Synopses & Reviews
The most comprehensive guide to soapmaking ever!
From the author of the best-selling The Natural Soap Book comes this illustrated guide to making over 40 specialty soaps -- from exquisite stained-glass, marbled, and layered soaps to soothing masseuse bars, hardworking laundry soap, and practical liquid soaps.
Through clear, step-by-step instructions, master soapmaker Susan Miller Cavitch leads you through every step of the soapmaking process and teaches you how to:
*craft exotic and practical soaps in your home
* blend and use essential oils and natural colorants
* design multi-colored, marbled, and imprinted soaps
* understand the chemistry of soapmaking and create your own personal bars
Plus, you'll get tips on how to get started selling soaps!
Review
"The Soapmaker's Companion will teach you everything you need to know about making liquid soap; laundry soap; marbled soap; transparent soap; multicolored, layered soap; and more."
Review
"...a must-have book for anyone interested in soapmaking."
Synopsis
In this comprehensive guide, Susan Miller Cavitch covers everything you need to know to make your own soaps. Learn the basic techniques for crafting oil-, cream-, and vegetable-based soaps, and then start experimenting with your own personalized scents and effects. Cavitch provides tips for making more than 40 different specialty soaps, showing you how to design colorful marbled bars and expertly blend ingredients to create custom fragrances. You ll soon be making luxurious soaps at a fraction of the cost of boutique products.
Important Notice
Early printings of this book contain a recipe variation in a sidebar note on page 36. As a result of further testing, author Susan Miller Cavitch and Storey Publishing strongly recommend that you do not try this variation. Adding honey when you are combining the sodium hydroxide and water may result in a stronger reaction with more intense heat. The mixture may bubble up quickly and come out of the pot, posing a potential hazard."
Synopsis
Basic soapmaking instruction and specialty techniques like marbling, layering, and making transparent and liquid soaps.
About the Author
Author Susan Miller Cavitch is the founder and president of Soap Essentials, Inc., a Memphis-based retail mail-order company producing homemade herbal products. She is the author of The Natural Soap Book and The Soapmaker's Companion. Susan lives in Eads, Tennessee.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Part I - Soapmaking in the Kitchen
Recipes
Chapter 1. Recipes for Vegetable-Based Soaps
Chapter 2. Special Techniques
Chapter 3. Making Transparent Soaps
Ingredients
Chapter 4. An Overview of Soapmaking Oils
Chapter 5. Using Natural Colorants
Chapter 6. Creating Scents from Around the World
Practical Know-How
Chapter 7. Determining Soapmaking Temperatures
Chapter 8. Diagnosing Signs of Trouble
Chapter 9. Answers to Soapmakers' Most-Asked Questions
Part II - Soapmaking in the Library
Chapter 10. Resins
Chapter 11. Minerals and Clays
Chapter 12. Saturated versus Unsaturated Soap Formulas
Chapter 13. The Chemistry of Soapmaking
Part III - Soapmaking in the Marketplace
Chapter 14. Soapmaking Online
Chapter 15. Starting a Soap Business
Chapter 16. Insuring Your Business
Chapter 17. Federal Regulation of Soapmaking
Appendix
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