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Soap crafting can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. The more complicated the soap, the more expensive your ingredients are and the simpler the soap, well ... you get the idea. Supplies can be found in your local craft store and there are quite a few places online to purchase supplies or even complete kits. An advantage to making craft soap as opposed to lye soap (soap made completely from scratch) is that it is safe! There aren't any poisonous fumes to inhale or chemicals to spill and you don't have to wait weeks after you make it to be able to use it!
Craft soap is what is generally referred to as Melt and Pour soap. Melt and Pour soap is a pure soap base; you can purchase white soap, glycerin soap and now there is a new product called glass soap. In craft stores, the Melt and Pour soap usually comes packaged in a one pound cubed block. Online, you can purchase anywhere from one pound blocks to fifty-five pound pails (a bulk bargain price). This Melt and Pour base is the first ingredient you'll need -- you may want to start out with the one pound block in the beginning to make sure you enjoy making soap.
Next you'll need to decide if you want to color or scent your soap. If so, you will need to purchase the tints, dyes and/or scents of your choice. Tints and dyes come in dropper form, they usually include a packet of the primary colors. You can also color with color concentrated soap blocks. There are too many forms of scents to list, only your imagination (and maybe your budget) limits you. When buying scents, be sure that the product you are buying is meant for use on the skin. In liquid form, it is standard to use one tablespoon of liquid scent per pound of soap. Essential oils can be found in health food stores and have many medicinal properties as well as scents. When using essential oils, be sure to read the precautions as some herbs may cause reactions.
Next you will need molds for your soap to cool and harden in. You can buy soap molds, or you can use almost any heat resistant item in your kitchen. PVC pipe can be used -- small pieces for single bars of soap or a long piece to make a soap log that can be sliced after cooling. Use plaster molds, Jell-O molds, Tupperware ... the ideas are limitless!
Now you have all of the basic ingredients and believe it or not, that was the hardest part of this whole process! The first thing you need to do is melt your soap base. You can do so by using a double boiler on low heat, or you can microwave the soap in 10 to 20 second increments. Make sure to gently stir the soap mixture occasionally and do not let it boil.
Once the soap is completely melted, you can gently stir in your color and scent. Next pour your soap mixture into your molds and allow them to cool. Once the soap is completely hardened, you just pop it out of the molds and you have just made your first batch of soap! The great thing is that you can use it right away.
Just one batch will be enough to get most people hooked, then you'll want to start experimenting to add your own special touch. Some ingredients that can be added to personalize your soap are: honey, wheat germ oil, vitamin E oil, aloe, shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, dried herbs or flowers or you can even cut up a loofah sponge and put it into the soap. The experimentation is addictive! You can package your soap with saran wrap and a ribbon or get really creative with your packaging.
You can make soap as a special treat for yourself or to use for gift giving. Keep in mind that everyone needs soap, and everyone enjoys being pampered -- you may end up with a little home business on your hands! Happy soaping!
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