botanical_drifter, To clarify, what you're wanting to make is not soap. If you read the labels, you'll learn what basically make up these items that you want to make. With Dove (this is not true soap), consider sodium lactate for the smoothness that you may be after. Soap makers may use a number of ingredients to create a smooth feeling in their soap, you did not ask for this specifically, so good luck!

I made my partner a shaving soap that he loves... Unfortunately, I'm at my parents' house this week and the recipe is at home!! But, it wasn't really anything special - I added some oils (I used calendula-infused safflower oil) and sandalwood e.o. I remember reading somewhere about adding clays to shaving soaps, but I'm not sure why/how much/etc... I hope someone else can be more helpful! :)

MMMM! These look good enough to eat, and just what I was looking for. I have been looking for a site I visited that had lots of "food" soap recipes and can't find it. This will be a great start. Also, has anyone ever made PEANUT BUTTER BREAD LOAF SOAP? Ingredients include peanut butter and ground nuts. Not sure about adding peanut butter. Any comments? Thanks Jo

I thought I'd chime in as a pro CP person. I've done both methods, but personally prefer CP because I like the feeling of making something from scratch. I know what goes into my soap from beginning to end, which is great for me since I have sensitive skin. CP is definitely a lot more labor intensive than M&P, but I find it relaxing and therapeutic. It's also much more complicated since you're working with lye, and ingredients that you might put into M&P soap with no problem will turn out all different sorts of ways when you introduce it to lye. It's even MORE complicated if you're interested in designing your own soap recipe because it involves balancing chemical reactions and understanding the various properties of different oils. I love it, though, because it appeals to my geeky side. And once you learn it, it's not that difficult. Anyway, I agree with Hazel. Try both and see what you personally like. You might want to start with M&P to break yourself into the whole experience. That's how I started. I later moved into CP once I'd tried M&P. Good luck!