The Two Different Soap-Making Methods You Can Try

Soap-making is fun, and it's a very useful hobby. With the knowledge of this craft, you can easily create your own personalized gifts for people who are close to you. You need not buy commercial soaps anymore, which are chemical-packed and even environmentally dangerous. Who knows, you can even start your own small business selling home-made soap.

What do you need to get started with this hobby? First and foremost, you need to know the two basic methods used in soap-making.

Melt And Pour Method

This is the simplest method of making soap, so simple that even children can make soap using this method. This involves the following processes:

* Buying pre-made blocks of soap as your base
* Melting the soap using microwave
* Adding your desired ingredients like coloring and scent
* Pouring the new mixture in a mold until it hardens to a new soap

The processes are that easy and simple, and the soap doesn't take a long time to harden! However, you don't have much control on the ingredients in this method, as your base may already have other chemicals added before you purchased it. Plus, there's little space for customization with this process. If you want more control, the next method is for you.

Cold Method

Cold method is a little more complicated, and it's a little more dangerous because it involves the use of lye. However, it gives a better result. This method involves the following:

* Heating the oil needed (the type of oil depends on you)
* Adding the lye and water mixture to the oil (be careful with lye)
* Stirring the mixture until it reaches the right thickness, called trace
* Adding of all other ingredients like the scent and coloring
* Pouring of the mixture into the mold until it hardens

The hardening time for the soap made using this process takes a little longer, and more ingredients may also be needed, but it's all worth it. Besides, you can make more varieties of soap once you learn this method.

Now that you're familiar with these two basic methods of soap-making, it's already easier to make your own soap. There's no limit to this art; you can come up with soaps of different varieties in color, scent, and shape according to your creativity. The best thing is for you to come up with your own unique and customized soap that will give you just what you desire.