I know that’s quite a claim, but it’s true.  Really.

I was taught how to make cold process soap by a friend a few years ago.  In fact, I think she was the one who made that claim and I must admit I wasn’t quite ready to throw out the proverbial store-bought soap with the bathwater.  But then I had never used handmade soap!

I wrote about my soap-making adventure a couple of years ago when I made Cinnamon Spice soap.  I was enamored with the chemical process of soap-making and still am to this day.  I still consider myself a complete newbie to this craft, but can honestly say that I haven’t used store-bought soap since that day.

A full batch (48 bars) will last Mike and I about 48 weeks (that’s almost a whole year).  In my last batch I used a scent called Spiced Mahogany (amazing scent! I’m over the moon for this smell) and we used that soap all up.  It’s definitely my go-to soap smell, but there are so many others out there that I want to try.  The recipe I use makes A LOT of soap and I have to commit to a single scent when I use it.  I have the exact same recipe, but for half the amount and want to start experimenting with different scents.

Made soap for wedding favors

I’ve been able to teach this craft to a few friends and pass on the gift that was given to me.  It’s so gratifying to be able to take an idea like “saponification” (a process that produces soap, usually from fats and lye) and break it down for people.  And there’s the added bonus of just being able to say a word like saponification in a group setting.  Sure- you get a few weird looks, but every now and then someone asks you about it and you get to tell them about soap!

Item #19.  Make a different scented soap every month.  As I thought about my Quest46 projects, I knew I wanted soap making to be apart of it.  I want to try some different oils as well as different scents.  I’m going to build a smaller soapbox and use recipes with a smaller yield.

“How about making soap for us?  When our friends come over to play we get really dirty and having our own special handmade soap would be great.” –SAID NO DOG EVER!