It's all about how passionate someone is...

The soap man of San Francisco


Have a good day everyone!

Nikoshttp://www.soapmakingforum.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

Thanks for sharing!

If your selling em, job well done!
If your making them for yourself and family...sir...step away from the lye bottle...
There's a 12 step program I can tell you about...:lolno:

That was a lovely video... but where were his gloves? Send soap love all you want, but it will still burn the sh%!@ out of you.

snappyllama said:

That was a lovely video... but where were his gloves? Send soap love all you want, but it will still burn the sh%!@ out of you.

Click to expand...

Totally agree. It was a sweet video, he loves soaping so much. And his soaps are beautiful. BUT NO GLOVES??!! Argh. He splashes a lot when he pours, too (weirdly I liked seeing that other people do that b/c I am such a klutz, but not good in combination with no-gloves.) I just hope he always wears goggles and not just his glasses.

snappyllama said:

That was a lovely video... but where were his gloves? Send soap love all you want, but it will still burn the sh%!@ out of you.

Click to expand...

I didn't even realize it was a video!
Look at his right hand...I don't think the soap is lovin him! If you've gotta love that soap think of gloves like a condom and practice safe love...lol.

I am so happy to see he makes some of the few best soaps in the world. Per his website. His ingredient list is not proper and I would not trust his suncreen. But that is just me. Most of us soapmakers are very passionate about our soaps and products

Interesting video, I watched the whole thing, and I think he makes great soaps. And I have total shelf-envy! : D

Although I don`t neccesarily agree with many of the things he said, but that is ok, we all come from different backgrounds, have different perspectives, get attracted to different ideas and views etc, that is totally cool, and mixes things up a bit too.

I am not trying to put him down in any way, shape or form in what I write, hope it doesn`t come across like that! It is just that if I personally should follow his adamant wording on soaping - and I quote;


Oh dear... If that really was the case, and could only make soap when I felt great, painfree, in a perfect mood, etc, then, I could never make soap. Ever.

Because no matter how I feel, making soap makes things better. It makes me focus on the task ahead, helps me put things asside that I can`t do anything about, or have no control over anyway.
It gives me room and breathingspace to get things in perspective and not so ...in my face. It calms me down, and really is - for me at least - pure therapy. The process, the measuring, the gentle and carefull stirring of the lye, the smell of the fragrances or essential oils, and the feel that I do something that make others happy too, not just me.

He also said that "soap knows things, soap knows when you are not in a good mood."

If that were the case for me, I would not love soaping at all. Of course I do understand that he speaks in images, and portraits soap as something that can do unexpected things. If the soap acts up it is because I make a mistake, or use a misbehaving fragrance, or have stickblended to much. Not because soap is a living creature with a soul that can read my thoughts, and sabotage me on purpose like a spitefull teenager because my mind is not in perfect allignment with something the soap approves of.

My dear aunt died 2 weeks ago, it was so sad, she had suffered terribly for a long time. The first thing I did after the funeral was to make soap. And it came out absolutely wonderfull. And I was not really happy or in a great mood when I made it, but I did feel a bit better afterwards. I felt I allowed my brain to quietly carry out a conversation with my thoughts & feelings, dealing with them whilst stirring a fragrant batter that smelled like happy oranges and classy jasmine ; )

But again - that is just me. I of course understand and have respect for others feeling differently towards this process. I think that is perhaps one of the reasons soaping can attract so many different people, because everyone of us gets something different out of it.

Some just want to make soap for family. Others love the scientific aspect a bit more, the calculations, testing different aspects/additives, find new and exiting angles to do the regular stuff (i.e dissolve lye in vinegar instead of water etc) and share their results and enthusiasm with the rest of us.
Others love it so much they want make a living out of it, or at the very least get some money in to level the costs of supplies used.

His last words in the video was:
"if you don`t send soap love - it just won`t be right".

So I am sure he has people all over who like his spiritual thinking, and can more relate to his ideas. I got the feeling he embraced the feel of the sixties in his soaping and general life.

But I still wish he`d wear gloves & protective goggles. I got a bit worried because he did a messy pour.

Sorry for the ramble, I just realized I did that "I am only going to write a short reply" but actually ended up with a novel.
Again! >_<

It's true for me that I should not soap when I'm in an especially agitated or annoyed mood. Or do any other precise creative work, for that matter -- sometimes I need to Step Away from the Workbench and Get a Cuppa Tea. If I don't calm my mind, I get distracted too easily, make stupid mistakes, hurt myself, and forget important details. But once my mind is reasonably calm, soaping makes me feel better, exactly like MySoapyHeart said.

DeeAnna said:

It's true for me that I should not soap when I'm in an especially agitated or annoyed mood. Or do any other precise creative work, for that matter -- sometimes I need to Step Away from the Workbench and Get a Cuppa Tea. If I don't calm my mind, I get distracted too easily, make stupid mistakes, hurt myself, and forget important details. But once my mind is reasonably calm, soaping makes me feel better, exactly like MySoapyHeart said.

Click to expand...

I hear what you are saying, and soaping when aggrivated, well, don`t think that is a good idea for anyone : P
But he said you should not soap on a bad day at all, that was just my main thing with what he said. Just wanted to clear up what I personally meant by that <3

And a cup of tea? Neeever can go wrong with a cup of tea. Friends even tease me about it. You can take away my glass of whine, I won`t blink even once. But take away my cup of soothing tea with a twist of lemon and a blob of honey? I`ll be like the Lion in The Great wizzard of Oz..
"Put`emm uup, puut emm uuuup...*dancing back and forth*.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOi9GQY5v2o[/ame]

Havent watched the video yet, sound is broken on the laptop and tablet is charging, but I also can not make soap if im in a "mood" my batches will fail everytime.

I know its taboo but I cannot wear my goves everytime I make soap. they irritate my already irritated hands so on the occasions that i dont "glove up" I take extra care to watch what I'm doing. It may not be good practise but I have to do what works for me.

"...But he said you should not soap on a bad day at all, that was just my main thing with what he said...."

Yes, I definitely agree with you -- soaping makes me feel better too.

For sure soapmaking is a great psychotherapy and can bring you up when you feeling down, but I think that the guy in the video just wanted to express the fact that soap is kind of a living thing that gets our personal characteristics, and every soap has our unique signature each time we make it...

Or something like that

For some reason I can not access the video, probably my stupid phone, but the comments I imagine he is equating soap making to an art, and if we are sad, distracted, angry, etc, that shows up in our art. Similar to Virginia Wolf's A Room of Ones Own, when you take away all the outside influences and can just create for the sake of creating you become a better artist. I know in reality we all will make soap regardless of things going on but I absolutely agree that if I'm having a bad day soaping may have to take a back seat, and if I'm calm and just feeling down, soaping does make me feel better. I know myself well enough to know when I should and should not soap. Its a beautiful concept to imagine being in perfect harmony and soaping a beautiful creation though.

DeeAnna said:

"...But he said you should not soap on a bad day at all, that was just my main thing with what he said...."

Yes, I definitely agree with you -- soaping makes me feel better too.

Click to expand...

I soap when I'm angry sometimes. unlike when I bake, soaping rarely comes out bad.

rparrny said:

I didn't even realize it was a video!
Look at his right hand...I don't think the soap is lovin him! If you've gotta love that soap think of gloves like a condom and practice safe love...lol.

Click to expand...

No glove, no love