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Making soap can be a very worthy hobby. Not only is it a fun way to spend your time, unwind and tap into your creative side, it creates a very usable product you and your family can enjoy. Many people start soap making as a hobby and branch off into their own business.

Here’s how to get started.

Soap making can be approached one of two ways. The simple strategy is to use natural soap or unscented soap, melt it down, add your unique ingredients, and make it your own. The supplies necessary for this straightforward method include:

• Colorless bars of natural or fragrance free soap
• Essential oils of your choice – these will scent your soap. Choose scents wisely. Lavender is a calming scent, citrus or mint invigorates.
• Food coloring
• Vitamin E oil
• Blender
• Soap molds
• Double Boiler
• Wax or parchment paper

Grate soap in a blender and melt it in a double boiler. Add oils and coloring to suit your preference. You can add glitter, toys, or other items to soap to make it fun. Add water until the soap becomes thin enough to pour into a mold. Let molds sit for about 48 hours and then release onto wax paper.

To really create soap from scratch, it’s a bit more involved but still just as fun. Here are the supplies you’ll need:

• 1 oz. coloring dye
• Thermometer
• 1 lb. coconut oil
• 1 lb. olive oil
• 3 lbs. lard
• 11.2 oz. of lye
• 1.5 oz. fragrance
• 32 oz. water
• Rubber gloves
• A stainless steel pot
• 1 plastic container
• Protective goggles and an apron
• Thermometer

In your large plastic container add your lye to water in a three to one ration. One part lye and three parts water. Mix in an open area with proper ventilation and make sure you’re wearing goggles. The mixture will get hot. Let it cool before proceeding to the next step.

Place lard and oils into the metal pot. Warm it on your stove top over low heat until fat melts. Keep track of the temperature until it reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Add they lye to the melted oils very slowly to combine. Continue stirring. Mixture will change consistency. Add your dye and fragrance. Pour into your molds and let sit for 24 hours. Pop the soap from the molds and you have soap. Congratulations!

Making soap is a fun and rewarding hobby. Once you establish a routine and perfect your recipe you can branch out and try different fragrances, textures, colors, shapes and so on. The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity and soap.