Do you have a crafting to-do list? I do, and it’s about a mile long at this point. One of the things I’ve had on my list for a long time is making soap. It seems like such a fun thing to do! And since I want to avoid ingredients that aren’t natural (or even worse, dangerous), making my own laundry detergent and natural soaps just smakes sense. When presented with the opportunity to review The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Making Natural Soaps, I jumped at the chance!
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Making Natural Soaps
What I love about this, and all Complete Idiot’s Guide books, is that it breaks things down in a way that beginners can understand. And trust me, I am definitely a beginner when it comes to soap making! This particular book is written by Sally W. Trew, the owner of an online soap supply business, and Zonella B. Gould, who makes soaps for a living. Because these books are written by experts in their fields, you know the information you’re getting is good.
You can make all types of soaps!
While I expected that this book would just be about bar soaps, I was surprised to see that it encompassed a wide array of all things sudsy:
Face and body soaps
Soaps for babies, teens, and mature skin
Lye soaps
Goat’s milk soaps
Shower gels and shampoo
Laundry soap
Floor cleaner
Pet shampoo
Tub crayons for kids
Decorative and gift soaps
I felt a bit like a chemist
To be honest, I had no idea that there was so much involved in making soap! As someone who flunked high school chemistry, I was a little bit intimidated by it all. The book is easy to read, but as someone who’s not very good with numbers and formulas, I found myself feeling overwhelmed. Luckily the last chapter of the book deals with melt & pour soap making, which is the perfect type of soap making for novices like me. In case you couldn’t guess, it involves melting pre-made soaps, mixing in scents, colorants, and whatever else you want, and pouring the mixture into molds. Easy peasy!
I do wish that this book had color illustrations and images, but overall, I was pleased with its content. If you’re looking for handmade gift ideas for the holidays, this is a fantastic book! You can purchase The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Making Natural Soaps for $14.95, or even cheaper on Amazon!
*Kiersten received the above product, free of charge, to facilitate this review.
6 Responses
It could just have been that I never noticed, but it seems like natural handmade soap businesses are popping up everywhere now! I used to like Lush boutique but thought they were a bit pricey. This book is now on my must-checkout list. TY.
My girls and I have always wanted to try soap making. It looks fun!
Thanks for the review. Soap making is something I’ve been meaning to try, but like you after reading what is involved, I have felt overwhelmed. I would love to craft soaps and sell them at flea and farmers markets. But, being a consumer of both the handcrafted lye and the melt and pour. I prefer the lye soap. I do have a soapmaking book, but it probably would be a good idea to get more than one.
i would love to get this book and learn how to make my own soap! I’ve gotten this in my Amazon wish list to get!
It is a little discouraging that some of it can be so complicated, but I’m glad you said they have easier recipes too. I have noticed a lot of soap sellers on places like Etsy (since the previous commenter mentioned homemade soap). It would be great to make soap for gifts or favors.
Great post however , I was wondering if you could write a
litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you
could elaborate a little bit more. Many thanks!