What brought you to making soap?

[BattleGnome]

I had found a lip balm kit for some reason a few years ago the peaked my interest but it was a premade base and I lost interest after a batch or two. About a year ago I found a m&p kit on clearance at michaels when I was bored one day then started researching what I could do that wasn't kelp, mix, pour. I wasn't sure that I was ready for another potentially pricy hobby as I already knit and had just become comfortable with crochet. YouTube sent me to SoapQueen and I started watching all her videos, then videos of other soapers that weren't necessarily how to's or product focused. Roughly 6 months after started m&p I took the CP plunge. After I realized how my skin felt I started looking at the benefits of CP (or really the benefits of not using some of the chemicals that were in my usual brands).

I'm too scared of FDA requirements to sell but I'm also new enough that I know I'm not ready to actually consider selling. I keep looking for ways to expand my hobby but unless I have a drastic life change I feel it will stay a hobby.


Edit:
Right as I posted I remembered a reason that I will continue to soap for sure. This summer I got my mom to actually give my soaps a try (she was going the "it's pretty" route). My parents have a chlorinated pool and my mom swims every day while the weather is nice. Every night of my childhood my mom would sit in front of the tv and lotion up, since using CP she hasn't needed to use lotion at night to keep her skin feeling like skin. If nothing else, that's enough to keep me making soap for family

 

[BlackDog]

I live in the middle of Amish country and once when I was at their general store I came upon some bars of handmade soap. Using it helped my tough dragon hide soften up a little and I was like "well this can't be THAT hard to make". Accidental obsession!

 

[biarine]

I like natural products and good for the environment so I decided making my own soap. I am excited to use a products that I knew what's on it.

 

[Teapot]

A few years ago, I fancied having a try at making soap, and a friend bought me a M&P kit. I made the soap, and unknowingly left it in the dampest room in the house, where it sweated, and sweated, and sweated some more. I binned it, and thought no more about soap making.

Then, at the start of this year, a friend put a pic on facebook, of some soap she’d helped her son make for a science project. Immediately, I was interested. I already had various oils and fats in the house, so I bought some sodium hydroxide, and that evening, I tried it. I was thrilled to have made *actual soap*, even if it wasn’t a totally awesome soap, and as I read more to try and identify why certain things had happened, this whole new world was opened up to me.

I’m loving experimenting with different fats, additives, and techniques, and am amazed at how much better it is than store-bought. Previously, we’d have a bottle of the cheapest liquid hand soap by the sink, and I’d be using hand cream every ten seconds, my hands were so dry. I had just treated myself to a brand new bottle of expensive hand cream too, and I’ve barely used any of it!

I would like to eventually be able to sell what I make, but it’s a long way off. I’m still very new to soaping, and am learning a lot from every batch I make. I’m giving lots away to friends and family, and getting useful feedback, and one of my recipes in particular has proved popular with friends who are normally sensitive to toiletries, or who have eczema. Quite a few people have asked if I’m planning to sell it, so I’m working towards having this one recipe tested so that I can legally sell it, if only so that the hobby pays for itself a bit, and then take it from there.

 

[joy.]

Goat Milk! I had gallons upon gallons of extra goat milk taking up space in the frig, couldn't sell it due to ridiculous raw milk sales laws, couldn't find enough people to give it away to, and couldn't handle pouring it down the drain. After a few minutes of googling what to do with extra goat milk, and after using one bar of goat milk soap, I was hooked. Now I have an entire freezer full of goat milk and a soap addiction to boot. : /

 

[Scooter]

A friend gave me some nice 100% CO (20% SF) HP soap she had made and I really liked it. When it was all used up I decided to make more.

Also, now, I just like the process. It feels good knowing that if I do things right I will get a certain expected result... but also there is room for experimentation and learning as well.

 

[Steve85569]

I was wandering around the interweb thingy and stumbled across a 100% coconut soap HP with 20% SF. Tried it and ended up here a few days later.
What with getting retired and having time on my hands and being raised to be as self sufficient as possible ( and being a materials engineer) I just HAD TO start experimenting with different oils and processes.

Glad I found this forum so quickly. There are many experienced and patient teachers here.

 

[crispysoap]

My boyfriend suggested it. 60odd batches later, our hall way is full, I'm addicted and our house smells amazing

 

[WanderlustSoaps]

Several months ago after watching a Grant Thompson youtube video I had decided that I would make some bath bombs for my anniversary. The search for Essential Oils took me to Essential Depot which I use for their PG and VG. While there just out of curiosity I clicked the soap making tab and they had a video, which led to another, and another, and the hook was set. Quickly I had youtube subscriptions to Soaping101, TheSoapQueen and several others. In the couple of months I have lingered around here, watched hours (maybe days worth) of youtube videos and read several books including "The everything soapmaking book" by Alicia Grossso, "Soap Crafting" by Anne-Marie Faiola, and "The Soapmaker's Companion" by Susan Miller Cavitch. Someday, probably a minimum of 3 years or so from now, I think I would like to own a business making and selling soaps / bath and body products, when and if I ever get there I think I want to call the business... Wanderlust Soaps.

 

[dillsandwitch]

I started making soap because I was bored and needed something to do. We had just moved to another state for DH's work and I didnt have a job yet and I didnt know anyone and I was just puttering around the house not doing a great deal of anything. DH was watching something on YouTube and saw a video about M&P and suggested I could give it a try. I made a few batches but grew bored with just melting, adding FO, colour and pouring so I went looking online for other ways to make soaps. I found Soaping 101 and the rest is history. If only DH knew what he was getting me into.... HAHAHAHA. I cant wait till our new house is built and I can set up a soap room properly. still kinda a shame that the house purchase with my own soaping garage fell through but oh well. these things happen for a reason

 

[loudest_silence1]

Honestly I get bored and am constantly looking for hobbies. Can be a double edged sword. I'm pretty poor, so I have like 10 different things going on waiting for funds to complete. Everything from building hope chests to traditional archery equipment. I recently tried out diy laundry detergent, which is all kinds of great.

Also, my daughter has eczema, and it's my understanding that real homemade soaps don't aggravate it because of the lack of detergents, so that's a huge plus.

I haven't made any yet. I need to get coconut oil and an immersion blender, but I'm very excited about it.