InsaneJournal

Soap Making
Answers to common soap making questions:

What is handmade soap made from?

Soap is a composite creation conceived from fats, lye, and water. It can also contain botanicals, fragrance, and dyes.

It also is less likely to crack and dry out then mass produced soap is. This is because handcrafted soap keeps its glycerin, and widely made soap discards the glycerin.

Can you use handmade soaps the same day that you assemble it?

do-it-yourself soap should be allowed to cure for several weeks before you use it.

Soap pigments are used to give homespun soaps their color. Soap pigments, such as oxides, used to be mined from essential sources, anyhow, now they are generally made in laboratories.

What are FD&C Colorants?

FD&C colorants are additives used to color your handcrafted soap. These coloring additions do not originate from natural sources, they instead are created in laboratories.

Are there natural ways to color handmade soaps?

Yes, there are natural creations that you can use to color your soap. If you would like yellow soap you can use saffron, Turmeric, or Carthamin. If you wantred soap you may use paprika.

Fragrance should be mixed in after it has been completely melted and it has passed the stringy stage.

Can you use both fragrance oils and essential oils in cold process soap?

Yes both of these oils work right in cold process soap.

Is it usual for dried herbs and botanicals to turn brown in my homemade soap?

Yes it is.

You can use grease, plastic wrap, or wax paper. Just make sure that you create a flat lining, and that there are no orifices between liner parts.

See also
How To Make Soap
How To Make Soap