http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO Soap Making Tips en-US Fri, 1 Jan 2010 20:07:14 +0000 http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/index.php If you're learning to make soap with a recipe that requires melting solid ingredients first, then prepare a clean area near the stove, with access to water. Choose a pot that will either allow you to use indirect heat, like a double boiler or even a crock pot, or heat the soap carefully on low heat in a regular pot. Have your soap molds ready for pouring the mixture into.[...] http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/soap_supplies.php As you embark on your soap making enterprise, you may expect that all your soap supplies will be easy to find. However, some ingredients might take longer to acquire than others and be more difficult to locate, while your basic equipment will be found quite easily. If you intend to start soap making from scratch, then plan carefully and take the time in advance to be sure you have every ingredient and every piece of equipment needed, in order to make this project a success.[...] http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/make_soap.php For this reason, when you make soap, it might even be best if you isolate yourself so you're not distracted by a pet or by any kids in the house. Have all ingredients nearby before you start, so you don't have to leave the workspace unexpectedly, and perhaps lay down protective coverings on counters where you'll be working. Keep all your soap making resources, like pots, utensils, and especially the lye, well labeled and separated from normal kitchen supplies.[...] http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/making_natural_soap.php The essential process for making natural soap, or for making any soap for that matter, is to combine a fatty acid with a base, which results in the soap itself. The base is usually soap lye, while the fatty acids are either animal or vegetable oils. For some people, animal fats raise questions about ethics and how the animals are treated, so using oils derived from vegetables, or even grains or nuts is usually preferable and feels more natural.[...] http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/making_soap.php The first thing to do when making soap from scratch, with original ingredients that include lye, is to ensure you have all the protection you need. This means wearing goggles to guard your eyes, wearing something with long sleeves so nothing harmful will splash on your skin, and using rubber gloves that you have made certain are free of holes. So when you buy soap making supplies, you aren't just going to be looking for the various ingredients that you will put into the soap itself, nor for the utensils you'll use, but you will also need to be sure you've got all the protective items that are required.[...] http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/soap_making_faq.php If you visit a craft store such as Michael's or Hobby Lobby you will definitely find books and even classes on soap making. Check the bulletin board of the stores to see if they have a class coming up. If you feel that you cannot wait for a class you can always buy a kit that will contain all the ingredients you need to make soap.[...] http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/soap_making_recipe.php This type of soap is usually made from pre-existing soap, whether it's a handmade soap, shavings and segments from old chunks of commercial soap, or purchased flakes. This soap must be completely melted and dissolved in something with a high alcohol content. Where people get this alcohol will vary, and even depend on what alcohol mixtures are legal in their state.[...] http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/soap_making_recipes.php Soap making recipes run the gamut from simple to complex, and as you experiment with them you'll find yourself learning several different methods for creating your own handmade soaps. You may start with a kit in which all the ingredients have been pre-measured and pre-packaged for you, yet eventually you are likely to move on to the more complicated ways of making soap. These involve what are known as cold and hot processes.[...] http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/soap_making_supplies.php If you've decided to make your own soap, then you can go a few different routes with regard to soap making supplies. The very simplest route of all is to get a soap making kit, which often saves you the measuring and mixing of individual ingredients, since they're usually all included in pre-measured amounts. The simplest type is a melt and pour kit.[...] http://HOWTOMAKESOAPATHOME.INFO/soap_recipes.php There are soap making supply stores and websites that can point you in the direction of a large number of oils, fragrances and other additives that you might want to use in your own soaps, whether you're fine with synthetic materials or want to go more natural. As you become more experienced in using the soap recipes you discover, you will think of areas to alter things, such as changing oils, adding different colorings, and so on. Many people who begin making soap from scratch discover a real talent for this art and create wonderful new soaps of their own.[...]