An interesting and useful hobby that everyone can try is soap making. Soap is used to wash our hands when we get dirty, or to wash our bodies every time we take a shower. Other uses can be for washing clothes or dishes. In general, it is mainly used to wash things. But the soap can also be used as a decoration in the bathroom, kitchen or even in the bedroom. A beautifully made and crafted soap can be a great addition to any room you want, or it can just make bath time that much more fun.
Some ingredients that you will need as a beginner are lye and some fats. The basic properties of the soap you are going to make will depend on the type of oil you are using. Using coconut oil will produce a soap that will lather up nicely. Vegetable oils will produce mild soap, while olive oils will produce much milder soap than using other vegetable oils. Lye, on the other hand, is used to hydrolyze oils to produce fatty acids and glycerol.
Soap making can be done by either the cold process or the hot process. Both are relatively simple to make and once you’re done, the preformed soap is ready for you to design any way you like. For hot process, mix lye and water while heating fat in a separate container. Add the lye water to the fat and continue heating for two hours until your soap is done. The cold process is almost the same, without having to heat the fat. Simply add the fat to the lye water and mix until cool. This can then be poured into molds depending on the shape you want.
Once your soap mixture is ready, you can add various things to it so that it can enhance its appeal. You can choose to add colored tints to get the color you want your soap to have. The fragrance oils will add to the scent of the soap making it more attractive to use. With constant practice and trying different techniques and styles, you will be able to achieve different and attractive designs for your soaps.
One precaution to keep in mind is that bleach is a dangerous substance. It is a corrosive substance that can degrade the skin on contact. This is why protective equipment such as gloves should be worn, and children should always be supervised by an adult.
Soap making is a fun hobby that everyone in the family can enjoy. It is different from the usual arts and crafts that use wood, clay or paint. It is also useful as the finished product can be used as a display or used as regular soaps in the bathroom.