An Introduction to Handmade Soap Making

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More and more individuals are making handmade soap. Some may be following a new hobby path. Others might be searching for a more natural or very specific alternative to the soaps that are available to them on the commercial market. Still others may be interested in developing their own business as a custom provider of quality handmade soap products.

Regardless of which category one may fall into, the essentials of handmade soap making will be the same. Focus is needed on particular areas, including the basic techniques of the various soap making processes, the necessary materials and equipment, and safety concerns and guidelines.

The Basics of Soap Making Processes

Soap making can be a complicated or simple process, dependent upon one's choice of components or the desired characteristics of the soap. For instance, soap with multiple combined fragrances will be more difficult to make than would be a simple, single fragrance and basic color soap.

The basic creation of soap results from the appropriate combination of ingredients which must include those that create the necessary chemical reaction that results in "soap." This chemical reaction is produced by combining fats or oils and lye. This combination is the basis for all soaps; however, it is the additional ingredients that will make handmade soaps more unique, softer, more luxurious, or more exotic. Determining one's preferred handmade soap recipes or developing a unique brand of handmade soap will take some experimentation on the part of the creator but the process of trial and error can be fun, as well as helpful in learning the intricacies and techniques of soap making.

Basic Methods of Creating Handmade Soap

There are four basic processes for creating handmade soap, including the melt and pour method, rebatching, and hot and cold processing.

The melt and pour process utilizes pre-made and purchased soap blocks. These blocks are melted, with the liquid then being combined with additional fragrances and/or color creators, and poured into soap molds. As the liquid is allowed to cool, the end result will be a soap scented, colored, and shaped to the image desired by the creator.

Rebatching is the process of grinding bars of soap, adding liquid (usually milk or water), and then blending the soap to the desired result. This can include the addition of essential oils, fragrances, color additives, crystallized or powdered components, or even wildflower pedals.

The hot soap processing method is the creation of soap from scratch, using milk fat or oils and lye. As the moniker indicates, the process is completed with ingredients being heated during the blending process which can be done on a regular stovetop or with specialized soap making cooking equipment.

Cold processing of handmade soap, which is the most common method utilized by soap creators, is the process of combing fat or oils, lye, and other various ingredients at room temperature. This process can be completed without the use of any heating or cooking equipment but can be made easier with specialized soap making tools, like blending equipment, soap molds, ingredient storage containers and the like.

A Word About Safety

The handmade soap making process comes with some potential hazards and any soap maker should always be aware of safety concerns. Potential hazards include allergies to particular ingredients which can be countered by the soap maker avoiding the usage of any allergens in soap recipes. Other potential injuries can occur from improper usage of equipment but can be avoided by soap makers reading all instructions prior to using new equipment. Another concern arises for those using the hot processing method, as soap base can be dangerous when at elevated temperatures. Soap makers should take all appropriate precautions to avoid burns from both heating equipment as well as heated raw soap base.

Getting Started and Finding Your Niche

The melt and pour method of handmade soap making is the most basic of the processes available and may be the right place to start for fledgling soap makers. Soap suppliers and crafting stores offer a wide variety of soap making bases. These bases can be purchased in pre-made blocks unscented and uncolored which can be mixed with any number of other ingredients to achieve a particular scent, texture, or color. Soap molds come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and the handmade soap maker can often find nearly any mold that can be imagined. Once the soap maker has melted and blended the soap, it is then poured into a soap mold and allowed to set, cool, and solidify.

Rebatching is similar to the melt and pour method, with the added step of grinding up the soap bars that will become the handmade soap base to be melted. The grinding process is necessary to ensure the appropriate mixture of the base, and can be made easier and less time consuming by the use of soap grinding equipment that can be purchased from soap making suppliers or crafting stores.

For those who want to take a more natural or more involved hand in soap making, the cold or hot processes may be preferable, allowing the soap maker to start the process from scratch, determining all ingredients that go into both the soap base as well as the resulting soap. Creating a soap base for the cold or hot methods requires a supply of animal fats or vegetable oils, and a lye and water mixture.

Oils, milks, fats, lye, essential oils, color additives, soap molds, grinders, blenders, cooking pots, and other soap making tools and equipment can be purchased from various locations, including crafting stores as well as specialized soap suppliers. As with any project, having the appropriate tools and supplies makes the process easier and more enjoyable.



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