Q and A Soap Making
Everyone needs a hobby. Some people take up building models of airplanes and vehicles. Some like to garden and so devote their time to developing a beautiful flower or vegetable garden. And then there are those that enjoy crafts. Finding the right craft for your particular needs or skill set can take time. Sometimes it is a trial of hit or miss on which crafts you enjoy the most. If you have not tried making your own soap then you are missing out on a very wonderful hobby that has a long history. Just about everyone uses soap in their daily lives. So how great would it be if you could make your own soap and give it out to friends and family as small gifts? Soap making is really not that complicated. This article will go through some of the history of making soap and how you can get started making your own. You will be a whiz in no time at all.
How has the process of soap making changed over the centuries?
The first soaps found on record were not the same as you would buy in a store today. The ingredients were far more natural as most individuals did not have access to the chemicals and fragrances that you have today. The first soaps and the first soap making process were probably not even intended for cleansing the body. They were first used to prepare wool for weaving. The first indications of soap making were very crude and the products used were not what the average person would use today. Things such as tallow (animal fat) and wood ash were the most common ingredients. Over time and through research people learned how to make better soaps that would clean far more effectively and not harm the body or clothing. Most people did not use soap at first to cleanse their bodies. That came later when discoveries in medicine were found that keeping the body clean helped control disease and pests such as lice. As more people demanded soap, the whole process became easier and ingredients to make soap become more readily available.
How has industrialization affected soap making?
Just as industrialization had affected every product and process known to us, it affected soap making as well. Companies were able to use machines to create an assembly line process that took saponification from an individual effort into a large output manufacturing process. This was truly a blessing for most people because up until saponification was industrialized each person had to either make the soap for their household themselves or they had to buy it from someone who handmade each bar. This also drove down the price for soap since it became more readily available. Since that time soap has become remarkably cheap for the mass produced bars. There are still many people and boutiques that create handmade soaps but these are naturally more expensive and many still turn to the manufactured soaps they can easily buy at their grocery store or shopping mall.
What ingredients can I add to my soaps to make them special?
The only limit on adding ingredients to your soap is your own imagination. Granted there are going to be some items that you do not want to add in such as shells and that is simply because as the soap melts away from use, you could wind up injuring yourself on the hard edge. If you are going to make a purely decorative soap then adding in hard textures is not an issue. If you intend to use the soaps then you can add in finely crushed walnut shells to help exfoliate your skin. You can also add in dried flowers and essential oils. Just make sure that the oils you use are safe for your skin. The fragrant oils used to diffuse your home with their wonderful scents do not work on your skin because of the potency.
Are there specific types of oils used for soap making?
It is not so much that there are specific types of oils as it is the actual fats. Soap making requires fats in order to have the finished product because it reacts with the alkali which creates molecules that have one end that dissolves in water and an opposite end that dissolves nonpolar grease molecules. But you do have a wide array of oils or fats to choose from. Early soap makers used tallow, or animal fat, to make their soaps. You can use olive oil, vegetable oil or any type of fat that appeals to you or is readily available.
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