Where did you learn to soap?

[Jackie H]

So after my second batch shenanigans and being reminded that you can’t trust all YouTube tutorials, I must ask, where did you all learn the art of soap making? I just found the Book Recommendation section of the forum so I’ll be pouring over that grateful I found this community!

 

[Relle]

Self taught from old books, (lot's of mistakes),when there were not many around. No forum or youtube, it's a lot easier to find what you need now.

 

[AliOop]

Welcome, Jackie! I learned to soap from some mommy blogs. Thankfully all the soap I made was safe and usable, but I definitely had some wrong ideas about a few things based on the old wives' tales that go around - like putting vinegar on skin that's been splashed with lye - big no-no!

Shortly before I discovered this forum, I invested in the Ultimate Guide to Hot Process e-book. It's filled with great scientific information about soapmaking, and I found it easy to read and understand. By the time she came out with the Ultimate Guide to CP, I had found this forum and had learned so much more (and switched to mostly CP). Her Ultimate Guide to Liquid Soap is fantastic, and far better than other LS books that made things so much more complicated, and unnecessarily so.

After that came lotions, syndet shampoo bars, and makeup. Whee!!

 

[justsomeguy]

I started on YouTube then stumbled on to this forum. I've learned so much from so many here with the patience and desire to educate

 

[KiwiMoose]

Same as @justsomeguy ^
My first soap was made from a recipe online, and I didn't use a soap calculator but I lived to tell the tale. I put it through soapcalc retrospectively and it was an OK recipe (only 27% lye concentration though). Since learning more through the folks on here I've settled on my 'perfect' recipe.

 

[Soaped]

A family friend did an agricultural class and they made soaps and he gave me one and it made me curious so I signed up for a one day workshop (which was actually terrible). After that I did a deep dive on YouTube/Google starting with hot process bur now I mainly cold process when I get around to making soap

 

[paradisi]

Same as @Relle . Taught myself to calculate lye by hand before I ever saw a lye calculator or heard of one.

 

[A-Polly]

Many books, YouTube videos, and the generous folks on this forum. I'm still learning, all the time! I always enjoy looking through soapmaking books, whether new or old. One I wish had been available when I began is The Natural Soapmaking Handbook, by Simi Khabra (founder of the Muddy Mint soap company), because she goes into great detail about lye master batching, something I learned about from this forum but wish I'd known earlier as it's such a game changer! It was released last May:
https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Soap...30494&sprefix=the+natural+soap,aps,103&sr=8-1

 

[artemis]

Like @AliOop I found a blog, but mine was a "crunchy" blog and their recipe was measured by volume!

 

[dmcgee5034]

I just love handmade goat milk soap, and was a regular purchaser from my favorite maker. Forever and ever I would tell my friends that once I retire, I’m going to make it myself. Well, one of my friends got me a M&P goat milk soap kit for Christmas and said why wait, go for it. I tried M&P for a while but it turned out to being a gateway soap . Soon I started researching CP soap. I watched soap queen videos and read her site from top to bottom, and did research here for a few months before I ordered some BB supplies and made my first batch with a BB quick mix. Needless to say, I was hooked, and this forum and the amazing members have helped me so much, and I continue to learn from being here.
At first, I kept saying I ONLY make soap - hahahahhaaaa - now I love making other bath & body things, too.

 

[2lilboots]

I watched soaping101 on yt. Watched her make a failed lemon soap lol. Then I joined this forum. It has down hill ever since.

 

[MelissaG]

Alot of youtube and books.

 

[Ephemerella]

Well, I started with a Brambleberry kit that came with everything, and I liked the step-by-step measuring, etc. What I didn't like was the end product, it wasn't exactly the soap I wanted, so I wound up here reading and learning about different ingredients.

What really helped me the most was reading about everyone's oopsies and failures. It taught me to look out and try to identify issues early on. I also really relied on everyone's experiences with different ingredients, etc.

Then I just went out and started making my own mistakes and learning (slowly) along the way!

But I have to say this forum was key to my ability to learn and grow as a soaper.

 

[ackosel]

Hi and welcome! I am still a baby soapmaker with right around 25 small batches under my belt. My first passion is dairy goats, so I thought goat milk soap would be a fun way to use extra milk. (If using up gallons of extra milk is your soapmaking goal, you're better off making cheese and yogurt instead of using 10 oz at a time making soap!)

I started by watching tons of youtube and Brambleberry videos. My husband bought me a Brambleberry kit for Christmas that ended up sitting in the closet until the next Christmas when I finally made my first CP soap. I followed the directions, except I substituted frozen goat milk for the water. After that, I learned to use a soap calculator, joined this forum and have been working on perfecting a recipe I like while learning fun techniques.

While YouTube videos are very helpful, nothing can replace the help that is found on this Soapmaking Forum. The ladies and gentlemen here are so kind, helpful and encouraging, and you'll learn more from them than anyone else!

Warning. I have NEVER been a person who thought twice about anything "bath and body." I'm in my mid 40s, my hair is turning gray, my skin is wrinkling and I don't give a hoot about any of it. But since I started making soap, I have suddenly become a soap snob and I can't stand using grocery store detergent bars or even nice melt-and-pour. Even my 10-year-old son exclaimed that he washes his hands a lot more than he used to because he likes my soap, and it takes pitch off his hands after he helps his dad on the sawmill. When little boys start washing voluntarily, you know you've got to keep making more soap!

 

[Ekuzo]

Lots of online reading and practice. I watched some videos in the beginning but stopped early on. The number one source of information for me is this forum. After around a month of research, I stepped right into online calculators and CP, never followed a YouTube recipe and never tried M&P - but we have it easy nowadays, with so much information avaliable. It's a sin not to try and get better!

 

[Elise]

I was taught the very basis by a friend. He introduced me to soapcalc and how to use predissolved lye.

Then I did my own research to create soaps that I like a bit more and add other ingredients like goat milk, honey, infusions... Use citric acid, sugar, salt, wax...

I read a lot of websites and blogs and of course this forum. I also watched soapmaking videos on youtube. I can't soap very often for various reasons so I have time to make researches or just watch videos for fun and still learn bits by doing so.

I learned that there is a lot of misinformation about soapmaking. Or beliefs that have just never been properly researched. I find that it is best to learn from various sources and always check what someone else has to say on something you just learned. And when in doubt, ask here on this forum

 

[Judy41]

I learned from a homesteading book in 1979 with my rendered tallow. I've loved the process since then even with the improved information and processes that I am still learning. While I did all of the swirls and colors for a bit and all of the oils, I usually go back to herbal infusions, essential oils and natural colors and just a wonderful soap. I do have one fragrance oil that I use as I cannot afford sandalwood e.o. and it's my favorite scent.

 

[Tammyfarms]

Welcome to the forum! I think we have all made mistakes, I know I have. I still have my first, very harsh soap from around 2016. I didn’t superfat the recipe and I don’t remember what oils I used but the recipe is written down somewhere. I do know it wasn’t usable.
I started watching Soap Queen (Brambleberry) and bought a couple books. My first books were Anne Watsons books Milk Soapmaking and Smart Soapmaking. The books were good but once I found this forum it has become my main source of information. There is so much information on this site. If you can’t find something, you can always ask but I find most topics have been discussed. When I joined the forum it didn’t seem like people shared their recipes as freely as they do now. I am very thankful for the members who are so generous with their knowledge and time.
One warning, it’s really easy to spend a lot of time here!

 

[Jackie H]

Many books, YouTube videos, and the generous folks on this forum. I'm still learning, all the time! I always enjoy looking through soapmaking books, whether new or old. One I wish had been available when I began is The Natural Soapmaking Handbook, by Simi Khabra (founder of the Muddy Mint soap company), because she goes into great detail about lye master batching, something I learned about from this forum but wish I'd known earlier as it's such a game changer! It was released last May:
https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Soapmaking-Handbook-Techniques-Ingredients/dp/B0BXFX8FV9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=62SS7SVR3PQV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tz26qcAtabAVAcVohnkpqa3du_5WdiKwVO8rROOkaow.1mjGJVBJjHDfcigx3UqW8kPb58fbEZa3xV-ot1m3-S4&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+natural+soapmaking+handbook+by+simi+khabra&qid=1723430494&sprefix=the+natural+soap,aps,103&sr=8-1

I’ve had that book in my cart for awhile, I guess it’s time to finally buy it! I read a sample of it and that’s where I learned about using ice instead of water for your lye. It made it seem less scary and helped me finally make my first soaps!

 

[Jackie H]

I learned from a homesteading book in 1979 with my rendered tallow. I've loved the process since then even with the improved information and processes that I am still learning. While I did all of the swirls and colors for a bit and all of the oils, I usually go back to herbal infusions, essential oils and natural colors and just a wonderful soap. I do have one fragrance oil that I use as I cannot afford sandalwood e.o. and it's my favorite scent.

Herbal infusions, EOs an natural colors is the route I want to go too