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There are really just two ways to make soap -- the cold process and glycerin -- but there are literally thousands of ways to make that soap delightful. Beautifully colored and shaped soap is a joy to use; grainy soap is studded with sand or poppyseeds in an amazingly effective hand cleaner; and pure translucent glycerin soap is as gentle as it is clear.
Shaping, coloring and mixing in additives are all covered in details. Soap, cut or molded into bars, squares, balls, domed bars, and round, is a joy to behold. Precious handmade soap can be personalized as gifts for the bride, for a newborn, or for a birthday by embossing a monogram onto the bar. Colors from subtle to pulsating add another dimension. Ingredients such as violet petals or coffee grounds create soaps that soothe and scrub. Sentimental soap made with May's lavender blooms is so romantic in November; pine scented soaps warm the month of December.
Handmade soap is a gift that says comfort, relaxation, and a treat for the senses -- for oneself or for a friend.
Absolutely the best recipes...Reviewed by Lynn Lamar, 2009-09-14
This was the first book I ever purchased about soapmaking. I have purchased many more but always refer to this book's recipes because of their elegance and ease. Years ago, I had a very succesful soap business going but my husband passed away and life became very difficult. I needed to move many states away from my home for work and left my gear behind. I have lamented over losing this book for a long time. Now, it's time to begin creating soap again and, lo and behold!!! I find a copy of my fav on Amazon. I am so pleased and looking forward to once again creating beautiful soap for beautiful people everywhere!!!!
handmade soapReviewed by Jose L. Ramos Carrion, 2009-05-18
The book is a perfect one for those who are begining to learn how to make soaps.
Handmade SoapReviewed by C. Guthrie, 2009-04-20
I liked this book. Good recipes and pictures. The extras in the blue boxes were helpful without putting me into information overload. For information and basic know-how you can't go wrong with this book.
Just what I orderedReviewed by David W. Kirkland, 2008-08-31
The book arrived in good condition and was just what the seller said. Great book for referencing and will be of great use to me.
Good cold process soap referenceReviewed by blakdove, 2006-11-02
This book is a pretty good reference for a beginner soap maker. It
covers three soap-making processes: cold process, hand (or French)
milling (a.k.a. rebatching), and melt and pour.
This book has:
1. Sufficient detail for me, a complete novice, to have made a
successful batch of cold process soap my first time. (I was
somewhat supplemented by internet searches of soap making.)
2. A helpful, though not complete, troubleshooting section for
cold-process soap.
3. Wonderfully scented recipes!
4. Blurbs about the properties of various essential oils,
exfoliants, and other additives. These are not comprehensive, but
are sufficient to get you started.
5. A section on the properties of various oils.
6. Seven basic (no additives) cold-process recipes that can be used
with handmilling, along with basic properties of each.
7. Alot of cold-process recipes, along with some hand-milling
recipes and ideas.
8. Ideas and recipes for herb-infused oils, making your own
extracts, bath oils, bath teas, shampoo, shower gel, hair rinses,
laundry and dishwashing soap.
It LACKS:
1. Hand-milling information. I'm having alot of trouble with it and
can't find any answers! It would be great to have a troubleshooting
section for handmilled soap.
2. Melt-and-pour information. If you need ideas for making
melt-and-pour soap, how to embed objects, how to layer, etc., this
is not the book to turn to.
3. A guide for developing your own soap recipes -- how to calculate
lye/fats ratios, etc. And I wish the section on the properties of
oils was a bit more extensive.
4. Recipes for lotions, body butters, bath salts and bath fizzies,
in this book.
Another thing I did not like about the book is that it has some
unrealistic expectations about one's soap-making budget. I'd've
loved to see one (or a few) "grocery store" recipes, that can be
made from oils one can easily find in any grocery store.
So, in short, this book would be a useful addition to a soap-making
library, but it should probably not be your only reference.
