Smart Soapmaking The Simple Guide to Making Traditional Handmade Soap Quickly Safely and Reliably or How to Make Luxurious Handcrafted Soaps for Family Friends and Yourself
April 15, 2009 by Beauty Tips · Leave a Comment
Maybe you’ve made melt-and-pour soap and want to move on to something more challenging and rewarding. Maybe traditional soapmaking appeals to you, but you figure it’s too difficult or dangerous. Or maybe you’re already doing it, but outmoded ideas and methods are complicating the process and slowing you down. No matter which of these fits you, you’ll find Smart Soapmaking practical, helpful, and refreshing. Written by a former professional soapmaker, this book explodes the myths about soapmaking and shows you how to make luxurious soap with the least fuss and bother.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars No fuss explantion of soap making fundamentals
At first I was disappointed to see how thin this book was, I neglected to look at the page count before I bought it, but after reading it I was happy to find it gave all the information I was looking for to get under way with first time soap making and directions for further investigation. I am a newbie to soap making and would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to get a fundamental background in what it takes to make soap and some basic information on first recipe soap bases. The recipes in the book are stripped down, no scents or other ingredients to complicate matters, which is good to get a handle on your first batch of soap. There are several recipes each with different qualities so these can be used for future experimentation with other ingredients. I bought this along with ‘Soapmaking for Fun and Profit’ by Maria Given Nerius and would place Anne Watson’s book higher on the first time soap maker’s purchase list than Nerius’s.
All in all, a great book for the first time soap maker.
5 Stars The Very Best
I bought this book before I had made a single batch of soap. It told me everything I needed to know and led me through it almost as well as a live teacher would have done. She covered every step of the process clearly and thoroughly. And the recipes she provided have so far turned out great.
I also had a question about what type of a certain oil to buy, so I emailed her at the address given in the book…and received a reply within a few hours! I was so impressed with her willingness to help. Wow.
The methods outlined in this book are safer and easier than those I have seen elsewhere…I can’t say enough good things about the book or the author! If you want to start making your own cold process soap, or you want to update the method you have been using, this is the book for you.
5 Stars Start Here!
This book is chocked full of excellent, sound information for those interested in soapmaking. ALL the basics are adequately covered which should calm most neophyte’s fears. While there aren’t many recipes included, I like the author’s writing style and feel strongly that this book should be included in every soapmaker’s library.
4 Stars Smart Soapmaking
A good book. I learned several things that I will incorporate in my next batch.
5 Stars Wonderful soap!!
I purchased this book to make lye soap for my husband as he is allergic to just about everything and have been thrilled with the results! He even purchased a special soap dispenser to put on the wall at work so he could use it there. My Mother was hesitant to try the lye soap because she remembered her Mother making it and it was so harsh. But when she tried the soap I made, she just couldn’t say enough good about it. It makes your hands feel so clean and soft, you don’t even need lotion. For my first batch, I made the All-Veggie Grocery Store Soap #1 and was a little nervous but the authors instructions were so easy to follow. (I did use the Kitchen-aid emulsion blender and loved it) The second batch I made was the Anne’s Shea Butter Supreme with lavender oil and it was great too! Highly recommend this book!!
