Publisher's Synopsis
Learn a practical skill, create gifts, and let your creativity run loose all at the same time by taking up the art of soap making. DIY soap is loaded with natural and aromatic products that are better for your skin and the planet. We've gathered 21 easy homemade soap recipes for beginners, including shampoo soap bars. Before you begin, here's a quick tutorial about the chemistry behind making soap. To make soap completely (as opposed to melt and pour with premade soap bases), you'll need to use lye, which is a caustic salt known as sodium hydroxide. The chemical reaction between lye and oil ingredients is called saponification, which creates soap (and leaves no lye in the finished product). Once you understand how to work with lye and experiment with the ingredients, tools, and equipment that it takes to make soap, you'll have learned a valuable skill.
