During the past few years, there has been a shift in the beauty industry. People have started to turn toward more sustainable products with nourishing and high-quality ingredients. Why apply harsh and potentially harmful chemicals to your skin when you can handpick the active ingredients instead?
Soap-making classes have become increasingly popular for a good reason. The process itself isn’t too complex, the items you need are easy to procure, and most importantly, you’ll end up with a soap bar of your own making. In the following article, we’ll cover what goes into the process and how to make the most of it in your own home.
Soap Making 101
If you’re just starting from scratch, you first need to look for beginner-friendly professional soap making courses online that will help you grasp the basics. You can think of them as your personal library, where you can access videos covering different stages of the process anytime.
Contrary to popular belief, soap-making is a straightforward procedure that consists of several simple steps. Let’s inspect them more closely to see what each entails:
- Procure all of the equipment — Before you start, you must purchase all the ingredients and items you’ll use to make soap. Common ones include lye, sodium hydroxide, distilled water, oils/fats, and essential oils if you want your soaps to smell nice. Don’t forget about the rest of the equipment, such as containers to measure and store, a digital scale, a soap mold, a spatula, and a soap cutter.
- Select a technique — Most stick to two basic soap-making techniques: the cold process and the melt-and-pour method. The former includes combining lye with fats and oils and is an excellent option if you like to customize your ingredients. It’s also a great way to get creative because it lets you control the entire process. The latter is a beginner-friendly version where you mix and melt the premade base, which you then need to pour into a mold. This is a great way to have fun with your children, as you won’t need any safety gear.
- Wrap up — Once you’re done, all that’s left is to pour your soap mix into the mold and wait for it to become firm. The waiting period will depend on the method you’ve chosen and can last from a couple of hours to several weeks.
Benefits of Making Your Own Soap
There are multitudes of advantages to making your own soap. The first and most obvious one is that it allows you to avoid harmful chemicals which can irritate the skin. You can read more about their impact here. If you decide to fly solo, you’ll get to pick the materials you use. Moreover, as most ingredients in homemade soaps are biodegradable, they won’t harm the environment.
Since you control the ingredients in your soap, you can focus on quality, vegan-friendly options that aren’t tested on animals. Finally, homemade soap is an ideal gift for your loved ones. You can make it look and feel luxurious by pouring your heart into it. Once you get the hang of the entire process, it will become second nature. You’ll be able to make your soap quickly and even save some money along the way.
Final Takeaway
There are numerous resources you can explore if you want to learn how to make soap. We recommend going with a reputable course if you are an absolute beginner. That said, even if you have some experience, you can always learn something new. Using your own bar of soap has many benefits — from having glowy, nourished skin to making the world a better place. So what are you waiting for?
