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Soap Making Class

Another unusual class I went for this Saturday morning with Marketa and Evelyn, my Czech friends.  I emailed them asking if they would be interested in learning how to make soap (!!) when I saw the deal on Groupon (yes and I still maintain I am not a big Groupon fan), and was met with enthusiasm.  Something interesting to learn, maybe one day I can make some and sell?  hehe

Bright and early, we managed to find the school in a converted old warehouse near Tower Bridge.  The class was 13 people and naturally all were girls.  The teacher was this lady who has close to 10 years experience in this area.  Besides making all sorts of soaps, she makes bath salts, candles, essential oils, etc.. her complexion was super good and she says she only uses her own products, including moisturizers!  Do people make their own moisturizers I wondered.  But we cannot argue against her complexion.  She makes preservatives free products and with all natural ingredients, I can imagine how good they can be for your skin.

She started to explain the concept behind soap making and I soon found out you can be paying a lot for the ingredients if you want to end up with a good moisturizing bar of soap.

What is soap?

Soap is a result of a chemical reaction between acid and alkali.  The correct combination of oils and lye (caustic soda) help create something special we call glycerine which makes our soap keep all its therapeutic benefits.

Some key ingredients using the cold process soap are:
Oil and fats (base oils like castor oil, coconut oil, grapeseed, palm oils)
Superfatting oils (super nourishing properties like argon oil, jojoba, calendula, evening primrose oil)
Lye (caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide)
Water (can also be replaced with beer, herbal teas, milk)
Additives (essential oils like lavender, lemongrass etc)

Solidified Palm Oil and Coconut oil mixed with castor oil.  To be melted on the stove but not to boil.

I felt like back in chemistry class

Marketa investigating the solidified palm oil
Various nice smellies you can add including rose buds

The first batch - Honey and Oatmeal soap with ylang ylang

Evelyn mixing in the thick and concentrated green tea powder to this batch

Second batch - green tea and lemongrass soap to be topped with a layer of green tea soap


An interesting 4h lesson.  Some of the students bought the products from the teacher but personally I don't use soaps.  Looking at how organic and natural process, I do think they can only be good for our skin.  Will I make them on my own in my kitchen boiling and stirring and adding and mixing?  Hmm, we will see.

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