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Soap Making Books

I started making soap in February 2002.  When I first became interested in making soap at home, I did a great deal of research on the internet.  However, I found the best way to learn how to make soap is to purchase several soap making books.  Why?  Because as you progress and you begin to make your own soap you will not only want, but you will need, to have your soap making books on hand as a reference.  Borrowing books from the library is fine at first – if you’re just interested in learning some of the basic facts about soapmaking.  But if you’re serious about making your own soap, then by all means, please don’t even attempt it without first leaning how to do it properly – and the way to do that is to purchase your own soap making books.

As a soapmaking newbie, the very first question I asked was, “Can you make soap without lye?”  The answer was a resounding “No!”  It is possible to purchase pre-made soap bases where someone else has already combined the oils and the lye to make the base, however, if you want to make handmade soap from scratch, you will need to learn how to handle lye, which is an essential ingredient in making soap.  Many people fear working with lye but the fact is, lye is not something to fear but it is a chemical that demands respect and knowledge.  A good soap making book will teach you how to handle lye and will also teach you the golden rule – always add the sodium hydroxide to the water and never the other way around to make your lye.

There are many oils and butters that can be used to make all natural soap.  There are even a few good animal fats if you are so inclined to use them when making soap.  The key is to know what each and every ingredient contributes to the final product.  For instance, Coconut Oil helps to make a harder bar of soap and increases lather, but if you use too much in your soap recipes, your handmade soap can end up causing dry skin.  Soap making books that list the properties of each oil and butter and what they will contribute is imperative if you want to formulate soap making recipes that will yield handmade soaps that are gentle to the skin.

There are different processes for making homemade soap.  One is called Melt & Pour and that is simply buying a ready-made soap base, melting it down, and adding scent.  Melt & Pour is not, however, considered making handmade soap from scratch.

If you want to make handmade soaps from scratch, the methods you would use are Cold Process and Hot Process.  Cold process soap is made without any heat other than the heat generated by the reaction caused by mixing oils and butters with lye.  Hot process soap is made, to put it simply, by cooking the soap after the oils and butters are mixed with the lye.  Both methods require that you have a good understanding of soapmaking and again, you will learn more about these methods from good soap making books.

If you want to make soap for fun or even for profit, the only way you can do it safely is read, read, and read some more before you even consider buying any soap making supplies.  There are safety measures that must be followed when making soap at home.  Good soap making books will cover everything you need to know before you attempt your first batch of soap.

I’m the type of person who likes to dive right into things but when it came to learning how to make soap, I spent several months reading soap making books and that is the only reason why the very first batch of soap I made was a huge success.  And as time went on, each batch got better and better.

Making soap is very rewarding and, without a doubt, you will notice how soft and smooth your skin feels after you start using handmade soap. So grab a few soap making books and get ready to entire the world of luxurious skin care!

To your soapmaking success!