Soap Maker's Workshop: The Art and Craft of Natural Homemade Soap Review

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(More customer reviews)When I started making soap, I got my education off of internet tutorials and forums as well as this book. Though it doesn't cover all the bases, it's perfect for beginners. It answers most the questions a beginner has, without getting complicated or overloading with confusing information. When I made my first batches I used it as a reference. Once you master everything it talks about, then you can go on into advanced techniques.

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Artisan soap-makers Dr. Robert McDaniel and Katherine McDaniel provide instruction for anyone with an interest in this timeless craft, from amateurs to professionals. Thirty recipes for creating all kinds of handmade soaps, including liquid, cold- and hot-process, melt-and-pour andre-batched soaps--all using natural ingredients, sustainable methods and tools found in almost any kitchen. The authors also demonstrate how to add fragrances, skin treatments and colors and how to shape solid soaps. The benefits of aromatherapy associated with many essential oils and African Black Soap (renowned for its healing properties for extreme dryness, blemishes, wrinkles, stretch marks and scars) are also explored. A 30-minute tutorial DVD is also included.

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The Soapmaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide with Recipes, Techniques & Know-How (Natural Body Series - The Natural Way to Enhance Your Life) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is one of my favorite books I've found on the wonderful, newly found hobby of mine - Soapmaking!
The author does a brilliant job of combining the must-have step-by-step detailed instructions on soapmaking basics for beginners, with the best list and descriptions of all soapmaking ingredients!
Beginners and experts alike will enjoy the many tried and true recipes, even specialty soaps! It also covers the "Chemistry of soapmaking", including tables for making your own recipes! She even has a section on starting up your own business to sell your handmade soap creations! And it is all put together in an easy to understand and follow format, for us beginners, or "dummys" in soapmaking!
The only reason that I rated this book at "4 stars", instead of "5 stars" is because it does not include any pictures (and I LOVE pictures!)- only the hand-drawn illustrations in green ink, as is the print, featured throughout the book. She does use alot of fragrances & different oils in her soap recipes, but includes a list of buying resources in the back.
This, along with my other favorite book on soapmaking, "The Complete Soapmaker", by Norma Coney, (full of beautiful pictures!)which features mostly "hand-milled" or rebatched soaps, are the ones I find myself going to time and time again for reference and inspiration!

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Basic soapmaking instruction and specialty techniques like marbling, layering, and making transparent and liquid soaps.

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Making Natural Liquid Soaps: Herbal Shower Gels / Conditioning Shampoos / Moisturizing Hand Soaps Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been a cold-process soapmaker for 2 years and was ready to explore other kinds of soapmaking. I picked up C. Failor's book on liquid soapmaking and was hooked. There's a lot of great information here. Initially I was a bit overwhelmed before diving in, but that's how I felt before making my first batch of cold-process soap as well! Liquid soapmaking, like almost every other craft, requires just a little time and patience before it becomes second nature. My first batch of liquid soap was a success-perfectly crystal-clear-and with a couple more recipes under my belt, I feel as comfortable with this soapmaking as I do with cold-process soapmaking. I was a bit perplexed by the review of October 18th in which Michelle referred to hard-to-obtain chemicals and complex chemical equations. There are no chemical equations in this book and as for the chemicals-does she mean potassium hydroxide, borax, boric acid? Nor do I agree with her that this book is for "professional" soapmakers only. The book is for anyone who wants so make their own natural liquid soap ( since almost all liquid soaps on the market are synthetic).

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Using a simple double-boiler technique, readers will make elegant and soothing liquid soaps. Dozens of recipes using oils, herbs, and other natural ingredients to create hand soaps, shower gels, bubble baths, conditioning shampoos and even baby and pet shampoos.

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