Melt & Pour Soapmaking

by Marie Browning

Soaps fragrant with oils or spices, fizzing up the bath, or molded into perfect petals to place in a pretty jar beside the sink. Ones with guardian angels or good luck coins tucked inside. A virtual cornucopia of beautiful soaps will delight your senses with their scents, shapes, and feel. (Of course, they'll get you clean too, oh so gently, but they're almost too attractive to use up!) And, these soaps are easy to make, out of the kindest, chemical-free ingredients. Just take a commercially available glycerine or coconut-oil base, cut it up, and melt in a microwave or double boiler. Pour the liquid into molds to set--and let the real fun begin. Your imagination will go wild with possibilities as you check out different types of aromatic and essential oil (with tips on blending); additives such as almond or beeswax, colorants; and molds for hexagons, delicate shells, and more. information on hand milling! A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club.

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction, Reference

128 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2001

Reviews

[J]

This is a really good introduction to soapmaking. When I got this book, the boy in my life at the time convinced me we needed to start making our own soap, which was inspired by Fight Club. Needless to say, we never got around to making "real" soap since that required animal fat (hello, why didn't he pick that up when he saw Fight Club?) and he was vegetarian.

"Real" soap isn't covered in this book, this book uses glycerin-based soaps and coconut oil soap (stuff that you can literally melt and pour).

[Andrea]

Ahhh, I think I am getting addicted here. I fall asleep thinking of bees and soap making. Fact from the book: Because of the Egyptian's skill in bees and fragrance both were found in King Tuts tomb discovered in 1922. The honey was still good and the ointments still frangrance. I can do this, I can.

[Denise]

I read this book on a whim. The problem I have is that you have to buy the equipment (molds, bases, fragrances). I would think it's cheaper and easier to just buy soaps already made?

[Brigette]

Book I am currently reading to make soap. Helpful directions and nice recipes.

[Tiffani]

I was looking for information on how to make lye soap and this book only uses glycerin. The recipes seemed expensive to make.