Learn the art of soap making for fun or profit!
in the early morning of July 29th, 2007Things have changed considerably since the days when Romans boiled goat tallow with wood ashes to replicate the foamy suds that billowed up when the rain fell on the charred remains of sacrificed animals. Thankfully, having to butcher an animal is no longer a prerequisite.
Before I began making my own soap, I used to suffer from dry and itchy skin. Then one day, I purchased some essential oil soap. Now, you’re probably expecting me to say something like….and I’ve never looked back.
Well, not exactly. First of all, these soaps were great quality, insofar as the ingredients used and let’s face it, absolutely anything is better than the offerings in your local supermarket, however, the delicate balance of ingredients that are required when making any beauty product is essential, so that you don’t disrupt the skin’s natural acid mantle.
Unfortunately for me, these soaps irritated my skin. The pH of the soap had not been neutralised, and the essential oils and fragrances used were overpowering. It was enough to give me a headache. Hence my adventures and mishaps into soap making began.
Cold Process
Is a term to identify the way our soap is made. Basically old-fashioned.
After carefully formulating our recipes, we measure out oils, plant butters and extracts and heat them. In a separate container, we combine pure water and sodium hydroxide and any other additives and allow this to reach a certain temperature.
When our oils and sodium hydroxide solution have reached the desired temperature, we carefully combine them and thicken by bringing the mixture to a trace. If you’re a cook, you would be familiar with this term…drag a spoon along the surface, and a trace line remains suspended on the surface for a period of time. The mixture is then poured, insulated and allowed to rest for 24-48 hours.
We carefully unmould, cut into bars and allow to cure for up to 6 weeks, turning the soap every day to ensure the soap dries evenly. Then it is wrapped in ecological packaging, ready for sale and enjoyment.
Why handmade soap you may ask? Handcrafted soap is more luxurious and simply better for you than commercial soap. Homemade soap contains a natural emollient called glycerine which is formed by the chemical reaction of fat and sodium hydroxide but removed by commercial soap manufacturers for resale.
Have you ever suffered from dry, itchy skin after washing with soap? Perhaps, you should look at the soap you’re using. Commercial soap is salt, detergent and fragrance. That’s fine for washing your clothes but I wouldn’t use it on my skin. It strips your skin of vital oils. I don’t see any emollients in that description. If you’re lucky, they may put some lanolin back in, which is known to cause irritations for people with sensitive skin.
With eight years spent in the natural body care sector, I would love to share my knowledge and skills with you.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could learn to easily create and customise your own soaps? Well, now you can. We have full day courses running in Penarth, South Wales in the UK and if you live abroad, no problems, long distance learning is a breeze with our tutorials and all materials shipped straight to your door.
Visit Elixir Body Care for more information.
