If you're still buying commercial soap, STOP !!! I stopped buying commercial soap a long time ago. It all started when I purchased some gorgeous looking soap at a craft fair. Turned out it wasn't just beautiful. It also was wonderful for my skin. And so a new addiction began. I learned all about cold process soap.....The type of soap Grandma made is called “Cold Process” soap (commonly referred to as “CP” soap). It is made by combining fatty acids and sodium hydroxide (lye) together. Fatty acids can be almost any oil – from beef tallow to olive oil to hemp oil. The combinations for making a soaper's own personal recipe are endless.
Cold process soapmaking is a combinations of an art and science. The condensed version of this type of soapmaking is that there is a certain proportion of lye (sodium hydroxide) and water to fatty acids that forms a chemical reaction called “saponifaction.” During saponification, the oils and lye mix and become soap – the process takes approximately six weeks to fully complete.
Cold process soap is known for its hard, long lasting quality. Depending on the oils used, the bar can have great lather (coconut oil has excellent lathering properties), be incredibly mild (olive oil is renowned for its gentle qualities) or be very moisturizing (with the addition of oils, such as shea and cocoa butter or hemp oil). The different oils and additives make each recipe different. You also can indulge in endless heavenly fragrances that will fill your bathrooms with each new bar. Yep, I've learned all about artisan soaps. Some seem almost too beautiful to use. Go ahead. Indulge! Buy them, use them, and above all ENJOY them.
The best cp soaps are usually made by female owned and operated etailers. You can find them all over the 'net. Etsy is a goldmine of artisan soapers. But, not all soapers are created equal. Here's a gal who makes STUNNING soap that is pure bliss to use:
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