Mistake # 2 – Be Careful Changing Up The Recipe

If you are a beginner, I suggest that you don’t try this until you have much more experience. When you are ready start with small test batches to try out your changes. Be very careful in changing oils in a recipe. If you change the oil you will definitely need to change or recalculate how much lye you are putting in. Different oils can have very different amounts of fatty acids and unsaponifable material. It is wise to use a lye calculator, of which there are many on the internet, in order to judge whether your recipe will work or not. Only work on changing one ingredient at a time. This allows you to know that it is this ingredient that is causing the problem instead of having to guess from numerous different materials that you may have used.

Soap Making Mistake # 3 – Be Careful Adding Things To Your Batch

We all love color in our soaps as well as fragrances but if you start adding too many you could end up with a ruined batch. If you start out small and do test batches and add small amounts of ingredients at a time you will have more change of success than failure. If you feel you don’t have enough color or the smell is not strong enough, you can always add more later, but keep it to a small amount at a time. This way you can better gauge what the correct amount will be.

Soap Making Mistake # 4 – Keep A Record Of Your New Recipe

As you start to experiment with different additives and you increase the number of different soaps you are creating, it is wise to keep a record of what you did and what you used. It’s simple to do, but few rarely do it and then when trying to recreate the recipe from memory they find they’ve made a mistake and probably ruined a large batch at the same time. If it’s a recipe that you really love, then make sure you keep an account of your steps so that in the future you will be able to recreate it and enjoy it again.

Soap Making Mistake # 5 – Test, Test, Test

Number one cause of failure is not testing first. The more advanced you get in soapmaking the more likely you are to experiment. So many make the mistake of not testing their new recipe first and then end up with a ruined batch. If you make a change to any of your recipes then you MUST test it.

Testing is a great way of trying out new ideas, fragrances and colors. So test first and then make a large batch and you’ll enjoy the satisfaction of having a good finished product.

Soap Making Mistake # 6 – Learn To Have The Patience Of Job

Some batches that you make may change in smell from day to day. It may not smell strong the first few days but after a week it could be a lot stronger than what you expected. If you are using preservatives it’s important to take a few bars from the batch, wrap them and date them. This allows you to check over time how stable they are and how long the scent lasts. Then you can give them away as gifts with an expiration date. It will be appreciated. Although this takes time and patience, once you’ve done it with one recipe, you’ll never have to do it again with that one. Make sure to also write it into your recipe book for future reference.

Soap Making Made Easy, will get you started off on the right foot from page one. You’ll learn how much fun it is to test recipes in a few easy steps. Before long you will be creating your own recipes and experimenting with all sorts of different additives. You’ll learn all our secrets. Watch for our special where we also include our bonus book on recipes for all kinds of beauty products you can make at home. Lotions, Shampoos, Lip Balms, Bath Bombs….and more.

Suzy Sutherland
Soap Making Made Easy

http://www.soapmakingguru.com

One of the most popular herbal soap making pastimes is making peppermint herbal soap. Besides loving the smell of peppermint this soap give people a cooling sensation and is a really nice soap for summertime. It also has properties that will help to sooth itchy skin especially if you are itching from bug bites. Peppermint is also known for it’s relaxing properties and just the scent alone can take away that stressful feeling after a hard days work. It is also extremely good at clearing up congestion. Great for allergy season.

Another favorite is putting peppermint and rosemary together. This is popular in soaps but also in herbal soaps for hair conditioner and shampoos. When you are making your soap you will be using freshly chopped peppermint leaves as well as fresh rosemary. Herbal soap making should always be done with the freshest ingredients and not with essential oils if possible.

One of the good things about herbal soaps is that they do not use by-products from animals. No beef tallow or any animal fat is used. If one does use oils in making herbal soaps they are normally vegetable oils such as coconut, canola oil, palm or olive. You’ll also find that with herbal soaps the glycerin will stay in the soap, unlike commercial soaps that remove it.

Many soaps also have healing properties. Soaps made with tea tree oil are excellent for wounds or rashes, and also have properties to be a bug repellent. For acne people find that tangerine soap works very well. For a soap that will help to soothe the skin one should try making an apricot kernel soap as it is full of fatty acids.

Most people to not realize that commercial soaps are made with sodium tallowate. Basically this is a combination of lye and lard. These soaps also commonly use animal fat as it is much cheaper than using vegetable oils. These fats can clog up your pores and basically are very bad for your skin. There is a whole list of toxic chemicals that can be found in commercial soaps and this is one reason why so many people prefer herbal soaps.

If you are not going to make your own herbal soaps, make sure that what you do buy, either in a store or online, does not contain any animal by-products and make sure that glycerin is listed as one of the ingredients. Also choose a soap that will have a great fragrance so that you get the full aromatherapy effect.

It is far more economical and a lot more fun to make your own herbal soaps. One word of caution. If you start giving them away as gifts you’re going to have orders for your herbal soaps coming out of your ears. People absolutely love herbal soaps and they will soon have you making special batches for them with their own favorite scents. Don’t be surprised if you start thinking along the lines of your own herbal soap business. It can be quite profitable.

Below are some basic soap recipes that are unscented for you to begin with. You can add your own herbs and experiment with them so that herbal soapmaking becomes a great hobby.

Unscented Soap Basic Recipe #1

6 oz sodium hydroxide (lye)
16 oz distilled water
12 oz coconut oil
12 oz olive oil
19 oz vegetable shortening (Crisco)

Unscented Soap Basic Recipe #2

6 oz sodium hydroxide (which is lye)
14 oz distilled water
12 oz coconut oil
16 oz palm oil
20 oz olive oil

Happy herbal soap making!!