Soapmaking

"You make soap?" People cannot believe that I can make my own soap. I started about 2 years ago when I bought an all natural tripled milled soaps from Target. They were on sale and I was curious. I loved it! However, those soaps are ridiculously too expensive for my budget. So, I decided to try to make my own soap.

I excitedly browsed and borrowed books about soap making from the library. For my very first try, I decided on Castille soap just made of olive oil and lye as those were readily available for me. It was a disaster. The mixture separated. I was very determined to try soap making again. So, I read more interesting books about it. Finally, I was successful my second try. Well, we waited for a month before using it because I was terrified that it may burn our skin. Our skin are still intact. Thank God!

"Why bother? Soaps are cheap in the store?" one very skeptical co-worker asked me. Well, let me tell you the reasons:

• I always want to be a chemist and this is the closest I can get.
• We try to avoid harmful and questionable chemicals in our daily life. Most commercial soaps contain preservatives that are carcinogenic or just questionable on their effects. Our skin is the largest organ in our body and known to absorb chemicals with systemic effect in our body.
• Homemade soaps are far superior in quality and moisturizing effect in the skin.
• It is also milder due to all natural ingredients.
• Too expensive to buy all natural soaps from health store.

I promise to write more about soap making and share some recipes. For those who wants sample please e-mail me at malor13@yahoo.com. No, I am not selling it. Maybe in the future. For now I am just enjoying it.