Learn how to adjust for and add lanolin to soap recipes, plus guidelines for using it. Kimberly asked a great question the other day, about how to include lanolin in a soap recipe she’d recently made. She also wanted to try including it in my Dandelion Scrub Bar recipe, but wasn’t sure what changes to make. I thought it might be helpful to type up my answer here, in case anyone else has the same … Continue reading
We all have soapmaking fails. This ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap problems. On a daily basis I receive emails from readers about problems and questions encountered while making soap. (Currently, I have 70+ of those emails in the queue to answer!) A few months ago I realized that I’ve been writing variations of the same answers over and over for several years now, so it … Continue reading
This red, white & blue swirl soap is naturally colored with botanicals and clays, and scented with a blend of essential oils. Credit for the design inspiration goes to Kapia Mera Soap Company (see their lovely soap video HERE), only instead of cutting a thin layer to use for rimmed soap, I cut a thin layer off the top to show the design better and then cut into regular bars. Natural Soap Colorants Notes Creating a … Continue reading
Learn why you need lye to make soap and how to handle it safely. Our great great grandmothers made soap without having to use a caustic chemical, so why do we? The short answer is that our grandmothers manufactured their own caustic chemical of sorts, called potash, by combining hardwood ashes and water. This created an extremely strong alkaline substance that was considered ready when it would dissolve a chicken feather. The caustic wood ash solution … Continue reading
While there are other methods of making soap (hot process and melt & pour), this soap making 101 tutorial provides a basic overview on how to make soap the cold process way. It will be added to my Natural Soap Making page along with other helpful links and recipes; so be sure to bookmark or pin it for easy reference. Making soap is one of my favorite hobbies. There are so many ways to personalize a single … Continue reading
This herbal vinegar face soap recipe features sage for its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties, plus chlorella, a nutritious algae that has impressive acne fighting and anti-aging skin benefits. It’s especially helpful for those with normal to oily, or acne-prone skin. Sage & Chlorella – for potential skin benefits & natural color This face soap recipe features sage (Salvia officinalis) for its astringent, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties. (source) Sage can also be used in oil and water infusions … Continue reading
Do you want to make your own aloe vera soap using fresh aloe? If so, then this tutorial is just for you! I’ve also included a gentle aloe vera facial soap recipe, along with a variety of ingredient substitution ideas. With a little bit of preparation, fresh aloe can be used to replace part (or all) of the water amount in almost any cold process soap recipe. (Don’t have an aloe plant growing nearby? Check … Continue reading
To accompany my Calendula Shave Soap Recipe, I though it’d be helpful to write up some FAQS I’ve received about how to create your own shave soap recipe. This information is also useful to know if you want to make substitutions in an existing recipe you’ve found in a book or online and aren’t sure how to do so. If you have a question I didn’t answer here, let me know in the comments below! … Continue reading
