Soap making is not just another fadhousewife who does not know what to do with herself. This is real creativity, the ability to express yourself and a great chance to please friends and loved ones with an original and exclusive gift. Soap making can also become a good additional income if you approach the process with all seriousness and professionalism. When homemade soap making was just beginning to develop in our country, it was problematic to purchase all the necessary ingredients. Today, nothing will stop you from getting creative. You can buy everything without leaving your home by ordering from an online store. So, let's look at the basics that will help you understand all the nuances of making homemade soap.
Prepare the right ingredients
Soap making requires careful preparation. Therefore, before starting the process, you need to prepare everything you need:
- Base - in stores it is called "soap". Bases come in two types: transparent and white;
- Base oil is a specific agent that enhances the soaping effect. It can be almond, olive, or apricot.
- Essential oil. This component is added for a pleasant smell.
- Bright and saturated dyes. If desired, you can use natural dyes: cocoa, chocolate, fruit or vegetable juice.
- Useful additives. If you are going to do soap-scrub, then prepare oatmeal, large sea salt, ground coffee. You can add glycerin, dried flowers, honey, herbal infusions.
- Special dishes and alcohol (wipe the molds). Do not forget to take care of the molds themselves - they can be silicone for baking, and children's, and any ceramic.
Let's move on to the creative process
First, let's look at some tricks without which you won't be able to achieve the desired result:
- Choose dishes
Never use for melting soapmetal utensils - only ceramic! Otherwise, the soap may separate. The mixture should also be stirred with either a ceramic or silicone spatula;
- Learning to mix
If you prefer to add water or herbalbroth into the base, do it very carefully. Pour the liquid literally drop by drop. This is necessary to avoid stratification of the base. Having prepared everything you need, you can start creating. Remember, you need to strictly adhere to each step. Soap making is a rather painstaking work that does not tolerate fuss and haste. So, let's get started ...
- First we work with a soap base: we cut it with brusochkami. If you use baby soap as a base, you can grate it on a large grater - it will melt faster;
- We prepare the water bath and melt the chopped base. Do not forget to stir it;
- While the melting process is underway, it is necessary to gradually pour in milk or water (as an option - herbal decoction). The result should be a creamy mass;
- Now add the base oil: at the rate of three teaspoons per 100 grams of base;
- We give the basis of "taste and smell": add to it a teaspoon of glycerin and five drops of essential oil;
- We mix everything thoroughly and if necessary add the necessary dyes and flavors;
- We pour soap into the mold and sprinkle with alcohol (use a spray) - this removes air bubbles from the surface of the base.
- The soap remains in the molds until it hardens completely.you can put it in a cool place or even in the refrigerator. The time it takes for it to completely harden varies between 2-3 days. Yes, it's a long time, but the result is worth it!
That's it - take the soap out of the mold and boldlyWe boast about the result! Believe me, such handwork is very expensive. And not because it requires any financial costs, time and effort. It's just that things made with love can only benefit a person, regardless of the additives used.
Doing soap for a specific recipe
There are also specific recipes for homemade soap. Clear instructions will help you learn the process faster.
- Soap for face
You will need:100 grams of white soap base, lanolin - 2 tablespoons, a teaspoon of essential oil (any, but apricot is ideal), oatmeal - a tablespoon. This handmade soap will not only have a moisturizing and cleansing effect, but will also restore the elasticity and silkiness of the skin;
- Soap Scrub
Need to:baby soap as a base - 100 grams, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of glycerin, 1 tablespoon of green tea decoction, 1 teaspoon of white clay, 1 tablespoon of crushed oatmeal. This product is used during water procedures. The soap-scrub will cleanse the skin of blackheads, provide increased blood circulation, which will help speed up the metabolism. As a result - smooth, clean, velvety skin;
- Chocolate soap
Ingredients:100 grams of transparent base, 5 drops of ylang-ylang, 1 tablespoon of milk, 1 tablespoon of glycerin, 1 tablespoon of ground coffee, 1 teaspoon of honey. This soap will not only be beautiful in appearance, but also very useful for the skin of the face. Coffee soap will be an ideal gift for a friend, mother, neighbor or colleague. They will definitely like it!
- Helpful advice
Coffee, oatmeal and sea salt should be ground in a blender or coffee grinder beforehand. And when adding these components, do not forget to mix the base thoroughly. Everything should melt evenly.
We study all the tricks of soap making
Of course, time will pass, you will gain experience and will be able to add all the ingredients "by eye". But it is better to get acquainted with some controversial points right away:
- The less water you add, the faster the setting will be;
- Ideal for diluting the soap base are cream or milk;
- For a better melting of the base, one piece of refined sugar can be added;
- You can use the microwave instead of a water bath, just make sure that the mixture does not boil;
- Quite interesting and original is the soap, for which children's "sandboxes" were used as forms;
- To make the soap easier to get from the mold, place it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Alternatively, on the contrary, heat by holding the steam for 30-40 seconds;
- Dry the soap by wrapping it in a food film - so you will avoid the appearance of cracks on the surface;
- If you decide to make a multi-layer (striped) soap, then pour it into the mold gradually. And only after the first layer of the base has solidified;
- If the soap does not freeze, then most likely, too much base oil is added. There is a way out: melt it again and warm it up thoroughly for about 10 minutes;
- The soap is falling apart? It means you forgot to add oil. The solution is the same: melt it in a water bath and add the missing component;
- When cutting soaps, they found huge holes inside, like in cheese? Hence, the soap did not pass the stage of gelization, that is, when the base melts, the mass is badly interfered with.
If you want to make truly useful and healing soap, you should pay attention to the properties that certain essential oils have:
- Antiseptics: bergamot, lemon, eucalyptus, juniper and rosemary;
- Anti-inflammatory drugs: mint, rose, cayaput, chamomile;
- Spasmolytic agents: musk nuts, peppers, rosemary, orange, fennel, marjoram.
- Plants that lower the pressure: ylang-ylang, lemon balm and lavender;
- Increases the pressure of rosemary;
- Against depression: jasmine, bergamot, lavender and chamomile;
- With a cold (for example, coughing): cedar, sandalwood, eucalyptus.
Based on the medicinal qualities described aboveplants, you will be able to create not just soap, but a kind of medicine that will help in the prevention of many diseases. So it turns out that soap making brings not only pleasure, but also tangible health benefits.
Holiday Soap Packing
Want to pack a bar of soap beautifully and give it to your friends? Check out some design tips:
- Ready-made soap can be put in a small box, having previously placed there a piece of satin and having enclosed a business card with wishes;
- If you want to make a really stylish gift, do not wait until the soap is completely frozen, put a golden or silver ribbon into it, tie it with a bow;
- Liquid soap can be poured into a colorfully decorated small bottle of shampoo. However, to get it, you have to cut the bottle with a blade or a clerical knife;
- A piece of soap can be wrapped in bright wrapping paper, putting a leaf with the description of the ingredients there, and bandaging with a ribbon.
How to turn a hobby into an extra income?
In the process of making soap with your own hands,take step-by-step photos and you will be able to sell your master class to interested people. Isn't it a way to earn money from your favorite hobby?! But there are some nuances here too:
- All photos should be clear, without divorce and stains;
- Be sure to consider lighting;
- Do not allow foreign objects to enter the frame;
- Final photos are better done from several angles, while trying to beautifully decorate the surrounding environment.
Soap making, like any creative process,brings calm, gives a good mood and fills with energy. It is pleasant to create something special with your own hands. If you have a desire to try yourself in soap making, do not hesitate - get down to the process! Moreover, such a hobby does not require huge financial investments. A flight of fantasy, desire and a little patience - all this will help you in creating small masterpieces. Who knows, perhaps this innocent hobby will eventually grow into the work of your whole life ... We advise you to read: