Homemade Soap

I make all our own soap. I havent bought any for years except if i've ran out. The family all complain when I buy soap because they say it leaves their skin dry now they are used to homemade.

I guess it can be as cost effective as you like, for instance using cheaper oils like sunflower (not too much of this one though as whilst its moisturising, it also makes for a soft bar.

People also use tallow (animal fat) however I wouldnt like to try this.

I actually make expensive soap for the family as I use luxury ingredients like shea butter and jojoba oil. However it makes such a superior product that I no longer need to use body lotions after the bath as my skin is left nice and moisturised.

Homemade soap is far better for your skin as well as it doesnt strip off all the oils, its really gentle.

Glycerin is a by product of soapmaking, but the big manufacturers skim this off and sell it - its no longer in the store bought soaps.

Plus, you put in what you want to...... no chemicals!

I once planned on starting to make my own soap. I bought books and everything but just couldn't afford the ingredients.

I would love to make some like the ones you buy from Lush

A quick search shows that these threads may help:-

Homemade soap presents the easy way

Oatmeal body scrub soap and more (merged)

JoeyEmma wrote:

If you make your own soap from scratch (eg without grating up normal soap), by using oils and stuff like shea butter, then don't you need lye?

You cannot make real soap using base oils without using lye. Its the chemical reaction between oils and lye that makes soap. Once the chemical reaction occurs (think of it as every lye molecule pairs off with an oil molecule) then the lye is neautralised and is no longer in the soap.

I make real soap, not from a base. I start with different oils such as coconut and palm, then add nice things like shea butter to it. Of course I put it through a lye calculator to make sure I dont use too much lye. (very bad, would cause a harsh soap)

Those bases are fine, and I know people who are happy to use them, but Im a person who likes to make things from scratch. In the example up above, I could buy a fruit cake base and then add my nice things to it, but in true MSE'r style, diy is best!

As for the Lush stuff, if you like that you would adore homemade, they are really a world apart. Lush soaps are a base that they add stuff to, however that base contains SLS and lots of other things that im not happy using on my skin.

Homemade soap is a delight to use, I use it on my face and always get comments about how nice my skin is...

JoeyEmma wrote:

I've actually ordered some soaps from this lady and am waiting for them to arrive. I'm quite excited for it!

http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/sopselect.htm

They look like really lovely soaps. Saponified oils means she makes them same as me, using the oil and lye reaction... saponification.