Professional recipes and advice about everything soap!
Overview: What Is Sweet Orange Essential Oil? Sweet Orange essential oil is a bright, cheerful citrus oil known for its ability to support uplifted mood, natural cleaning, fresh-smelling soaps, and everyday wellness. Cold-pressed from orange peels, it has a sweet, juicy aroma that is widely loved by both beginners and experienced essential oil users. Because…
What Is Essential Oil Dilution? Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts. Proper dilution is essential for safe use, especially when applying oils to the skin, hair, or using them in soap making. Dilution means mixing essential oils with a carrier oil, base product, or soap formula to reduce the risk of irritation, sensitivity, or…
Cold Process Soap Making: A Beginner’s Guide to Making Soap From Scratch updated 2026 Making soap from scratch may seem intimidating at first, but cold process soap making is one of the most rewarding skills you can learn. It blends creativity with chemistry and gives you complete control over every ingredient that touches your skin…
How Soap Making Oils Affect Hardness, Lather, and Skin Feel Soap making oils have different molecular compositions, and it’s these fatty acids that determine how a finished bar of soap performs. Hardness, lather, longevity, and skin conditioning all depend on the oils you choose and how you balance them. Once a soap maker understands how…
A beginner-friendly guide to accurate, confident cold process soap making Using a soap lye calculator is one of the most important safety steps in soap making. Whether you’re brand new or refining your recipes, a lye calculator ensures the correct amount of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is used so your soap is safe, balanced, and skin-friendly….
Many beginners search for how to make soap without lye because working with sodium hydroxide can feel intimidating. While that concern is completely understandable, there’s an important truth to understand upfront: 👉 There is no such thing as true soap without lye. At some point in the soap-making process, lye is always used to create…
Layered Swirl: Adding Dimension to Cold Process Soap If you love artistic soaps that show off both color and texture, the Layered Swirl technique is a must-try. This design combines clean, defined layers with fluid swirls — giving each bar depth, contrast, and a truly handcrafted feel. Whether you’re going for bold color bands or…
Introduction The chopstick or skewer swirl technique is one of the simplest yet most striking ways to add artistic flair to your cold process soap. It’s ideal for beginners and seasoned soap makers alike—requiring just a thin tool, a steady hand, and a little imagination. This method lets you draw graceful lines, curves, or intricate…
Introduction If you’ve ever wanted to create mesmerizing patterns that flow through your soap like ribbons of color, the hanger swirl technique is a must-try. This intermediate-level swirl gives handmade soaps a professional, marbled appearance that looks complex but is surprisingly achievable once you understand the timing and motion. Whether you’re experimenting with vibrant micas…
Fragrance Profile A zesty blend of fresh lime essential oil with soft notes of lemongrass and a touch of vanilla. The scent is lively and invigorating without being overpowering. Ingredients (for a 2 lb / 900 g oil batch) Base Oils: Olive Oil – 12 oz (340 g) Coconut Oil (76°F) – 8 oz (227…