Sunday, 31 January 2010

How To Make Natural Homemade Soap:: The Perfect Gift For Any Occasion

By Eugene Smith

If you want soap that has nothing harsh in it, make your own. Learning how to make natural homemade soap is easy and the ingredients are readily available. Allowing for creativity in introducing colors, herbs or essential oils makes this hobby enjoyable to young and old alike. With homemade crafted soaps, you don't have preservatives to irritate your skin. Homemade natural soaps are better for the environment and the water supply.

The base ingredient for making soap at home is glycerin. Choose glycerin that melts so you can pour it into molds later in the process. Glycerin is available in either white or clear versions. The clear glycerin allows you to see the herbs and flowers or other additives that you add to glycerin.

Essentials oils added to glycerin provide lovely fragrances as well as benefits to the skin. Dry skin is soothed by orange oil and lavender oil. Using citrus oils is a great way to perk up. Circulation will be improved by using rosemary oil. Use the pure form of essential oils since fragrance oils are drying to the skin. Essential oils are available at the craft store or hobby shop.

In addition to the basic glycerin soap, there are other ingredients that go into the making of homemade soaps. You can add Vitamin E oil for skin cell repair. Color from craft stores comes in either solid or liquid options. You may also add herbs to add texture to the soap and fragrance for pleasing the senses. Use homemade soaps for a gift idea that is totally unique.

The supplies you will need to make the soap include a double boiler and soap molds. Candy molds, cupcake tins and other household containers also make good soap molds, so long as the mold can stand the heat. Begin by melting glycerin in the double boiler. The amount of glycerin depends upon the size of the mold. Use about three 1-inch squares of glycerin for each four ounces of soap. When the glycerin is completely melted, add the prepared color, herbs, oils or other decorative touches. This will need to be done before the soap begins to harden for best results.

Hardening and cooling of the liquid mixture is the final step in soap making. Soap is taken from the molds and stored away until it is needed. When you know how to make natural homemade soap, you have the perfect gift for any occasion.

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