But whatever your situation, you have begun exploring the possibility of becoming a work-at-home soap maker. You love the idea of producing a natural… You are a stay-at-home Mom, or a retired person, or someone who lives in an area where decent full-time jobs are hard to come by.
Or you're just someone who loves to create and would love it even more if you could recoup the expenses you put into your craft, or would walk on air if you could support yourself at it. But whatever your situation, you have begun exploring the possibility of becoming a work-at-home soap maker.
So you want to get started, but what is the minimum you need to know before you do? First, you need to assess your living situation and decide if you have the physical facilities to make soap-making on an income-producing level. It's one thing to whip up a couple of pounds of soap for the family's use, and another thing entirely to produce it in batches large enough to satisfy demand from dozens, or, hopefully, hundreds of customers. Second, decide which technique of soap making you will employ.
As a beginner, it might be wise to start by using melt-and-pour soap bases and adding your fragrances and colors, until you are satisfied that you want to continue with a more advanced technique. If you have either a microwave or double boiler and a standard stove, you can use the melt-and-pour method. You'll need to have a supply of the soap base, a heat-resistant container, essential or fragrance oils, colorants, and any other additives–oatmeal or dried flower buds for exfoliates, honey, glycerin, or Aloe vera gel has healing and emollient agents, and almond meal to absorb excess skin oils are just a few suggestions. All of them can be found at your crafts or grocery store.
You'll just melt your soap base, according to the manufacturer's directions, in the microwave or double boiler, stir in your additives, and pour it into your molds. Once cooled, it will pop right out, and you'll have your first homemade soap! If, however, you want to make soap the old-fashioned, cold-pressed way, remember that it requires the use of lye. So you'll need to have an area where you can use the lye without its caustic fumes being a problem. This implies an area away from your normal living space–perhaps a porch, garage, or workshop.
Since cold-pressed soap ingredients need to be measured by weight, you'll need an adjustable scale. Research the types of oils available, and learn what properties each will lend to your finished soap. Most soap makers use a blend of different oils.
You'll need when you work with lye, gloves, goggles, and protective clothing; glass, enamel, or plastic containers in which to mix the lye, and wooden or plastic utensils with which to stir it as lye will corrode metal and a supply of white vinegar handy to neutralize any lye that is spilled.
You'll also need two glass or stainless steel thermometers to measure the temperatures of your oils and lye/water mixture before combining them. Most soaps, if left unscented, will have an oily/ lye odor, so it's best to add essential oils to your batch of soap at about one tablespoon per pound.
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