teaching a soap class/ soap party

[pjfan74]

Has anyone here taught a soap making class or led a soap making party? I have been approached by a regular customer to do this and I never have...although I do teach college courses on an adjunct basis...so teaching is not a far stretch....I just really wouldn't know where to begin in teaching a soap class...any ideas, suggestions, recommendations, lesson plans??? Thanks

 

[kazmi]

Would this be a one-day class or a course of several classes? First, and most importantly is soaping safety. If it's just a ond day class go over the safety then you could make a batch and the class could watch. If it's over several weeks then you could offer many classes starting with safety, then oil qualities/properties, etc. Once those basics are covered the class could make a basic soap themselves.

 

[gratia]

Make sure your insurance will cover you teaching a class.

 

[savonierre]

What gratia said, I have been asked to teach soap many times and have to refuse, I would not be covered..

 

[ShayShay]

I have never taught a soapmaking class, but I have attended one. I wouldn't be comfortable sharing specifics lesson plans from someone else's class, but in general, she went over the basics - what soap actually is and the difference between homemade and store bought. The basic formula (Lye mixture plus oils = soap), equipment needed, SAFETY (a biggie), using a lye calculator and we made two basic batches in class. The handouts included an overview, the equipment list, a few basic recipes, a list of common oils used in soapmaking, a list of places to purchase soapmaking supplies and other various resources such as online forums (SFM) and books to help get started, tips and tricks she has learned over the years. But as others have mentioned, insurance is important. As she makes a living teaching soapmaking, I know she has all of the proper insurance in place.

 

[MoonBath]

Is the insurance different for teaching classes than the type that covers selling? When I start selling in another year I'd like to add that to my repertoire.