The Soapmaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide with Recipes, Techniques & Know-How (Natural Body Series - The Natural Way to Enhance Your Life)

I read a lot of reviews before purchasing this book including this book's reviews on US/UK Amazon and all of the negative reviews (which are significantly less that the positive ones.) For a person new to soap making and new to cold process soap making, (and wanting to use vegetable based oils in cold process) this book is really good. It contains one recipe for a single bar of soap and a good selection of recipes for other types of soap. These easily act as a guide for you to create your own recipes or to go ahead and make the recipes straight from the book. It is true that the recipes all contain around 7 teaspoons of essential oils. Keep in mind that these oils sell for £5 plus for 10 ml. A teaspoon is 5 ml, so you are looking at 35 ml of essential oils per recipe. It ups the price of the finished bars considerably. However on the plus side, the recipes state the essential oils are optional. There are also ideas for combining the oils to achieve different smells. I don't know if the grapefruit seed extract referred to in the recipes - used as a preservative because of the 10% discount - is necessary or not. One could always run the recipe through the lye calculators readily found on the web to use a lower discount. This would do away with the need for the addition of this ingredient altogether. However you do get the impression that the author has a lot of experience in soap making so to make real quality soap, perhaps her way is best. I am not experienced enough to know. There is no reference to costs when it comes to batches of soaps. Using current costs, and using sweet almond oil instead of palm oil, the single bar of soap recipe was £1. The costs of a 1100 gr batch using a recipe from elsewhere - olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil and almond oil being the main ingredients [totalling 900gr] was 65p/100gr bar, though this is before the bars have been rested for the 4 week period after producing them. (I've added this in because it was something I would have liked her book to address, just to give some idea of the home manufacturing cost from the raw ingredients.) Using her recipes could see the costs rise as her recipes contain more ingredients. Her recipes would cost more to pass by a chemist too if the end result of the soap-making procedure was to sell for profit in the UK. Aside from this, she covers laundry soap, bar shampoos, men's soap, transparent soap, lip balm, a guide to the use of soap making oils, question and answer trouble shooting tips, looking at resins, minerals and clays as additives to soaps, natural colorants and other more chemistry related soap making information, making the whole book a great referencing source. I didn't find the lack of photos or the green ink off-putting. Youtube and the web give a lot of information for soap makers, but it takes time to find what you are looking for. A few Youtube clips on how cold-process works and then carefully following her recipe was easily do-able. For less than £9.00 this was a very worthwhile purchase though no doubt because it is a paperback it won't last as long as one would like.

As a newbie, I can honestly say not to start with this book. This is the next step for a total beginner. 1. For Absolute beginners start with the Melinda Coss book on Handmade soap, as this has small recipes using lard to practice and make mistakes with. After 5-10 batches, move on to this book. 2. This book is a gem - as once you get started, you'll notice the different temperatures recommended - and this book will explain all that. Even better troubleshooting guide for temperatures 80-90 F, 95 -105 F, 110 - 120 F and 125 - 140 F. 3. You'll want comparision charts of oils for lather, trace times, fluffy lather, stable lather, conditioning. This book is the only book that I've found with such charts. 4. Good troubleshooting guides, for Transparent Soaps such as cloudiness, opacity, softness or slippery feel. This is the "next stage" book, that handles in an easy to read format, all those wonderful things that can wrong or right. If you understand these, then you're ready to really experiment with confidence.

I am very pleased with this book which clearly informs the reader what you need to purchase. So far I have made one batch and everyone loves it. I decided to make soap for myself and as gifts as I have a thing about nice soap but have developed sensitivity to highly scented soap and wanted to make some nice soap that was not scented (although I can take some essentials oils) and this book enables me to do that. I have just ordered more oils etc to make another batch as I also gave some bars as gifts and am now all out. The only drawback from the book, being in the UK, is that I have had to convert the measurements.

Very happy with this book the item arrived well packaged and on time all in all a good purchase

Wanted to start making soap....use to make it with my granny but just forgot how....this book is pack with really great info and recepies ..... But you really have to read it not just flick through it...will worth the money and wouldn't be with out it.... If you like I have just started out there is an app that you can download on bramble berry this app I thought with the book brilliant.... It tells you how much lye you will need for recipie ....

I have finally found my buddy

Easy to follow instructions for the absolute beginner

Great book! I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to start making soaps in a proper way. It contains a lot of scienfic-based explanations which makes it more interesting and very educational.

If you're new to soap making, I would highly recommend this book, it has all you need to know along with recipes to try. Its packed full of information, on every aspect of soap making including a whole section on trouble shooting.

基本的には写真がなく、文章とイラストのみなので、まったくの初心者では逆にわかりにくいと思いますが、ある程度手作り石鹸に慣れたころに読むと色々な知識が学べて良いと思います。 まず、油脂やオプション材料、石鹸自体のなどさまざまな知識を学びたい場合は、最初のレシピを飛ばした方がいいと思います。 この本は、全般的な知識のほかに化学的なことまで記載されていて少し難しい部分はあるとは思いますが、より知りたいと思う方には、有益な情報ではないかと思います。 レシピは、オイル総量が多いのと、OZで計算されているものを単純にｇに換算しただけなので、５３８．７ｇのように中途半端なｇ数で、再計算が必要です。 ただ、どのようにレシピを構築しているのか、着香率などアメリカの石鹸を知ることができ、個人的にはそのレシピで作るというよりも、知ることに有益性を感じました。 また、温度が与える石鹸への影響というようなことなど著者が長年培ってきた経験と、本人が試してみた実験の結果なども載っていて一読の価値はあると思います。 また、石鹸づくりをビジネスにする場合の法規制（アメリカ内）や税金のことなども書かれていて興味深いです。日本では、こういう部分の情報はないのではないでしょうか。 個人的にに、１冊は手元に置いておきたい手作り石鹸のバイブル的存在だと思います。

For the ambitious artisans and alchemical aficionados seeking to create sudsational wonders, "The Soapmaker's Companion" is your guiding star in the universe of soap crafting. This comprehensive masterpiece is not just a book; it's your trusted mentor, your creative muse, and your passport to the enchanting world of soap-making. Imagine a treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge neatly bound within these pages – that's exactly what you'll find in "The Soapmaker's Companion." With each chapter, the book unveils the secrets of soap crafting with the finesse of a magician revealing the inner workings of a spell. From fundamental techniques to advanced recipes, this guide leaves no soapstone unturned. The author's writing style is like a conversation with a kindred spirit, guiding you through the intricate dance of soap-making with warmth and clarity. Every technique is explained in a way that's both approachable and insightful, allowing even novice soap-makers to feel like seasoned artisans. It's like having a friend in the crafting corner, ready to offer sage advice and helpful tips at every turn. One of the true gems of "The Soapmaker's Companion" is its treasure trove of recipes. Whether you're yearning for a classic lavender-infused bar or venturing into uncharted territories with exotic blends, the book's recipes are like a map guiding you through the aromatic landscape of soap creation. With step-by-step instructions and ingredient lists that read like an elixir, you'll find yourself immersed in a sensory symphony as you follow the recipes to soap-making success. In the grand symposium of soap-making guides, "The Soapmaker's Companion" stands as a maestro, conducting a harmonious orchestra of knowledge, techniques, and inspiration. It's a comprehensive tool for beginners and a valuable resource for experienced soap-makers alike. So, whether you're crafting bars for yourself, for friends, or even for a budding soap-selling business, let "The Soapmaker's Companion" be your constant companion on your journey to crafting beauty, enhancing life, and creating soap that's not just a product but a work of art. 🌿🧼📘

Super!!!

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