Chapter 2

Information sources and resources

Chapter 1: Navigating Information Literacy 1

Learning outcomes
After reading this chapter, you should be able to answer the
following questions:

• What sources are available in print format?

• What sources are available in digital format?

• How do I access information sources and resources?

• Why should I use a variety of information sources and

resources?

• What are the differences between books and periodicals?

2
Learning outcomes (cont.)
• What are the differences between magazines and journals?

• What is the internet?

• What information resources and applications are available on

the internet?

• What are reference works and why do I need to use them?

• What other sources of information are available?

3
Artisanal soap – An example
• History: dates back more than 5 000 years:

o 3000BC – the Sumerian priests used soap solutions

to cleanse before sacred rituals

o first recorded evidence of soap recipes – 2800BC in

Ancient Babylon

o ancient Egyptians bathed regularly

o an entire soap factory was discovered among the

ruins of Pompeii – a town that was destroyed by a
volcanic eruption in 79AD

Image credit: mythja. Shutterstock

Source:
Soap Making Magazine (2021)
https://www.soapmakingmagazine.co.uk/blog/index.php/2019/01/23/the-history-of-soap/

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources

• So what is soap exactly?

o Animal fats and/or vegetable oils + strong alkaline base = soap + glycerine

o Soap molecules lower the surface tension of water, emulsifies the oils and
grease, and thus bonds it to form a suspension. Basically this means that
soap makes water more ‘watery’ and fluid and it also holds onto the dirt so
that it can be washed away more easily.

o Look at the following article to learn about the chemistry of soap:

https://www.aplustopper.com/explain-cleansing-action-soap-detergent/

Image credit: HL Studios. Pearson Education Ltd

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 5

• Can you make your own soap?

o Melt and pour (MP)

o Cold process (CP)

o Hot process (HP)

Melt and pour process. Image credit: Dr Erica Cosijn.

• For CP and HP, you will need to mix
oils and fats and add lye to it to make
soap.

• Lye is the alkaline chemical needed to

make a bar of soap.

Cold process. Image credit: Dr Erica Cosijn.

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 6

Class discussion

• Watch the following YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl7XubqJnUM&feature=emb_logo

• Is this video a good source of information?

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 7

• Lots of new terms to learn:

o saponification

o lye calculator

o trace

o emulsion

o saturated and unsaturated fats

o stearic acid

o DOS (Dreaded Orange Spots)

o etc.
Image credit: 544864. Shutterstock

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 8

Sources of information for soap-making
• Dictionaries and encyclopedias

• Textbooks (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=soap+books)

• Academic journals (Chemisty and Medical)

• Magazines (general and subject specific)

• Blogs (Humblebee and Me, Soap Queen, The Nerdy Farmwife, Lovin Soap)

• YouTube (I dream in Soap, Soap Queen, Soaping 101)

• Facebook groups (Saponofication Nation, South African Soapers, Soapmaking for

Beginners, Cold Process Soap)

• Subject encyclopedias (https://www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia)

• Online software (http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp)

• Newsletters

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 9

Dictionaries (online and bookform)
Merriam Webster defines saponification as follows: “the act, process, or result of
making soap : conversion into soap”

Dictionary.com defines saponification as: “A reaction in which an ester is heated with

an alkali, such as sodium hydroxide, producing a free alcohol and an acid salt,
especially alkaline hydrolysis of a fat or oil to make soap.”

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 10

General encyclopaedias (online – e.g.
Wikipedia, or book form)

Have a look at the Wikipedia entry on ‘saponification’.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponification

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 11

 Textbooks and recipe books

Google Books – a digitisation project https://books.google.co.za

• Scientific Soapmaking by Kevin M Dunn

• Free e-books?

Amazon Kindle

• Search topic and sort list by price – low to high.

• Free e-books?

Source: Google Books. https://books.google.com/. Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc.,
used with permission.

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 12

Academic journals

Source: Google Scholar. https://scholar.google.com/. Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google
Inc., used with permission.

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 13

Magazines (general and subject specific)

• Making Soap, Cosmetics & Candles: https://www.makingsoapmag.com/

• Dermascope: https://www.dermascope.com/

• Les Nouvelles Estetiques: http://www.lesnouvelles.co.za/LesNouvelles/index.asp

• Global Cosmetic Industry Magazine: https://www.gcimagazine.com/

• Handmade Magazine: https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/handmade-

magazine.aspx

Image source: https://www.makingsoapmag.com/

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources
14
Blogs
• There are a number of blogs on soap making and DIY cosmetics. Here are a
few:

o Humblebee and Me: https://www.humblebeeandme.com/

o The Nerdy Farmwife: https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/
o Lovin’ Soap: https://www.lovinsoap.com/blog/

Image source: https://www.humblebeeandme.com/

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources

15
YouTube

There are several YouTube Channels dedicated to soap-making, each catering

for a specific skill level and audience:

• I dream in Soap (focussing on soap art)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdw4z-KdAeWs3xZYRZiWBvA

• Royalty Soaps ( a small business with instructional videos)

https://www.youtube.com/user/RoyaltySoaps

• Soaping 101 (soap making basics, but also more on the scientific and
technical side the topic)
https://www.youtube.com/user/soaping101

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 16

Facebook groups

There is a very wide variety of social media resources available for various
topics. Here are a few FB groups dedicated to soap making:

• Saponification Nation

• South African Soapers

• Soapmaking for Beginners

• Cold Process Soap.

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 17

Subject encyclopaedias

• Subject encyclopaedias supply more detailed information than general

encyclopaedias.

• They are often difficult to find.

• An example of cosmetic and soap ingredients encyclopaedia:

Humblebee and Me Encyclopaedia
(https://www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia)

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 18

Other online resources

Soap calculator: http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 19

Legislation and safety precautions

Foodstuffs, Cosmetic and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972 (and regulations)

• https://www.gov.za/documents/foodstuffs-cosmetics-and-disinfectants-act-2-
jun-1972-0000

Safety Data Sheet for Lye

• https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/21300.htm

Image credit: Neil Webster. Shutterstock

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 20

Newsletters

It is possible to set up alerts on search engines and subscribe to weekly e-mail

newsletters to stay up to date with latest developments, new products,
changes in legislation, new recipes, new techniques and challenges to try.

In addition, these newsletters serve as sources of lifelong learning and skills

improvement once you have done our basic research.

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 21

Summary

• In this chapter, we have learned about:

o Sources and resources specific to a topic

o Print and digital formats or sources

o Free and paid information sources

o Why it is important to know where to look for information.

• Every task, assignment or information need requires a unique set of

information sources and resources.

Image credit: MidoSemsem. Shutterstock

Chapter 2: Information sources and resources 22