Reviews
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.
Synopsis
Excerpted from Country Living Handmade Soap : Recipes for Crafting Soap at Home by Michael Hulbert, Keith Scott Morton and Mike Hulbert. Copyright © 1998. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Basic Recipe One
14 ounces tepid water
1. Prepare the mold
Customer Comments
A reader from Derby, KS , August 19, 1998
A reader from North Carolina , August 2, 1998
A reader from Indiana, USA , March 11, 1998
Book Description
Practical as soap is, it can also be a real luxury; this book shows how to create an astounding array of soaps.
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. This book shows how to create an astonishing array of handmade soaps, using ingredients such as violet petals, oatmeal, and lavender, with tips on monogramming bars, shaping, coloring, and more. 30 color photos. Resource list. Glossary.
A mild, off-white Castille-type soap, this soap curves into nice hard bars that produce lots of exploding lather. It is an excellent all-purpose soap and a good choice for hand-milling recipes because it is so versatile: you can remold this recipe into both body bars (see Chapter Two) and soaps for domestic use (see Chapter Three).
6 ounces lye
12 ounces coconut oil
8 ounces of palm oil
20 ounces olive oil
2. Blend the water and lye. Set aside and cool to 100 degrees F.
3. Melt the coconut and palm oils. Blend in the olive oil and wither heat or cool to 100 degrees F.
4. Once the temperatures match, blend the lye solution into the oils.
5. Stir the mixture until the soap traces. At trace, pour into the prepared mold.
6. Leave the soap to set for 4 to 8 hours, or until the soap is solid and firm to the touch.
Release the soap from the mold and allow to cure for 6 to 8 weeks.
Copyright 1998 by Hearst Books
Average Customer Review: Number of Reviews: 3
Good book for even the beginning soapmaker. This book has several easy recipes for even the beginning soapmaker. The only thing I would like to see added is something about if your soap doesn't trace easily. I made one of the Castille recipes (calls for 48 oz of olive oil) and had difficulty getting it to set up. I used some of the glycerin soap recipes for ideas with great success. Kids love them!
This is the best book on the market. This is the most informative and easy to understand book that I have read. This book is very helpful. A must for the soapmaker!!
very detailed, but not boring - I was quite nervous about my first experience with lye after hearing how dangerous it was. Other books I've looked at have said to be cautios, but didn't really tell me how to go about it. This book put all my fears aside, and also listed the exact equipment. After researching through tons of soap books, I have found this book to be the most helpful, and the best book for beginning soapmakers; however, it is also good for advanced soapmakers, as it offers a wide variety of recipes and techniques