Why Learn To Make Soap Yourself – How To Make Bar Soap
If you've never read anything about making soap before, it may seem like an unsurmountable task. Don't be discouraged, though - once you learn the basics, you will see how easy it all is. There are many benefits to learning how to make bar soap and this article will give you an overview of the process.
This is what the basic idea is when you're making soap - you are combining an alkaline with fats or oils. In our case, this alkaline is a chemical called sodium hydroxide, or more simply, lye. These fats can be anything from olive oil to animal fat.
The great thing about oils is that there are so many options available. Not all oils are suitable for making soap with, but of the ones that are, you have a great variety. You can make soap to suit any need that you have.
For example, coconut oil is known for its lathering properties. If you like a soap with a lot of lather, you then increase the proportion of coconut oil in your recipe. Other examples are shea, coconut butter and hemp oil for a moisturizing soap.
There is one obstacle which you need to conquer though - handling lye. This is the hardest part about learning to make soap. Specifically, lye is a strong caustic and can actually damage your skin if you spill it on yourself.
That's why you need to take all the safety precautions necessary before trying to work with lye. You need to be wearing rubber gloves, long sleeves, and plastic goggles to protect your eyes. In addition, you need to keep vinegar handy because this will neutralize the lye if you spill it.
There are a few other things you should know about lye. That's all a normal part of the process - getting informed. Once you have become confident in working with lye, then the rest is easy as A, B, C - no rocket science is involved.
Once you know all the basics, then that's only the beginning. Finding new recipes, learning to eventually make your own recipes, trying different oils - there is a lot of variety. You will spend countless hours choosing which soap to make next and then enjoying the freshness of your soap.
Once you have an understanding regarding how to make bar soap, you should start trying it out yourself. To read about how I very fast learned the basic steps using an instructional video, then check this out: How to Make Bar Soap.
Tags: cold process, crafts, Food Recipes, hobbies, home made soap, homemade soap, lye, lye soap, Making soap, organic, recipes, soap, Soap making, soap recipes, vegan
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