Make natural soap for fun. Just like baking a cake, you can choose to start with a kit or make it from scratch. Easy soap making methods can be as simple as “melt and pour” or a more involved mixing of fat, lye and water. No matter what method you choose, you can have fun experimenting with fragrances, essential oils or herbs, and colors. Be artistic! Be creative!

Melt and Pour is easy and safe enough for kids to do. Soap bases could be goat milk, honey, glycerin, olive & aloe, oatmeal, shea butter or any other base you can find on the market. Each one has different qualities, so choose the one that is best for you.

To make a bar soap just melt the soap base completely, stirring frequently and add the fragrances, colors, or essential oils that you like. Then pour the soap into the molds and allow it to cool. If for some reason the soap bar does not come out the way you like it, just re-melt and try it again.

For those who are a little more adventurous, fat, water, and lye may be the thing for you. This method requires a little more equipment, time and knowledge. The first thing to consider is safety. Lye is a caustic agent and requires special handling. It is suggested that you use eye protection and rubber gloves when handling it. Also, lye will damage aluminum and Formica so keep it off your table tops and counters and especially off of you. There are many great sources on the Internet that describe this process in more detail and you can find any of them by typing “make natural soap” into a search engine.

Making soap is not only fun, it saves money. Compare the cost of fancy soaps to what you make yourself! Use your imagination to make your own soap look and smell exactly like you want. You can even start your own soap business!

Making your own natural soap is also environmentally friendly — store-bought soap was made in a pollution-causing factory. Before World War I, people used to make soap at home from leftover cooking fats, using purchased cans of lye. Before that, people made lye from wood ashes.

The move toward sustainable living also has some healthy side effects. Skin is the largest organ of your body and taking care of it is important. By making your own soap, you know exactly what’s going on your skin. If you are allergic to one ingredient, simply substitute another. You can make vegetarian soap using vegetable fats instead of than animal fats.

Making your own soap is fun, healthy and good for the environment. It allows you the flexibility to add ingredients you like and leave out the ones you don’t. Homemade soap is good for your family finances as well. There are so many easy soap making recipes out there, anyone can do it.

Jen Hopkins has worked in the skin care industry for years. She maintains websites about make your own soap, and easy soap making. If you want to contact her, you can use the contact form at one of her sites.