Get Hooked in Soap Making and Start A New Venture
Have you ever wondered how soap is made? All of our lives, soap has always been a part of our daily needs. That bar of soap that we use for washing has proved its worth to us. Wouldn’t it be an interesting venture to learn soap making? It is quite a simple hobby that requires a lot of creativity. Once you learn the basics, you will instantly get hooked.
Scientifically, soaps are just salts of fatty acids formed form the process of saponification. To make soaps, fatty acids or oils are mixed with a base. This is the basics of making soaps. Even if you see a million varieties of soaps out there, you have to understand that saponification is main principle behind them.
The primary step in soap making, is mixing lye and water. This is very crucial since this can release heat and make the mixture hot. Before handling the mixture, you have to make sure that the soap has already cooled down. This is the time when you can add the additives in the mixture before placing in the mold.
The first things that you have to ensure when making soap are the weights of your ingredients. Remember that soaps are made under a chemical reaction. It goes unexplained that the reaction must be completed order to get the ideal soap. Remember that too much of a certain ingredient may be harmful for the skin.
The right process of soap making is very important. You need to make sure that you choose a certain process of soap making that is very comfortable for you. It will only give you a hard time making soaps if you are uncomfortable. Possible methods are the melt and pour, cold process, hot process and transparent soap process.
Soap, as we know it, is basic. Even if this is the case, we need to make sure that the soap that we are using is safe for the skin. Too basic soaps can be itchy and irritating which is why we have to avoid this. Soap must be around the pH level of 7 to 9. To test this, add phenolphthalein on the soap mixture. This drop of liquid must change from colorless to light pink. Too dark pink color means that the soap is too basic and harmful for the skin.
Additives which are added in the soap mixture are very important. These give specific characteristics to the soap. The most common additives are essential oils. These are very fragrant and perfect for aromatherapy. Adding a small amount of additives can give a big effect to the final soap mixture.
Soap making is definitely worth a try. Especially if you’re bored with the commercial soaps that you are using, this is one option for you. Try to mix and match different techniques and ingredients until you find one that you like. You will never regret trying this hobby out.
Jen Hopkins has worked in the skin care industry for years. She maintains websites about homemade soap recipes, and make natural soap. If you want to contact her, you can use the contact form at one of her sites.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 at 3:38 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.