Cold Process Soap: An Expert Guide to Making it at Home

Making soap is not a very difficult process and the art of soap making is done with ingredients that are very good for your skin. The art of the cold process in soap making is a tried and true method that has been practiced for quite a long time now. It involves mixing different types of oils and from there you can use your scents and colors to make it unique. The cold process preserves the ingredients in the skin softening ingredients and added fragrances.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cold process soap is created by combining specified ingredients designed to induce a specific chemical reaction.
  • This chemical process that transforms the specified ingredients into soap is called saponification.
  • Sodium hydroxide lye is the key ingredient in this cold process technique.

“A good cleanser is fundamental to a healthy skincare routine, whether your preference is a heavy-duty oil, a mild soothing cream, or an exfoliating scrub.”

Read more: https://www.marthastewart.com/1535651/cold-process-soap-making

Best Practices in Measuring

When making soap, many DIYers find themselves wondering which measuring tools provide the most accurate results. Most recipes do not provide readers with a concise idea of consistency and precision. This is why spoons and cups are not always the best measuring tools. Purchasing a digital scale is a wise investment for any soap maker, as they measure not only pounds and ounces, but grams too. This makes them much more accurate in weighing various materials.

Key Takeaways:

  • When it comes to making homemade cosmetics consistency is key. Tools like measuring spoons and cups are not consistent.
  • Measuring tools that are the norm in cooking are given to approximations, which is fine for a goulash, but not for a facial mask, which should deliver specified results each time.
  • For cosmetics, it’s best to eschew the measuring equipment and go for a digital scale, which will be far more precise.

“Unfortunately, an alarming number call for measured ingredients, in cups and tablespoons.”

Read more: https://makingsoapmagazine.com/2019/11/22/best-practices-in-measuring/

Why Giving is Important for Small Business

Soap With Hope is a company that was founded by a woman named Kate who has been making and selling soap for about five years. Kate was previously diagnosed with cancer, and had to undergo an intense treatment program as a result. She needed to find a career that would allow her to be with her family during this difficult time, and soap making was both a viable and intriguing option. Not only does Kate donate 25 cents of every sale to breast cancer research, but she also donates bars of soap to those in need.

Key Takeaways:

  • A company called Soap With Hope donates twenty-five cents of every purchase to breast cancer research, so purchasing from them is automatically charitable.
  • The owner of Soap With Hope also takes the initiative to donate bars of soap to several charities that require hygeinic supplies.
  • Kate claims that her motive for living such a compassionate life is to teach her kids that you can still rely on your community when you’re in need.

“If you’re looking for ways to give back to your community, this post can help you get started.”

Read more: https://www.brambleberry.com/articles/small-business/art0026-why-giving-is-important.html?fdid=3-business_article_studio

Knowing Your Trace in Soap

If you are new to making soap you may not even know what trace is when it comes to soap. Trace is nothing more than the consistency of your soap mixture, different traces will indicate different stages of consistency. At some points the mixture will be like pudding and this is the best time to mix in other types of soaps to create a swirl effect in the design of your soap. Other times it will be ready to pour into the mold.

Key Takeaways:

  • Trace is very useful for figuring out when a soap mixture has been adequately blended for it to subsequently be placed into a mold.
  • Light trace, which has a creamy consistency and occurs right after blending, is good for use with intricate molds.
  • Thick trace doesn’t flow or pour very well, and may need to be spooned out, but is useful for layering applications.

“Different levels of trace or soap consistency can assist you in using particular techniques and achieving specific soap designs.”

Read more: http://www.bathalchemylab.com/2016/03/knowing-your-trace-in-soap.html

Marketing Your Handmade Business to Millennials

The majority of the population is made up of millennial’s and have now surpassed the baby boomer generation as far as who makes up the most of the population. A lot of Millennial’s are in their late thirties, and are also parents, so you will want to appeal to both parents and the children of those parents. A couple things to consider are gender biases, they aren’t interested in just buying pink for a girl and blue for a boy, for example.

Key Takeaways:

  • There are 80 million Millennial’s and they have recently surpassed baby boomers as the group that is the majority of the population.
  • The target audience for handmade business markets will now include Millennial’s because most either use the products or have children who do.
  • 86% of Millennial fathers get some form of parenting advice from YouTube, so it is important that you know you are speaking to men as well.

“Remove gender bias. Millennials don’t adhere to traditional gender stereotypes that apply to moms, dads, boys or girls. Avoid using colors, copy or package designs that attempt to blatantly appeal to one gender over the other.”

Read more: https://wholesalesuppliesplus.com/handmade101/business-articles/marketing-your-handmade-business-to-millennials.aspx

20 Natural Soap Making Ingredients You Haven’t Thought Of

Many commercially made soaps have ingredients that are not good for skin or health in general. Natural soap making can be fun. There are many soap making ideas that can be useful. Citrus-based soaps have a good scent and can be colorful. Soaps with coffee can give a jolt to the skin. Oatmeal-based soaps can make the skin softer. Lavender has been associated with restful sleep and is another ingredient that can make a good natural soap. Shredded coconut pairs well with citrus and can combine with it to make a beautiful scent. Seeds can appear to float within the soap. Pink Himalayan salt is great for removing dead skin cells. Matcha powder has great anti-aging ingredients. Candelua Flowers and Cocoa Powder are two more great ingredients to consider for natural soaps. Rose Petals have been known to soothe and brighten the skin. Activated Charcoal and Vitamin E oil have been known to soothe the skin and are popular natural soap ingredients. Chamomile Flowers and Essential Oils have been known to relax the skin. Rosemary Sprigs are anti-bacterial and help clean the skin. Loose Leaf Tea can look beautiful in a natural soap. Beet Root is great for coloring soap. Honey comes with a lot of nutrients and vitamins that can make skin healthier. Loofah is great if someone wants to exfoliate dry skin.

Key Takeaways:

  • Many commercially soaps add ingredients that are unhealthy for your skin, and your health in general.
  • Citrus fruits have a great scent, bright colors and can be a great addition to soap.
  • Coffee has been known to give skin a jolt and it is naturally anti-aging.

“Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, colloidal oatmeal, and quinoa are great all-natural skin-softening additions to for natural soap making. The cellulose and fiber from the oats make an effective skin soother for itchy, irritated dry skin.”

Read more: https://www.lifenreflection.com/natural-soap-making-ingredients/

Photography Tips for Soap Makers

Quality images are paramount for selling soap products online. These photographs are the first thing the consumer looks at, and thus will set a mood for the rest of the product. For basic product images with white backgrounds, it’s important to use proper lighting and editing techniques to get the perfect image. For lifestyle images, it’s best to be consistent with your background and color scheme. You’ll also want to use a proper camera and photo editing software so your product can be displayed to it’s fullest potential.

Key Takeaways:

  • Product images with a white background require natural or studio lighting, and sometimes requires post-production touch ups.
  • Lifestyle product images should have consistent backgrounds as consumers trust brands that are consistent.
  • Photoshop is a great program to edit photos, but free editing programs, like Gimp, are also popular.

“Your images can shape a customer’s first impression and inspire them to keep shopping and eventually purchase.”

Read more: https://www.lovinsoap.com/2019/09/photography-tips-for-soap-makers/

How to Make Your Camera Settings Work for You

Understand your camera settings is imperative to create stunning, high-quality photographs. There is the aperture and shutter speed, which controls the amount of light that enters the lens. There is also the ISO, which allows for smoother, or more grainy photographs. Also, it’s important to understand the exposure, as too much exposure may lead to less detail, but too little may be too dark. Although, before clicking random buttons on the camera, you should always consult the user manual for guidance.

Key Takeaways:

  • Understanding the different settings of your camera is paramount to shooting high-quality photographs.
  • Changing the shutter speed on your camera effects how much light is let in through the lens, and can drastically change the picture.
  • Before changing all the settings right away, it’s best to look at your camera’s operation manual.

“Let’s talk exposure. In underexposed images, the shadows are too dark and details in those areas are lost.”

Read more: https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/how-to-use-camera-settings/

58 Photography Terms You Need to Know

If you are an amateur photographer, it’s important to understand the common terms used by professionals. There are color terms, like balance, space, and temperature, which all have to do with the vibrancy of the photograph. Also, lighting terms like ambient light, bounce lighting, soft lighting, highlights, and white balance are important to understand. All in all, if you speak the language of photography, you’ll be able to articulate exactly the type of image you would like.

Key Takeaways:

  • Learning photography terms, even for an amateur photographer, is important is key to obtaining quality images.
  • Lighting is key in photography, so know the difference between ambient light, bounce lighting, and white balance.
  • Underexposure occurs when to little light hits the film, while overexposure occurs when too much light hits the film.

“If you hire a pro photographer, it’s easier to get what you want if you ask for it in their language.”

Read more: https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/photography-terms-you-must-know/

How to Research Your Ingredients: Part 2

With so many sources claiming the viability of different products, researching ingredients for homemade cosmetics can be an arduous task. For initial research, there is plenty of information in product descriptions, formulation guidelines, safety data sheets, and even marketing data. If you already have the ingredient, the first source you should contact for product information is your supplier. Sometimes, it’s best to consult scientific publications, like PubMed, if you want further information on these products and their effects on the human body.

Key Takeaways:

  • In order to gather information on ingredients you can check formulation guidelines, product descriptions, fact sheets, and more.
  • Before going into depth, first contact your supplier if you have any specification questions about the ingredients.
  • For more scientific information, and how products react with the human body, you should look at scholarly sources like PubMed.

“A good sample formula is basically a jump-start for using a new ingredient and/or for making a new type of product.”

Read more: https://www.humblebeeandme.com/how-to-research-your-ingredients-part-2/