Soap

I love soap. I love using it. I love smelling it. I love looking at it. I even love making it. Really. It absolutely amazes me that you can take sodium hydroxide and fat and end up with soap. Awesome. I should say chemistry!!!! But it's a tedious process. You have to stir it almost constantly and keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn or boil over or whatever. Also, it has to reach a very specific state or consistency and if you're not good at it you won't know when you get there or you will stop too early. It's very tedious work. So what can you do? Well, if you really want homemade soap you can buy blocks of soap base pre-made. There are lots of private label soap manufacturers out there. It comes in all kinds, kinds that are very hard to make at home: hemp, castille, honey, oatmeal, olive oil, etc. You can then melt the base and add all the stuff you want - colors, smells, whatever. You can make yourself some really nice soap. This opens up a whole new world in soap making. Take the hard part out - making the base - and you can focus on the creative part. I like that idea. I've actually done it both ways and I much prefer to just melt and go. Homemade soap is so much nicer than store bought. And it's not that expensive to make. Really it's not. And if you are looking to make a little money, selling soap is a great way to do it. I know someone who makes soap once in a while and every time she does she makes extra to sell and always sells out in a weekend. People have come to love her soap. I think I may order some for over summer break. It will give me something to do.