Soap Making 101 - All About Oils - Beginner Class

Presented by:

Mary Plummer

Bar Soap Company

During this making session I will give you the basic skills needed to not only make cold process soap - but also to create your own recipe!

The quality of your soap depends on using the right types of oil, at the right ratios. Too much castor oil and your soap will be mush. Too much coconut oil and you'll have a deep cleansing soap that strips the skin of all moisture.

My classic artisan recipe features the perfect balance of 5 oils. Each oil adds its unique fatty acid profile to the mix. Those fatty acid profiles are what determine traits like lather, hardness and cleansing. We'll explore this in depth.

We'll talk about a variety of locally available oils and some specialty ones - including where to source those. We'll discuss the positive traits each oil gives your soap and any drawbacks they have.

I'll teach you how to use some handy online tools to create your perfect recipe. It's especially important to make sure your lye calculation is spot-on. Lye calculations should be checked and rechecked. Too much lye in your soap is unbelievably dangerous to the end user. 

Once we've created your recipe, checked and rechecked your lye calculations, it's time to make some soap!

You'll make one 40 ounce soap loaf. I'll slice your soap for you the next day and it will be ready for pickup in 4 weeks. One soap loaf creates eight 5 oz bars of soap. The cost of your soap is included in your ticket!

Cold process soapmaking requires safety gear and is not an appropriate activity for children. You must be age 16 or older for this activity.

I will have a face shield, gloves and apron for each participant. You must wear close-toed shoes, full-length pants and all safety gear provided.

This is a beginner course and does not require previous soaping experience. To ensure I can work closely with all participants I am only offering 4 tickets for each class.

If you purchase a ticket and can't make the event you may use your ticket for another upcoming event with open space.