Well, I've been reading up on the internet about making homemade soaps. Now, some people actually make their soap using the original old-fashioned methods, which incorporate cooking up batches of animal fat (from the butcher) and caustic lye.Although this is probably the true homemade way, after reading about how you should open your window when cooking up these batches and the length of time it takes, between the prep work and the weeks-long curing of the soap, I decided to take a short cut.
After all, I'm just a beginner in this soap-making venture.So, I went to the craft store and bought my supplies. I don't care if anyone thinks this is cheating. You can buy the "soap base" bricks online cheaper than at the craft store; but I wanted to buy my project ingredients right away in anticipation of a "snow day".
You buy the soap base, which is basically a slab of non-scented, uncolored soap. It is scored so that you can cut the amount that you need to heat up for each pour.
You can either use the microwave oven to heat up the soap base; or you can use a double boiler on the stove top.
After heating up the base, it's time to pour the melted base into molds. You can add colors and scents at this time. You can add the color and stir before you pour or you can put a few droplets of color into the mold after it's filled. A slight mix with a toothpick will swirl the color through. This is a blank canvas, so you can do whatever you please at this point.
I made a couple of swirly concoctions (the tie dye look) and several solid colors, too, experimenting with amounts of color and differing amounts of fragrance.
My first batch consisted of various shades and two different scents. One is eucalyptus/mint and the other is cucumber/melon.
Both smell fresh and pleasant.
I really enjoyed this new hobby and I plan on trying different molds and different styles of soaps. (Some are clear with interesting designs "floating" through them.)
You can also tuck a tiny duck or other toy right into the center of a clear soap for kids. These sound cute, but you have to be careful with toys small enough to choke on; and I was thinking that if a kid is young enough to like soap with a toy in the middle, they are probably still using a type of baby wash which is safer around the eyes. Also, although there are many molds available to purchase, a quick look around the house will yield unique molds such as cookie cutters, muffin tins or sections of drain pipe. (seriously) You can also pour a "loaf" and slice it later when it is set.
For those with a discerning eye, you can see a few bubbles that remained after I poured the soap into the molds. Although you can eliminate those by spritzing with a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol, I wasn't set up with all of the supplies yet.
But then again, it's SOAP, people. Tiny bubbles won't last long after the first use under warm water. I loved making my first batch and I think the best part of this hobby is that every bar that you make is a unique creation.
