For the longest time, I have wanted to make soap but was intimidated by the process. I envisioned donning my pandemic-ready overalls, goggles, and three layers of gloves so that I could safely work with lye. I have since learned that with care, I do not have to go quite that far but still, I was just not ready to take that step.
About six months ago, I learned about something called melt and pour soap base. Melt and pour base is a block of premade soap with nothing added. All of the work to create soap from oils and lye has been done, leaving the fun part of adding color, fragrance, and molding into bars to you. The more I read, the more I was hooked so I purchased some supplies and got started.
There was no looking back. I have learned that making hand-crafted soap from melt and pour base is addictive and is both a highly creative process and superbly rewarding hobby. I just can’t stop making soap and love giving my precious bars away to friends for no reason at all. Just because.
One of those friends loved her soaps so much that she asked for more. And then she asked me to teach her how so she could make her own and give them away to her friends. So there I was, one day, teaching my friend Nancy to make soap and within an hour or two, she was an expert. Her husband told me I created a soap-making monster. Now I don’t know about that but with all of that experience behind me, I decided to memorialize a beginners guide to making soap.
Given that pursuing your passions, including hobbies, is part of living a strategic life, I share with you what I know so far about making no-lye soap, along with some tips and tricks that will pretty much guarantee success.
