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Soap & Candle Making

Homemade bath soap bar, worth the time and effort?

11 years ago

I'm debating weather to take on a new project, making homemade bath soap bar. How time consuming is it and will it really worth my time and effort? I'm pretty sure the end result will be satisfying knowing there's no crap added to it. But will it be double the price of what I'm paying for regular bars now, please the extra time I put in?

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Comments (5)

Sara Bein
11 years ago
Do you want to make cold-process, hot process or melt & pour? Melt & pour is the easiest, and if you get all-natural bases (sometimes called "detergent-free") you can get a nice customized soap in a managable amount of time and at a modest price.
First home
Original Author
11 years ago
Between cold press and hot press, cold press seems a little less messy. I don't think I will consider melt & pour, that's like buying a box of cake mix. I prefer to do things from scratch. Soap making has always been a project I wanted to take on. Now that we bought a house, I think I want to dedicate part of the basement for my soap making. I may not be able to start this project until months down the road, really need to move in and get settle down first. Once I'm ready to start, will be bothering your folks again for recipes and lots of endless questions!!!
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Ok its been a few days so I can give more opinions on Dove baby. By the way I also bought the lotion. I love the soap, it doesn't leave a feeling on my skin like some moisturizing soaps do including Dove White, but does leave it very smooth, soft, and supple...the scent left on the skin is extremely light. Pat you might like this soap. The lotion I do not like not at all except for the very light almost no fragrance. It leaves a very sticky feel, even into the next day its sticky. However I have an area below my elbow about the area of an egg that's very dry, red, itchy, and sore..I'm a leaner so I tend to put my elbow area on my knees and lean forward a lot anyway I've been using this lotion several times a day for 3 days now on that area...I can still see a pinkish area, but its now smooth and the itch is gone as is the iirritating pain so I'd say it did a great job on a problem area. I will not use this as an all over lotion but will use it for problem areas...I'd suggest you try it Pat. Chip my 8yo has some eczema around both ankles, I've used the soap and lotion on him since Thursday applying the lotion to the eczema areas 3 times a day..the eczema is not cleared up, but well on its way. Just for this alone its a keeper. I haven't ask Amiee today for her thoughts yet. Tim my 9yo wouldn't use lotion for love or money lol, I should probably insist as its part of healthy skin care. so in a nutshell the soap is lovely and the lotion great only for problem areas.
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Sara Bein
11 years ago
Ok, keep asking questions. I can't help with hot process, as I make MP (less like making cake from a mix than you might think), but there will be others who can answer. As to your original question of whether it is worth the time & effort, only you can answer that for yourself. And you won't know until you try it.
Brent B
11 years ago
First home,

I too like making things from scratch, cold processed soap and masalas/currys (I get some of my spices from Sri Lanka, for example) are just 2 of them.

I prefer cold process to hot. Some soapers prefer hot processed soap, I always struggled to make them look like store-bought, so I make cold processed and hate rebatching.

It is economical?

For a few bars definitely not.

If you like giving as gifts or going retail, then probably, but you may never give up your day job, to pick this soapmaking up to keep food on the table (bin there, done that). It's a tough slog, some do it, but I would never rely on it now.

While you are thinking about picking up tools and supplies, then start looking now. I get the stick mixers for example from second hand outlets, and I keep the buckets which the oils and fats come in to mix soap recipes.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

B.
Stephany Martin
11 years ago
I think its worth, many people like to use only natural products that is free from chemicals. If you can make really good products, you should go for it.

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