Give Handmade Soaps This Holiday Season

The average consumers use commercial soap -- mainly, because it's affordable, it smells great, and it's made by the manufacturers that we have come to trust over the years. However, what most people don't realize about commercial soap is that the majority of it is not actually soap at all -- it's a detergent. Most of these "detergent" bars contain a wide array of different chemicals, synthetic lathering agents, artificial colors, and who knows what else. Many often wonder how come their skin is so dry after washing with a commercial bar of "soap". The reason is because of the harsh chemicals, and the fact that many commercial soap manufacturers remove the glycerin -- a valuable ingredient that we actually NEED in our soap -- and they sell the glycerin to other companies to make lotions and moisturizers.

With many people converting towards a more "green" lifestyle, the addition of handmade soaps will greatly advance their efforts. Handmade soaps are void of the harsh chemicals found in most commercial soaps. Some handmade soaps even provide therapeutic benefits when you add in different essential oils and additives. If you have an artistic side, you can also create visually appealing, artsy soaps to give to friends and family.

There are several ways to make soap, but the method I suggest for holiday gift giving is melt and pour. Melt and pour soap is very easy to make, and allows for quick production - so even if you're running behind schedule, you can create these soaps just a few days before giving them out. All you have to do with melt and pour soap is melt the soap base, add in fragrance and/or essential oils of your choice, add in natural colorants, any additives (such as dried herbs, ground oatmeal, etc.), pour into molds and let the soap set until the bars are firm.

Melt and pour soapmaking is one of the easiest methods you can learn. Many of the melt and pour bases come with their own special additives, such as goat's milk, olive oil, shea butter, etc. There's are a lot of suppliers for soapmaking supplies. Locally, you can check Michael's or JoAnn's, if you have these stores in your area. For online ordering, Google "soapmaking supplies" or "melt and pour soap base", and a list of suppliers will come up. A good site for ordering your supplies online is Brambleberry.

When making handmade soap, make sure that you are following directions when it comes to melting the soap base, adding additives, colorants and essential and fragrance oils, and have fun! This is a fun craft to partake in, and may become addictive. If you try it out and find that you like soapmaking, by all means, explore the possibility of starting your own business selling your skin nourishing creations. At this point, you can explore the option of other soapmaking methods, such as cold process and hot process.

Cold and Hot process soapmaking involve the use of a harsh chemical called lye (sodium hydroxide). However, once the soap has gone through the saponification process (chemical reaction in which the mixture of lye and fats turns into soap), the harmful chemical is no longer present in the finished product. Using a very measured and careful process, you mix oils (olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, etc) with the lye. After the additives have been added, you pour the soap into molds and let it set up for 24 hours, then the soap is released from the molds, cut into bars and cured for 4 - 6 weeks. This method is a lot more advance, but may allow you to produce soaps in bulk if you're interested in pursuing this as a business.

Your friends and family will be pleased to receive this beautiful handmade soap -- especially knowing that it was made from the heart. Also, you'll be happy to know that you're giving gifts that are better for skin than the harsh detergent soaps sold commercially. These gifts can create a nice, pampering and relaxing shower or bath for your loved one, and they are sure to thank you again the next day. They may even come back looking for more, so make sure you use that factor to determine whether you can possibly turn this into long term cash.

There are TONS of resources online about making handmade soaps and lots of other ideas for bath and beauty products -- including this great resource which includes step by step instructions, recipes, and tips for turning this hobby into a business. Your friends and family won't thank you enough, and you won't thank yourself enough. Once you start using the soap, YOU may not be able to stop either! Give handmade soaps to friends and family this holiday season, and possibly turn this into the business opportunity that you've been looking for!