Natural Soap
Just like candles, natural soap has become one of the favorite home-made gifts especially during the holidays. It’s also a great home craft to do for personal use. Natural soap making is again increasing in popularity with the many benefits one can get from it. Before you start making natural soap, wouldn’t it be better to know the origin of soap?
Soap during the early 20th century was usually made at home. Soaps come from the fats from butchering and cooking. However, as the shortage of fats occurred during World War I, companies started developing synthetic soaps as an alternative. Now, what’s great about making your natural soap is that you are aware of what you put into it. You can make an all natural soap just like you want it to be. At the same time, it will save you a couple of bucks. It’s very cheap to make your own soap and you get to take care of your skin and the environment by doing that.
Of course, making soap is not something you can perfect overnight. Though you may get it right the first time, practice will surely make it more perfect as you go along. Plus, there is a wide array of ingredients that you can mix and match to find out what you like best. Because of the many oils and scents to choose from, you’ll surely want to try making a number of soaps to see the various results. Thanks to the many vegetable and plant base oils out in the market, you’ll have a natural soap that will keep your skin free from harsh fragrances.
The process involved in producing soap is called saponification. It is the chemical reaction when acid and base reacts to one another. This results to a soap or salt. Salt is produced similarly. However, with soap, you combine oils or fats with sodium hydroxide or lye. You will know more about the process when you start making one.