How long have you been soaping and..

[hlee]

what made you start?

 

[lizflowers42]

I just started right after Christmas with CP soaping...I did it because it's been one of those things on my bucket list for a while now, and decided, why not?? You control what you put in it (which has been really keeping me entertained-Can I put that in soap?!)!

 

[nebetmiw]

5 years +. I started because of hubby and I skin condidtion. We both have adult acne. Hubby grew up on a family farm and his grandmom made soap. I could not find lard soap for sale so I started making our own. The rest is history.

 

[hlee]

I started right after Christmas also with CPHP.
CP a couple weeks ago.
Also on my bucket list for some time and now I wish I would have tried it years ago.

 

[Genny]

I think 8 years or more now. I started due to my 2nd daughter's very sensitive skin issues, which a lot of her skin issues ended up being due to milk allergy. But she also has eczema.
Once I got hooked it spiraled into craziness.

 

[jeremmy]

Soap has always bored me and ive never been interested in it. Than I had someone make me some in a swap and she mentioned using it in the shower...for some reason ive never thought of using it instead of body wash...than I wanted to make my own. What can I say, i like my shower smelling nice...
I started right after this first christmas. ive been doing 1-2 1lb batch each week to get my feet wet. Mostly cp, 2 batches cpop. Fun stuff...

 

[hlee]

Genny- I have excema also and I am also in Wis. The Southern part.
Winters are rough on the skin here!

 

[Genny]

Genny- I have excema also and I am also in Wis. The Southern part.
Winters are rough on the skin here!

I'm in NW WI (Eau Claire).
The dry air in the winter is a killer on skin. We've started using humidifiers in the winter & solid lotion helps nicely

 

[marghewitt]

I started in 1982, the year I got married. My new husband was into all things natural (and he still is) and I saw a recipe in a very, very old homesteading book of my grandmothers. I only used tallow and lard back then and had problems with rats stealing the soap out of the shed where it was curing. :cry:

 

[theath2010]

This past weekend!

I just made my first two CP batches this past weekend and I already want to make more. There isn't enough time for me during the week but I can't wait to make more this weekend. I started because I have previously done MP and decided Why not give CP a try. So glad I did!

 

[DWinMadison]

What a great question. To be perfectly honest, I feel sort of like Noah when God told him to build an ark, and he did...in the dessert...for no seeming good reason other than obedience. I was inspired to start making soap before Christmas as a way (I thought) to help my daughter create Christmas gifts on her limited college-student resources. She made some decent MP soaps and we all thought that was that, but I found I really enjoyed the process and wanted to learn more about it. My addiction grew from there. Here's a few other reasons:

• I love learning new things...gardening, canning, wood work/carpentry and soap in the past couple of years. I'm particularly drawn to back-to-basics and survival skills.
• It appeals to both the left-brain chemistry nerd in me as well as my right-brain artsy side.
• Soaping is relaxing, and I love the surprise of unmolding each new "masterpiece" as well as the sense of accomplishment it gives.
• I love the challenge of mastering a new technique/method/swirl/mold/color scheme etc.
• People love receiving practical, personal gifts of high quality that you obviously invested time to make, and I like making people happy.
• I believe it could be a great business for my kids to start while in college, and/or I also think it could be a great part-time, supplemental business for when I retire.
• Soaps are a great way to assist my church in reaching the lost and supporting/fund-raising for missions
• Mostly, and this may sound whack-a-doodle, God is telling me to make soap. I don't know the ultimate reason or how long it will last, but for as long as I feel this way, I intend to be the best darn soap-maker I can possibly be. (I think my wife is learning how Mrs. Noah must have felt.)

I hope my answer doesn't offend anyone. I'm not trying to make converts here...just being honest.

 

[judymoody]

Two years and change. My daughter has sensitive skin and CP soap was better for her than the detergent bars. I thought, hey, maybe I could learn to make this stuff and save some money. Hah! Pretty soon I was making a batch a week. I've backed off and stick to small batches. I give most of it way - teachers, hostess gifts, friends, fundraisers, etc. I also branched out into lotions, lip balms and shampoo and conditioner. I like making quality products for my family to use. I also love the creativity you can bring to soap and I've discovered the wonderful, intoxicating world of EOs and expanded my appreciation for scent. So much to learn!

 

[gouldie]

I started soaping about Easter time last year - when we got our first dairy goats. So far I've only made plain non-coloured goats milk soap, and have yet to venture to the coloured and fragranced ones.

We knew that we were moving to acreage at some stage in the future, so I joined a goat forum about 18 months ago and read a lot of discussion about goats milk soap. I'd never tried it, so a few members sent me some to try, and I was then hooked. You can imagine what happened when we did move to acreage and did get dairy goats - I've become like a kid in a lolly shop!

I had exzema when I was a kid and always suffered from really dry skin especially in winter. Interestingly, last winter was the first ever that I recall when I didn't have legs and arms that resembled a crocodile with the scaly bit happening! Can only put this down to using the goats milk soap - for over a year now.

I guess the best thing about only making the one type of soap - and pretty much the same recipe - is that I've become quite familiar with the process and the expected end result. However after seeing some of the threads on here with colours and fragrances, I'm sure I will become more adventurous very soon! :wink:

 

[chicklet]

I made my first batch mid October of last year. I also love learning new things. I'm addicted to learning new things, I think. I've figured out over the years that mostly I just want to know how to do something but I'm not so interested in the finished product. The enjoyment for me is usually just in the process. Once I master the how to I'm ready to move on to something else. That is, until I got into soap making. I still have a lot to learn, but I've become pretty competent at the basics. Usually at this point in a new hobby or craft I'm ready to move on, but not this time. I think maybe it's for some of the reasons DW listed - the whole right brain/left brain appeal, plus it's very relaxing to me and helps alleviate stress. As far as why soap at this particular time - my son and I were watching an episode of Doomsday Preppers (some of those people are WAY out there!) and we were talking about how prepared we would be, what skills we have, which ones we do not have, etc. We were talking about basic creature comforts and how we would miss those and eventually we talked about soap. So I ordered a couple of books on soap making the next day.

 

[Second Impression]

I've been at it for 2 years now

I'm one of those back-to-earth, hippy dippy, third wave feminists. Much to my husband's chagrin, I'm also a crafter (omg so much stuff!). Soap making just naturally fit in and I wanted to start making it the moment I learned it was possible to do at home. Made my first 2 batches which both came out great then got overly ambitious and botched the next 4

I backed down and didn't make any soap for a few months. Then baby #3 came along and he wound up being allergic to everything coconut. That's a huge problem because coconut is in *everything*. I'm still amazed by the sheer number of synthetics that are derived from coconut, it's even used in disposable diapers! Luckily, one of those first batches I made was 100% castile so no more rashy baby in the bath. I quickly looked up castile prices on Etsy and couldn't believe the prices, I knew soap making was frugal but I didn't know just *how* frugal! This was that A-ha! moment for me that there was something to this soap making thing. I made a bunch of soap for gifts this past Christmas and that was enough to convince my husband and family to start egging me on towards selling my soaps :shock: They just look at me blankly when I explain that I'm still not that solid on exactly what I'm doing process-wise. Good news is I have an abundance of willing testers who insist that they must at least pay me what it cost me to make the soap.

I just love that I have an artsy-fartsy hobby that pays for itself! :shifty:

 

[DWinMadison]

I started in 1982, the year I got married. My new husband was into all things natural (and he still is) and I saw a recipe in a very, very old homesteading book of my grandmothers. I only used tallow and lard back then and had problems with rats stealing the soap out of the shed where it was curing. :cry:

You're kidding....about the rats, right?

 

[RocknRoll]

You're kidding....about the rats, right?

I used to have to cure mine in the garage. Years ago, I had left some bars in there (forgotten about) and when I came across them, they were all nibbled on by mice! aaak! :sick:

 

[DWinMadison]

I do think it's funny about the "counter culture" appeal of soap making. Not to make a political statement other than to say "I apparently do not 'fit the mold'" (see what I did there?) of the typical soaper. First, I'm a dude. Second I'm a conservative republican-- in fact they actually give me funny looks when I drive up to local natural food "co-op"/head shop/crystal emporium with my Romney/Ryan bumper sticker. Third...urban guy here..(haven't milked anything since visiting my grandparents farm 40 years ago). Lastly, I largely think all this environmental crap is propaganda used as an excuse for the federal government to steel more of our personal liberty. But hey, that's just me.

 

[ShayShay]

I have only been soaping for a couple of weeks and I am two batches in (CP). So far very basic recipes. My next batch I will experiment with color. My homemade soap started as a result of my addiction to Etsy. After my first homemade soap purchase I could never go back to grocery/drugstore brands. But when my favorite seller closed up shop, I decided it was time to learn how to do it myself. I also inherited the crafter gene from my mom but I live in a small NYC apartment and don't have room for larger crafts I like to do such as refinishing flea market furniture.

 

[DWinMadison]

I have only been soaping for a couple of weeks and I am two batches in (CP). So far very basic recipes. My next batch I will experiment with color. My homemade soap started as a result of my addiction to Etsy. After my first homemade soap purchase I could never go back to grocery/drugstore brands. But when my favorite seller closed up shop, I decided it was time to learn how to do it myself. I also inherited the crafter gene from my mom but I live in a small NYC apartment and don't have room for larger crafts I like to do such as refinishing flea market furniture.

Love Flea Market Flip on HGTV.