Soap Making 101

When it comes to making soap, you are only limited by your own imagination! There are so many combination of smells, additives and textures to choose from to personalize your own. Then what shape and size do you want? Where to buy the best ingredients from and don't forget what type of mold to use.

So much to think about before getting started! But stay excited because it is so much fun and rewarding once you make your first ones!

First: You want to decide if you want to go with cold press soap making or melt & pour. I prefer the melt & pour route. Why? because all you have to do is choose the soap base that you would like, melt the amount you want (ex: if you want to make 4 bars, you cut the soap block in half, if you want to make 8 bars, you use it all). Also, you may get more than 8 bars out of the base, depending on the mold size you choose to use.

Second: Choose the ingredients you would like to add to your soap. You have to be careful and not add too much of all the combined ingredients or your soap may not form correctly and the end result may not contain as much soapiness in the end. This will come with practice. It's better to start off with less and add as you experiment.

You can add any of the following to your soaps, again, this is only limited to your own imagination. Plus, this is the best part! This is where you get creative and have fun.

Some examples of ingredients to add are:

-butters (mango, cocoa, shea) the list of butters goes on and on. Research the benefits of each to find the ones you prefer.

-essential oils - combine a few or use only one, mix and find your favourite combination

-botanical & fruit extracts - these get a little more complex because you need to dilute these powders first before adding them to your soaps, but they are wonderful natural additives

-exfoliants - these are great if you want a bar that helps exfoliate

Third: The size and mold. There are many molds to choose from. I prefer using a silicone mold for soap. Why? because it is pliable and easy to remove the soap from without adding any unnecessary lubricant. There are many shapes and sizes to choose from. Where to buy them? Click here for the best price anywhere!

Happy Soap Making! I would love to hear what combinations you tried or suggestions on what made your soaps turn out awesome! If you have any questions, I would love to answer them too! #soapmaking #soap #organicsoap #organic #organicskincare #essentialoils #natural

organic soap