There are many ways you can design and make soap. From the innate properties of the soap, to its color, added properties and its shape and size, there are many things that you can alter to make showering and bath time more interesting. In addition to just cleaning yourself, soaps with excellent designs may also be used as decors to improve the overall look of your bathroom.
A lot of people may think that the soap making process is very hard due to the many properties of soap that you can alter. On the other hand, it is quite easy to do, so easy that even small children can take up soap making as a hobby as long as there is adult supervision.
First thing that you will need are the ingredients and tools that you will use in making soap. You will need some oil, lye, dyes, fragrant oils, lotion and herbal leaf extracts, depending on what you want to put into your soap. You will also need molds, mixing tools, bowls, knives and protective equipment such as gloves and goggles to protect yourself from the caustic effects of lye.
In addition to obtaining the tools and ingredients that you need, you will also have to do some research as to the recipe that you will need when making your soap. This way, you will know the exact amounts of the ingredients that you will need. You may also want to decide what method you are going to use in making soap, whether it is the hot method or the cold method.
Starting off with soap making, you should first wear your protective equipment so that you can avoid injuries caused by contact with lye. Next, lye will need to be dissolved in water completely. Once this is done, oil can be added to the solution so that the ingredients may undergo saponification.
When the mixture is done, you may now add the extra ingredients that you want, such as the coloring dyes and herbal leaf extract. Continue stirring your mixture until your ingredients are completely distributed in the liquid. Once you are satisfied, you may now pour this mixture into molds and wait for it to harden.
Once the soap has hardened, you may now take it out from the molds and make some adjustments in order to produce the design that you want. The soap will still need to be aged, especially if you used the cold process so that it can fully harden before it will be ready for use. This usually takes about four weeks.
Once this is done, you may now put your soap in your bathroom to be used for showering, or just as a decoration for your bathroom. Other things that you can do with your soap are giving them away as gifts, or even selling them if you become really good in making these soaps.
Jen Hopkins has worked in the skin care industry for years. She maintains websites about melt and pour soap making, and soap making. If you want to contact her, you can use the contact form at one of her sites.
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