How to Make Soap

Are you ready to learn how to make soap? Have you thought about what kind of soap
making you want to try first?

If you're new to this craft then you probably didn't realize that there are quite a few
different types of soap that can be made at home.

Bar soaps, liquid soaps, transparent or glycerin soaps, cream soaps and whipped bar soaps
are a few examples of homemade lye soap.

Once you have decided what type of soap you would like to make, you can then decide on
what soap making method to use. (One thing about soap making you will learn....there are
always so many choices to make!)

Below you will find a list of the different types of soap making methods used. As I am able,
I will be adding links to tutorials for as many of the methods as possible.

1. Cold Process Method 

2. Room Temperature Method

3. Hot Process Method

4. Melt and Pour Soap

 5. Whipped Cream Soap 

6. Whipped Soap Bars

7. Liquid Soap 

8. Transparent or Glycerin Soap

The Soap Making Forum is a great place to get some advice on how to make soap from
other soap makers.

You might find it beneficial to attempt making homemade lye soap for the first time with a
friend.

It's nice to have an extra set of eyes able to read about what the next step is or perhaps to
share the chore of stirring. Not to mention, it's much more fun if you have someone to
share the experience with!

Have Fun!

Hot Process 
Soap Making Tutorial
Hot process soap making is very much like cold process soap making and even uses the
same recipes.

The difference between the two methods is the addition of heat to 'cook' the soap in the
hot method.

This cooking forces the gel stage to occur faster, evaporates more water and produces a
harder bar of soap faster than the cold process method.
Be sure to read all of the instructions first before proceeding and have fun!!

Step 1 - Getting Ready.

Step 2 - Measuring the Base Ingredients.

Step 3 - Mixing the Oils and Lye.

Step 4 - Cooking the Soap.

Step 5 - Additives and Pouring Soap.

Step 6 - Cutting and Curing.

Step 1 - Getting Ready.

Before you make hot process soap, be sure that you're prepared and have everything you
need. A little extra time spent on the planning pays off in the end.

1. Choose your location carefully.

- Your soap making area should be free of distractions, have an element (stove or
portable), be in close proximity to your oven, have access to water and have a large, flat
work surface.

2. Protect your area.

- Lay down a protective layer on your work surface. I use a vinyl table cloth. It's cheap, easy
to wipe clean so I can reuse it, and oils won't leak through.

- Put down a rubber backed carpet if your floor needs protection.

3. Assemble all equipment and ingredients.

- Set up all your soap making suppliesand ingredients in a manner that works for you.

- For this method of hot process soap making, you will need a crock pot in addition to your
regular soap making equipment.

4. Prepare soap molds.

- Line your soap molds with butchers paper.

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Step 2 - Measuring the Base Ingredients.

When you're first learning how to make soap, it's best to limit yourself to just a couple of
additives to begin with. As you become more familiar with making hot process soap, you
will be more confident about adding in other techniques.

All the steps in these soap making instructions are important but with this step it is crucial
that you pay particular attention to measuring accurately. Make sure you are familiar with
your weight scale before you start.

Inaccurate measurements can produce lye or oil heavy hot process soaps which you will
either have to re-work or throw out. Learning how to make soap is a lot more fun if you
don't have to throw it out!! Make sure you get a good scale....it's the best investment you
can make.

1. Measure additives and essential oils.

- Measure out any botanicals or colorant you will be using and place them in ramekins.
- Measure out any essential oils, extracts and/or nutrients that you are adding and place
them in small sealed jars.

2. Prepare the lye solution.

- Measure out your water and place it in the juice jug.

- Before using sodium hydroxide, put on your safety equipment; goggles, gloves and long
sleeve clothing.

- Measure out the lye and pour it slowly into the water stirring as you pour. Keep stirring
until the lye crystals are completely dissolved.

- You will notice fumes being produced while you are mixing the lye solution. I hold my
breath until the lye is dissolved and then leave the area for a few minutes until the fumes
disburse.

SPECIAL NOTE: Always add the sodium hydroxide (lye) to the water. NOT the water to the
sodium hydroxide. An unpleasant, violent reaction occurs if you do. Kind of like vinegar
and baking soda is my understanding.

3. Measure base oils.

- Starting with the solid oils, measure each and place it into your crock pot that is set on
low. As you continue to measure, the solid oils will melt.

- Once the solid oils have melted, add the liquid oils.

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Step 3 - Mixing the Oils and Lye.

This is the step where hot process and cold process soap making start to differ. There's no
need to cool the oils with hot process soap making...great for those who hate to wait!!!

1. Combine lye solution and oil mixture.

- Slowly pour a thin stream of the lye solution into the pot of oils while using the
whisk/stick blender to stir the mixture.
- Maintain a steady, strong stirring motion. Not so fast as to splash but fast enought to
keep the mixture in constant motion. The idea is to get the oil, lye and water molecules to
meet and combine to make soap. If you're using a stick blender, pulse for a few seconds
then stir for a few seconds. Repeat.

- Make sure to stir thoroughly all areas of the pot. The mixture will turn creamy and
opaque and then will begin to thicken.

2. Stir mixture until it begins to trace.

- Keep stirring until the mixture reaches a thick trace.

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Step 4 - Cooking the Soap.

Once the soap reaches a full trace, it's time to cook the mixture and force the gel. Below
are some photos to show you what the different stages of the process look like.

1. The Cook.

- Put the lid on the crock pot and leave it to cook on low for awhile.

- The soap will heat up and start to bubble around the edges of the crock pot.

- Keep an eye on the soap and stir it down gently only if it starts to bubble over.

- The mix will begin to take on a clear vaseline like look. Once the whole mix has this look,
you can test it to see if it is done. Take a small sample of the soap and rub it between your
fingers. It should have a waxy feel. Test the soap by touching it to your tongue. Keep
cooking....if it 'zaps' like a nine volt battery, it's not done.
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Step 5 - Additives and Pouring Soap.

Now is the time to add color, botanicals and scent to your hot process soap mixture.

1. Incorporating additives.

- Mix in any botanicals and extracts.

- Mica and oxides can be mixed with up to 1 Tbsp. per pound of warm glycerin or warm
oil. This will help to make the colourant easier to blend in.

- Once the soap has cooled a bit, you can add the essential oils. Make sure to cool the
soap to a temperature below the essential oils flash point. Flash point is the temperature
that the oil will ignite and vaporize.

- You will have to work quickly while mixing since the soap may become to cool to place in
the mold.

2. Molding the soap.

- Hot process soap is a lot like rebatching when it comes to molding. It doesn't pour. It is a
thick goopy mass (like mashed potatoes) that must be scooped into the mold quickly. Make
sure to tap the mold on the counter to get out any air pockets.

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Step 6 - Cutting and Curing.

Once your soap has reached room temperature it can be unmolded.

1. Unmolding.

- Remove the soap from the mold and take off the butchers paper. If you did not use a
lined mold, you may find it easier to remove the soap by placing it in the freezer for awhile.

2. Cutting. 

- You can cut the soap into bars right away.

- I use a soap cutter that requires you to push the soap block through a thin wire. This tool
makes cutting soap blocks a dream. The building plans for this cutter can be found in
Catherine Failors book "Transparent Soapmaking".

3. Curing.

- Once you have cut the soap into bars, they should be cured for a few weeks. The longer
the cure, the milder the soap.

- There is some debate as to how soon hot process soap can be used. My feelings are that
the cure time should be as long as with cold process (around 4 weeks) while others have
said it's ready to go immediately. Since I haven't seen any scientific documentation showing
this to be so, I've decided to stick with the longer cure. Though I will admit to having tested
soap on many occasions long before it's cure is complete...I'm just impatient that way.

- Place the soaps in a single layer on a beer flat or tray lined with paper towel. Turn them
regularily so that all sides are exposed to the air.

4. You're Done!

- Now that you have learned how to make hot process soap, it's time to plan the next
batch!!

Cold Process 
Soap Making Tutorial
The cold process method is currently the most common method used for making
homemade soaps today.
This method is fairly simple and requires very little external energy to produce wonderfully
creamy bar soaps.

I find the cold method the most versatile when it comes to creativity (next to melt and
pour) and is my favorite type of soap making....so far!!! (**Update - I stand corrected...take
a look at the Room Temperature Method as well)

Be sure to read all of the instructions first before proceeding and have fun!

Step 1 - Getting Ready.

Before you make cold process soap, be sure that you're prepared and have everything you
need. A little extra time spent on the planning pays off in the end.

I spent an entire month reading everything I could about how to make soap before I made
my first batch....and it was a success!

1. Choose your location carefully.

- Your soap making area should be free of distractions, have an element (stove or
portable), be in close proximity to your oven, have access to water and have a large, flat
work surface.

2. Protect your area.

- Lay down a protective layer on your work surface. I use a vinyl table cloth. It's cheap, easy
to wipe clean so I can reuse it, and oils won't leak through.

- Put down a rubber backed carpet if your floor needs protection.

3. Assemble all equipment and ingredients.

- Set up all your soap making suppliesand ingredients in a manner that works for you.

4. Prepare soap molds.

- Line your soap molds with butchers paper or plastic wrap.

5. Prepare insulation area.

- Lay down folded wool blankets in a warm, draft free area. This is where your cold process
soap will cool down for 24 hours.

- Have an extra piece of butchers paper ready to place over the top of the soap.

- You may also want a piece of styrofoam or plywood to place on top as well. This helps to
regulate the heat loss during the cool down period (rapid heat loss can result in a chalky
soap) and protects the soap from "accidents".

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Step 2 - Preparing the Additives.

When you're first learning how to make soap, it's best to limit yourself to just a couple of
additives to begin with. As you become more familiar with making cold process soap, you
will be more confident about adding in other techniques.

1. Pre-heat oven.

- Set the oven to the lowest setting. If you were warming plates, you would be able to
remove them without using oven mitts. Warm NOT hot.
2. Measure additives and essential oils.

- Measure out any botanicals or colorant you will be using and place them in ramekins.

- Measure out the essential oils, rosemary extract if using, and superfatting nutrients and
place them in a small sealed jar.

3. Assemble decorative pieces.

- Using any cold process soap making decorative ideas like confetti soap bits or pebble
soap bits? Now's the time to prepare the soap pieces and place them in a container. I have
often used clean, empty beer flats. They're free and allow the soap bits to spread out.

4. Into the oven.

- Place additives ramekin, essential oil jar, prepared soap mold and decorative soap bits
into your oven.

- through experimentation, we have found this step assures a better bond between the
added soap bits and the new cold process soap base. It also reduces the temperature
shock that can occur when adding extra ingredients to the base.

- adding cold ingredients to a hot base and then placing it all in a cold mold can cause the
base to cool down too quickly resulting in a chalky soap.

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Step 3 - Measuring the Base Ingredients.

All the steps in these cold process soap making instructions are important but with this
step it is crucial that you pay particular attention to measuring accurately. Make sure you
are familiar with your weight scale before you start.

Inaccurate measurements can produce lye or oil heavy cold process soaps which you will
either have to re-work or throw out. Learning how to make soap is a lot more fun if you
don't have to throw it out!! Make sure you get a good scale....it's the best investment you
can make.

1. Prepare the lye solution.

- Measure out your water and place it in the juice jug.

- Before using sodium hydroxide, put on your safety equipment; goggles, gloves and long
sleeve clothing.

- Measure out the lye and pour it slowly into the water stirring as you pour. Keep stirring
until the lye crystals are completely dissolved.

- You will notice fumes being produced while you are mixing the lye solution. I hold my
breath until the lye is dissolved and then leave the area for a few minutes until the fumes
disburse.

SPECIAL NOTE: Always add the sodium hydroxide (lye) to the water. NOT the water to the
sodium hydroxide. An unpleasant, violent reaction occurs if you do. Kind of like vinegar
and baking soda is my understanding.

2. Measure base oils.

- Starting with the solid oils, measure each and place it into the stainless steel pot.

- Place the pot on the element and set the temperature to medium-low. As you continue to
measure, the solid oils will melt.

- Once the solid oils have melted and before putting the liquid oils into the pot, remove
the pot from the element. Add the liquid oils and the grapefruit seed extract (if adding).

3. Check temperatures.
- The goal is to get the temperatures of both the oil mixture and the lye solution to 90-95
degrees Fahrenheit or 32-35 degrees Celcius.

- The lye solution can be heated/cooled in a hot/cold water bath in the sink.

- The oils can be heated on the element or cooled in a cold water bath.

- Getting the temperatures similar can be tricky at first but it gets easier as you develope a
feel for how long it takes the lye to cool.

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Step 4 - Mixing the Oils and Lye.

This is probably one of the most confusing steps when you're learning how to make cold
process soap. "How do I know how long to mix for?" and "What is this 'trace' that everyone
is referring to?" are a couple of the common questions asked.

In answer to the first question - It can take anywhere from about 5 minutes to hours and
hours. The ingredients you use will determine how long you must mix for. Most of my cold
process recipes take about 5 to 10 minutes to trace using a stick blender and whisk
alternately.

The second question is answered below by David Fisher in his exceptional video.

1. Combine lye solution and oil mixture.

- Slowly pour a thin stream of the lye solution into the pot of oils while using the whisk to
stir the mixture.

- Maintain a steady, strong stirring motion. Not so fast as to splash but fast enought to
keep the mixture in constant motion. The idea is to get the oil, lye and water molecules to
meet and combine to make soap.

- Make sure to stir thoroughly all areas of the pot. The mixture will turn creamy and
opaque and then will begin to thicken.

2. Stir mixture until it begins to trace.

- Keep stirring until the mixture reaches a thin trace.

- Remember - just a thin trace at this point. We still have some ingredients to add yet.

- What does "trace" look like? Here is a wonderful video by David Fisher that will show you
exactly what trace looks like.

Soap Making Supplies

So you've decided to buy some soap making supplies? Before you do, take a look around
your kitchen. You might be surprised to find you already have some of the things you
need.
Keep in mind, however, whatever you confiscate from your kitchen should not be used for
anything but soapmaking again. If you're like me though, you probably have two of some
of the items on the following soap making equipment list.

1. Your most expensive purchase will be your soap making scale that is accurate to the
nearest gram or 1/10th of an ounce.

2. A stainless steel 8 - 12 quart/litre pot, a 2 quart/liter plastic juice jug and one or two
mid-size plastic mixing containers (for mixing color and a small amount of soap to create
multi-colored, marbled soaps).

3. Mixing and measuring utensils - a whisk and/or hand blender, silicon or rubber spatulas
(2 would be best), plastic spoons (like the wooden ones) and measuring spoons.

4. Candy thermometers (2 - one for the lye and one for the oil).

5. Small lightweight bowls for weighing materials on the scale. I use empty margarine tubs.

6. Some Wooden soap molds or plastic soap molds.

7. Butchers paper to line the soap molds.

8. A piece of wood or styrofoam the size of the soap molds top opening.

9. Old wool blankets to insulate the soap with.

10. Safety equipment - rubber gloves, apron or old clothes and safety goggles.
11. A thin, sharp knife to cut the soap. You may find, like I did, that a knife tends to cut
soap like it does cheese, leaving the bottom edge uneven, and decide to make or buy a
proper soap cutter.

12. One plastic 2 quart/litre juice jug to mix the water and lye in.

I also like to have a few ramekins and small jars on hand to put any additives in that I will
be adding to the soap at the last minute.

Once you have your soap making supplies, it's time to decide which homemade soap
recipes to make.

Soap Making Oils

We all know that everybody's skin is different. By using a variety of soap making oils, you
can tailor a soap to meet the needs of any skin type.

I start by combining oils to create blends that produce a hard bar of soap with a full lather.

This usually consists of Coconut, Palm and Olive oils to start. Then, I'll add in one or two
other oils in smaller quantities for their specific skin care characteristics.

Listed below, you'll find information about some of the base oils available, what their skin
care benefits are and what qualities they will give to your soap.

Apricot Kernel Oil Avocado Oil Babassu Oil

Borage Oil Calendula Oil Camellia Oil

Canola Castor Oil Cocoa Butter

Coconut Oil Corn Oil Crisco

Emu Oil Evening Primrose Oil Flax (Linseed) Oil

Grapeseed Oil Hazelnut Oil Hemp Seed Oil

Jojoba Oil Kokum Butter Kukui Nut Oil

Lanolin Lard Macadamia Nut Oil

Mango Butter Meadowfoam Oil Mink Oil

Monoi de Tahiti Mowrah Butter Neem Oil

Olive Oil Palm Kernel Oil Palm Oil

Plum Kernel Oil Pomegranate Oil Pumpkin Seed Oil

Red Palm Oil Rice Bran Oil Rosehip Seed Oil

Safflower Oil Sesame Oil Shea Butter

Sunflower Oil Sweet Almond Oil Tamanu Oil

Tallow (beef) Walnut Oil Wheat Germ Oil

Formulating a Recipe

When I'm creating a new recipe, I start with my Basic Homemade Soap recipe which
contains 30% Coconut Oil, 40% Olive Oil and 30% Palm Oil.

Depending on the type of soap I want to make, I'll replace some of one or more soap
making oils with another that has similar soap making qualities.

For example - If I want to use 10% Apricot Kernel oil, I will take 10% of the Olive oil out. If I
want to use Palm Kernel oil then I will remove some Coconut oil.

Likewise for Palm oil and Tallow. Then I'll run the changed recipe through the lye calculator
for the correct sodium hydroxide amounts.

The tables below group together soap making oils that share the same general soap
making qualities.

While most oils will preform many functions, I have listed them by the ones that I feel they
are best at.

Bring on the Bubbles

These three oils are wonderful. They are the ones that provide the big fluffy bubbles, give
cleansing action and make your soaps nice and solid. Remember to try to keep their
combined totals to no more than 30% or they may dry out your skin.
If you do decide to make a soap that contains a large percentage of coconut oil be sure to
increase the amount of free oils (superfat) in order counter act the drying effects.

Oil, Fat or Butter Hardness Cleanse Full Lather Stable Lather Condition

Babassu X X X    

Coconut X X X    

Palm Kernel X X X    

Condition Me

This next set of oils will give your soaps their conditioning ability. Each oil has its own
unique skin care qualities that you can utilize to create specialty soaps. These oils usually
make up 40% of one of my recipes.

Oil, Fat or Butter Hardness Cleanse Full Lather Stable Lather Condition

Apricot Kernel         X

Avocado         X

Borage         X

Camellia         X

Evening Primrose         X

Hazelnut         X

Hemp Seed         X

Kukui Nut         X

Macadamia Nut         X

Neem         X

Olive         X
 Pumpkin Seed         X

Sweet Almond         X

Wheat Germ         X

The Anomaly
Castor oil is in a league of its own. This oil not only conditions but provides a
fluffyand creamy lather. One drawback with this oil though....it produces a very soft bar.
Good thing a little goes a long way. When I use this oil, I only replace a small amount (5% -
10%) of the Olive oil and the soap bar will still be firm.

Oil, Fat or Butter Hardness Cleanse Full Lather Stable Lather Condition

Castor     X X X

Love That Creamy Lather

Since we need to limit the amount of oils like Coconut in our soaps, this set of soap
making oils is used to lend further strength to the soap bar and provide conditioning
stable lathers.

Oil, Fat or Butter Hardness Cleanse Full Lather Stable Lather Condition

Palm X     X X

Lard X     X X

Cocoa Butter X     X X

Shea Butter X     X X

Mango Butter X     X X

Kokum Butter X     X X

Beef Tallow X     X X
 Sheep Tallow X     X X

Coffee Bean X     X X

Still can't decide what oils to use? Check out the homemade soap recipes page for a great
selection of soaps using many of the oils listed above.

Essential Oils for Soap Making

he variety of essential oils that are readily available today is astounding. Their varied scents
represent all corners of the planet and are widely used today in aromatheropy to help heal
the body and mind.

 don't know about you but I truly enjoy great scents....and with sooo many different types
to choose from your bound to find a few that will enhance your soap making experience.

Essential oils are a great, natural way to add fragrance to your homemade soaps.
Use the table below to become familiar with the different oils and their characteristics, then
visit the Blending Scents page for ideas on how to create your own calming, soothing, or
invigorating scent blends.

Curious as to how much scent to add to cold process soaps? Opinions on this matter vary
just as much as each individuals sense of smell. My general rule is to add between 3 tsp -
4 tsp (15 ml - 20 ml or .5 oz - .7 oz) per pound of base oils. Some people go as high as 1
oz. per pound of base oils but I personally find that too much for my sinuses.

Anise Basil Bergamot Black Pepper

Catnip Chamomile Cedarwood Cinnamon Leaf
Citronella Clary Sage Clove Bud Eucalyptus
Fennel Frankincense Geranium Ginger
Grapefruit Jasmine Juniper Berry Lavender
Lemon Lemongrass Lime Mandarin
Marjoram, Sw Myrrh Neroli Orange, Sw
Oregano Oakmoss Palmarosa Patchouli
Peppermint Peru Balsam Petitgrain Pine
Rose Rosemary Rosewood Sandalwood
Spearmint Sweet Birch Tea Tree Tangerine
Thyme Vanilla Vetivert Ylang Ylang
Cold process soap making can be a harsh environment for essential oils and the curing
period can sometimes leave the scent wanting. The use of a fixative can help to remedy
this problem.

Fixatives are ingredients that are used in soap making to hold or "fix" a scent to the soap.
They are quite useful when you want to make oils like sweet orange or other fleeting top
notes last longer.

Benzoin powder or e/o (e/o = essential oil), orris root powder, frankincense e/o, patchouli
e/o, oakmoss e/o, cedarwood e/o, myrrh e/o, ylang ylang e/o, vetiver e/o, copaiba balsam
e/o and kaolin clay are all examples of fixatives that can be used in soapmaking.

Use caution when handling essential oils. They are very concentrated and some can be
irritating to the skin when not diluted.

Soap Making Ingredients

'The Additives'
Soap making ingredients aren't just limited to oils, lye and water. I often use additives to
improve the visual appeal of soap and to create varied textures.

Many soap making additives can lend color and even fragrance to yourhomemade soap
recipes.
Adding beautiful colors to soap can be achieved in many ways.

First, the base oils you use will give their own color to the soap bars. Then, by using
homemade soap ingredients like botanicals, pigments, mica and clay, you can create
stunning soaps that your skin will love.

Herbal Natural Soap Ingredients - In this catagory I include all botanical additives. If it used
to be a live plant, in other words! I've also added a few other ingredients that aren't plant
based but are natural.

Mineral Soap Ingredients - this catagory includes all additives that are "of the earth".

Soap Colorants - this catagory includes color additives that are produced in a lab.

Preservatives and Extracts - this catagory includes additives that may help to prolong the
life of your soaps.

Lye & Water

Lye(sodium hydroxide) and water (often distilled) are essential to the soap making process.

When sodium hydroxide is mixed withdistilled water it creates what we call a lye solution.

This solution is then mixed with oils causing a chemical reaction called saponification.
I won't bore you trying to explain the actual science behind these chemical reactions since
that level of chemistry is above my understanding. I start to fall asleep just reading about
it.

I have, however, come across a wonderful page made for Kathy Millers Website that
explains saponification in a fantastic and funny cartoon called Soapmaking, Saponification
and Superfatting Simplified by Pat B. and Jen D. Delightfully done Pat and Jen!

My personal opinion is that you don'tneed a science degree to make wonderful soaps
(though if you have one, I'm in awe!).

You do need to understand the importance of mixing the correct ingredients and
measuring the correct quantities. The result is beautiful handmade soap.

Calculating the amount of sodium hydroxide required for a soap formula can be a
nuisance. That's why on-line calculators are such a blessing.

There are many free ones available but my favorite is at a website called SoapCalc.
It provides a wealth of information and allows you to really play with yourhomemade soap
recipes.

I've mentioned that distilled water is essential to making soap. This is true, however, many
liquids contain water and can be used as well.

Milks are one option.....cows milk, coconut milk, goats milk, buttermilk, almond milk, rice
milk and ewes milk.

Vegetable and fruit juices, aloe vera juice, coffee, regular tea, herbal teas, wine and beer
are also possible alternatives.
 Lye Calculator Websites
Thank goodness for lye calculators!!

Don't get me wrong...I love a challenge just as much as the next person but picking up a
pencil and paper to figure out how much lye is needed for a new recipe I want to try isn't
my idea of time well spent. Not with the vast array of lye calculators on the web begging
me to use them.

Some not only tell me how much lye I need, but also help me to answer questions like 'Will
these oils produce a good lather?' or 'Will this recipe make a conditioning or cleansing bar
of soap?'.

This information is valuable to a soapmaker....it takes much of the trial and error element
out of soap making. Though I'm sure I still have much of that ahead of me!

Lye calculators have become a necessary tool for soap makers. They provide us with the
ability to quickly and easily recalculate old recipes or create new ones...all at the click of a
button.

Below you will find links to a good selection of calculators for soapmakers and a few details
about each one.

1. SoapCalc - wonderfully detailed calculator for liquid and bar soaps. Includes info on
soap qualities and fatty acid makeup of oils. Measurements in ounces, grams,
pounds and percentages. Each section contains a number to click on for help as
well.
2. Skin Esscentuals - provides calculations for a wide variety of soap mediums.
Measures in all forms and is downloadable to your desktop.

3. Snowdrift Farm - allows you to use both NaOH and KOH at the same time as well as
how much of each.

4. Cranberry Lane - basic beginners calculator for cold process soap making.

5. Summer Bee Meadow - calculates for liquid and bar soaps but only in ounces.

6. Majestic Mountain Sage - has a resize feature and measures in ounces, grams and
pounds.

7. Bramble Berry - basic calculator for cold process soap making...limits the superfat
from 2% - 5% and is only in ounces.

8. Suds and Scents - another basic calculator for cold process soap making. Calculates
in grams or ounces.

9. Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild - can use sodium or potassium hydroxide and will
calculate by percentage or weight. Works in grams, pounds and ounces.
 10. Natural Soap Calculator - basic calculator for cold process soap making. Only works
in ounces and uses approximately 34% water as a percentage of oils. I think the
superfat is around 4 - 5%

There are, of course, many more lye calculators out there on the web.....this is merely a
sampling of what is available. 

Oh.....did I mention that they are all free?

 Decorative Soap Making Ideas
Over the years I've come across quite a few fun decorative soap making ideas that I would
like to share with you.

With a little imagination and some extra planning, you can come up with some amazing
designs to put into your specialty soaps.

1. Confetti Soap - add colorful bits of grated soap.

2. Cobblestone Soap - add small chopped up pieces of colorful soap bits. 

3. Soap Curls - thin strips of soap are rolled into curls and embedded into the base. 

4. Soap Balls - grated soap is formed into soap balls. 

5. Ropes of Soaps - string a colorful selection of soaps for gift giving. 

6. Marbled Soap - marble two or more colors of soap.

7. Checkerboard Soap - add a semi-checkerboard pattern. 

8. Embed Soap Ribbons - thin strips of soap are added to the soap base.

9. Loofah/Round Soaps - make loofah and/or round soaps with this tutorial by Birch
Bark Soap.
The remainder of this page is filled with all sorts of decorative soaps made by myself and
various other artists. Take a look....you'll find plenty of soap making ideas you can use to
create fantastic looking soaps of your own.

This Amaretto Soap was created Here is another layering

by layering. The top layer was look....one with small chunks put
applied at a very thick trace and between the two layers. The
by gently flicking the wrist while chunks were rolled in cocoa
pouring the batter. powder to give them an outline.

This Chai Tea soap by Nizzy uses Here is Nizzy's same Chai Tea

two decorative soap making soapbut with mica brushed on top
ideas...layering and marbling. for an even more upscale look.
Use up leftover bits by creating Herbs and small soap chunks
small soap balls and using them decorate the bottom layer of this
as embeds. bar, while calendula petals adorn
the top.

This Chocolate Brownie soap SudsMuffin describes how they

made by Rachel's Bath and make their lovely creations.
Body was made by drizzling soap "We use our standard cold process
over the bar. soap recipe, which we then pour into
"Make your soap as you normally a silicone cake mould. Sometimes we
would and cut the bars. Make a add a drizzled soap "icing". Other
smaller batch of soap and once you times, we leave it plain, allowing the
have reached a decent trace (not colourful layers or swirls to speak for
thick) pour it in a zip lock baggie themselves. Additional toppings can
and cut a small piece of the corner include dried botanicals and dried
off. Then gently squeeze the soap fruit slices (lemon works very well)."
"icing" out onto the bars in a zig zag
pattern. Easy peasy!"
Here's an easy look to Mix things up a bit by using more
create...pour a strip of contrasting than one soap making idea. This
coloured soap over the main bar uses both soap curls and soap
batch of soap. Using a whisk, balls as a decorative feature.
plung the whisk straight into the
contrasting coloured soap and out
again. Do this along the full
length of the mold.

This beautiful yet simple look Feto Soap's wonderful marbled

byRagtree People can be soaps are created as follows.
achieved by using a soap stamp "I made this soap using the cold
and mallet to hammer in the process method. To get the green
design or a mold with a base swirl on top I used a baggie and
design. clipped the end off of it to use it as a
piping bag. After I piped the soap
pattern I used a chopstick to swirl
the soap. "
Ruby Grapefruit has multiple Very Berry has long sticks of
effects....layering, embedded soap embedded into it between
balls, embedded curls, a textured the multiple layers.
top and mica brushed top.

This stunning charcoal soap by Zaja Natural blends both layering

and marbling.
"I start by dividing my recipe into 2/3 for the bottom layer and 1/3 for the
top layer. I make my bottom layer first and pour it into my mold (colored
with charcoal). I then take 5 containers and mix my colors that I am
planning on using for the top layer. Once my top layer has traced, I then
mix a small bit into each container and blend well. The remaining soap, I
pour onto the bottom layer that should be pretty solid by now. I then pour
my colors one by one lightly onto the top of the white top layer. Using a
bamboo skewer, I lightly swirl my colors. The soap is then left to go into
full gel so the layers will stick, and I cut it after 2 days. It is a tricky
method, but the time and effort is worth it!"
Birch Bark Soap created this creamy orange loofah soap using a pipe
mold.
"Simply take a tubular mold (PVC pipe from the hardware store cut into
manageable lengths and lined with a silicone baking sheet - works
perfectly!) and insert a length of loofah. Bring soap to a thin trace and pour
over the loofah. Jiggle the soap-filled mold quite a bit, to make sure that
the soap permeates the loofah. Ensure that the loofah is centered as much
as possible before it sets. A knife is needed to cut into bars. Enjoy!"

Kanoh from Japan created this Hint of Eden shows how adding

lovely cobblestone look by botanicals to soap can change a
incorporating cubes of soap humble look to something so
colored with cocoa powder into a much more.
base of creamy cocoa butter soap. "We craft our soaps in small batches
"My soap includes cocoa butter 10%, with all vegetable based oils. We use
chocolate fragrance oil and benzoin locally grown fruits, flowers and
essential oil for both white part and herbs to top the bars to add nature's
brown part (colored with cocoa decorative touch."
powder, cut in dice)."
Maggie from Between The fun honeycomb look
Friendsmade this creative looking of Sweet Citrus Honey Soap is
soap using small soap balls. created by using bubblewrap.
"It's a great way to use up all the "Prepare the soap mold by placing a
extra soap balls you get from cut out of bubblewrap on the bottom
trimming the not-so-pretty edges. of the mold with the bubbles facing
Take your favorite recipe and bring up. Cut another piece to place on
the soap mixture to a light trace. top of the poured soap. Adding
Pour out a quarter of the mixture beeswax, honey, calendula petals
into a separate bowl and mix with and oakmoss essential oil give the
coffee grinds -- this will become the soap it's 'honeycomb' color."
center layer. The mixture left in the
pot will be used as the bottom and
the top layers. Pour the bottom layer
into the mold, layer on with the
coffee grind mixture, put in the soap
balls of your choice, and top it with
the final layer to finish the look."
 Soap Selling Ideas
Are you ready for some soap selling ideas? You've spent a ton of time creating, blending,
tweaking, remaking and perfecting your products and now you're ready to sell them. Now
what? Where do you start?

Below you will find a few things that you may need to think about and do before you sell
your products. You will also find some suggestions on how and where to sell your
creations.

Soap Making Business - Start Up

Has the idea to start a soap making business been sneaking into your thoughts, haunting
your dreams?

You, like many others, probably feel overwhelmed and excited all at the same time. Excited
is good....overwhelmed is not!

Go slow, do your research, make a list of 'to do's' and then break each task down into
smaller chunks.

Small challenges are easier to accomplish and give you a sense of achievement....of
progressing forward.
I am not by any means an accomplished business woman! I tend to be
scatterbrained...always thinking ahead to the next project before finishing the one at hand.
Building myself a soap making business is a challenging task....mostly because I keep
changing my mind on where I want to go with it!

Below you will find some suggested tasks that I included on my list of 'to do's' for building
a soap making business. I'm quite sure the list will grow over time as I progress farther
along in my soap making adventure. Hopefully this list will help you out as well.

1. Depending on your local laws, you may need to look into obtaining a business
license, tax numbers (pst and perhaps gst or hst in Canada), register your business
name and get a business number. In Canada, One Stop BC Business Registry is a
great site that gets most of it done in 'One Stop'! In the US,Business.GOV is full of
information about everything you need to start your business up.

2. Once that's done, it's a good idea to open a new bank account to keep your
business banking activities seperate from your personal banking activities.

3. Since you've only been crafting up to this point, you probably don't have insurance.
Go visit the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Inc. and check out their website. Become
a member and purchase their Member Benefit Product & General Liability Insurance.
I sincerely doubt that you will find a better deal anywhere. The only drawback is that
it's only available in the United States....makes me want to cry!! 

For us poor sad souls who live elsewhere...visit your local business insurance broker
 and see what they can arrange for you. If you're Canadian, ask your broker to look
into the Crafters & Visual Artists Commercial Insurance Program put out by
Aviva...as far as I can tell it's the best one available.

4. Put together a business plan! This is an important step in realizing your goals and
dreams. Anne-Marie Faiola (aka "The Soap Queen") has a vast array of valuable
business information on her blog including this series of posts onBuilding a
Business Plan. This is a link to the final post in the series...it contains a list of links
to the remaining posts. 

Here are a few more links that I particularily liked.

Getting Your First Line of Credit
Putting Fear in its Place
Opportunity, Possibility & Living Your Best Life
This list is only a sample of the helpful information Anne-Marie provides her
readers...subscribe to "The Soap Queen" so you don't miss out!

5. Set up programs to keep track of your purchases, inventory, sales and recipes. This
could simply be written logs (slow and painful), excel spreadsheets (better but not
ideal) or purchase the 'Soapmaker Software'. 

I'm stuck on the excel spreadsheet program myself and don't recommend it. It's
quite time consuming and I find myself falling behind all the time...of course this is
a problem of disipline, of which I tend to have none when it comes to paperwork!! 

'Soapmaker Software' looks to do all those nasty paperwork duties, leaving you
more time to be creative. Those who have purchased the program have nothing but
good things to say about it and it's my next purchasing goal.

6. That's all I've got for now in setting up the basics of a soap making business. As
time goes on, I'll add to this list. If you have some suggestions, I'd love to hear
them!
 Build Your Brand
What does it mean to 'Build your Brand'? It means building an identity for your company
that your customers can relate to in a positive manner.

With so many soap making businesses out there, you need something that sets your
business and products apart from all the rest.

This involves more than just having colour co-ordinated business cards and packaging. It
means understanding completely what you are selling and who you are selling too. It
requires setting goals, policies or guidelines on how you intend to do business. And of
course, it involves creating a unique 'look and feel' that tells people immediately who you
are and what you make or do.

Building your brand can be a very complex process and since I'm definitely not an expert
on the subject, I've compiled a list of links that will give you a good idea of what it's all
about and explain how to go about it.

Now before you start clicking away...I'll warn you, this isn't light reading. It is however, very
important information that you will need if you truly want to be successful in your soap
making business.

Six Steps to Successfully Build Your Brand

What exactly does “branding” mean to you and your company? According to Webster’s, branding is

the promoting of a product or service by identifying it with a particular name. But, that’s not the whole

of it. Branding is also the process of influencing certain thoughts and emotions in the minds of your

customers—in other words, what message they receive when they learn about your business. How can

you brand effectively? Here are some nitty-gritty steps:

1. Do your homework. Define your core values, mission, and goals. Analyze your audience and

competition. Establish your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)—what makes your company stand out

from the rest. Why would someone want to buy from you versus someone else who sells the same

thing? Keep in mind the four “P’s” of marketing: Product, Place (location), Price, and Promotion in

determining your USP.

2. Play the name game. What’s in a name? Everything. Now that you have your data, it’s time to

come up with a name. Great brand names are memorable, personable, and emotional. They should

roll off the tongue and be easy to spell. Take Nike, for example. Nike is the Greek goddess of victory,
which is an excellent connotation for their products. Another great name is Roomba, the robot

vacuum. Roomba, an invented word, kind of sounds like rumba, a Spanish rhythmic dance. So this

vacuum basically “dances” around the room. What a pleasing thought from a vacuum cleaner!

Keep all of this in mind when selecting a domain name for your website. E-Commerce Diva Jamila

White offers some intellect on this subject: The 6 Worst Domain Names EVER! and 3 Tips for Selecting

a Winning Domain Name.

Now, how do you find out if someone is already using the fabulous name you came up with? Check out

the Trademark Electronic Search System and do some Google searches. To be absolutely sure the

name is okay to use, hire a lawyer. Filing trademark applications can be tricky and it’s better to be

safe than sorry.

3. Perfect your logo. Picture Coca-Cola and you see the bright red color and flowing script. Think

IBM and it's those bold, block letters with horizontal stripes. These logos were ranked no. 1 and 3,

respectively, in the top brands of 2007 by BusinessWeek. And no wonder. Both follow the fundamental

principles of well-designed logos: they are instantly recognizable, timeless, scalable, and perfectly

simple. Make sure your logo has all these qualities and communicates your core values.

4. Set standards. All of your marketing materials including your website should have visual

coherency that support your company’s mission and goals. Your materials should compliment your

logo and share associated colors, typefaces and images. Many successful brands have developed

standards manuals that clearly define logo usage guidelines, corporate colors, etc. Share these

guidelines with your staff to make sure the visual components of your brand are consistent.

5. Package it up! Consider your identity pieces: business cards, letterhead, envelopes, notecards,

promotional materials, etc. What do they communicate? Are they professional? If your company is

selling natural, organic products, then slick, shiny postcards may not be the way to go. Perhaps using

uncoated, recycled paper might make a better impression.

Always have your collateral pieces printed professionally. Yes, your customers can tell if you print your

letterhead or business cards with your inkjet printer. With so many online printers with low overhead

and expert printing technology, prices are cheaper than ever. It’s possible to order full-color

letterhead, business cards, and #10 envelopes—500 of each—for less than $500 total. Check out

this list of printers.
 7. Create demand for your brand. Now that your materials are well designed and represent

your company's ideal image, it's time to get out there and market. You've already defined

your audience,

8. and now you need to be where they are. Try to find a good combination of reaching the

largest numbers of your target market with the minimum amount of resources.

Grassroots marketing—writing articles, attending networking events, generating referrals, and getting

celebrities as customers—is the most affordable way to start. Step it up a notch with online marketing

such as search engine optimization, blogging, email marketing, and banner advertising. Finally,

consider traditional paid advertising as icing-on-the-top-of-your-marketing-cake. Continue to reinforce

your brand message and you'll be well on your way to success.

Soap Packaging Ideas

Are you in need of some soap packaging ideas?

You've made your lovely soaps and now they sit there....naked....bare for all the world to
see! What next? Should they be elaborately dressed in silk and all manor of things elegant?
Or would a modest look be more appropriate?

With the vast array of packaging and wrapping options available, you shouldn't have any
trouble finding some great soap packaging ideas. The only trouble will be trying to decide
which one to use.

Packaging your soaps can accomplish many things.

If you plan on selling your soaps, labels provide an area for listing ingredients and
displaying information about your product and company.

Many countries either require this to be done already or are heading in that direction.

For more information visit Health Canada or US Food and Drug Administration.

Even if you just give away your soaps, it's not a bad idea to list the ingredients...you never
know what people are allergic to.

Your soap packaging can also help to create an overall look or 'brand' for your products
making them instantly recognizable as yours.

Wrappings keep the soaps clean and can help to protect them from deterioration due to
environmental elements.

And my favorite reason for wrapping up soaps....it looks great and can be such fun to do!
Check out the ideas listed below to see what I mean....this will be an ongoing page so
check back often for new ideas.

If you have an awesome picture of wrapped soaps and would like to have it added to this
page along with a link to your blog or shop, just send it to me using the Submit
Questions form.
Amber's Ambry uses simple yet effective packaging supplies here...postal
wrapping paper, brown labels and colourful twine.

Zigwicks added a little 'spice' to her soap wrapping.

How about making some of these pillow boxes to put your soaps in? Check
out the tutorial!

Beth Bacchini, owner of Santo Sabao used some heavyweight paper,

business card style labels and some colourful yarn to wrap her lovely soaps.
 Nikki Hoefer and her mother created these Gorgeously Wrapped
Soaps...what can I say other than WOW!

Coffee filters, raffia and circular labels turn these round beer soaps byA
Breath of French Air into fantastic little parcels.
 Nostalgia Organics has packaged some of their soaps in these ultra-cute
cotton bags...and check this out...the labels contain a sewing pattern you can
use to re-purpose the bags with.

Come Home Handmade Soap shows here how the very basic of packaging
materials can look great.
Naiad Soap Arts always packages her soaps so wonderfully. Pretty labels
and flocked fabrics adorn these little beauties.

With just a little tule, ribbon and cute hang tags Naiad Soap Arts has once
again packaged up some soapy masterpieces.
These candy looking cuties where created by Vivian In Love With Soap...a
easy idea to implement using parchment paper.