Types of Handmade Soap

Making handmade soap is an interesting if sometimes frustrating hobby, and as you begin the learning process you will find that soap is not just soap!

You make many different types of handmade soap depending on the soap making methods you use and the extra ingredients you add to your soap mixture.

Basic White Soaps

When most soap makers talk about basic white soaps they are talking about a simple recipe for a cold or hot process opaque soap made using readily available ingredients like olive oil, tallow, shortening or lard.

The beauty of basic opaque soap recipes is that you can change your soap very easily by varying the fragance and color or by adding additional ingredients after trace to change the texture of your soap.

Castile Soap

In English speaking countries the term 'Castile Soap' is used to describe soaps made exclusively from vegetable oils.

But most often, the term is generally used to describe soaps make either exclusively or predominantly from Olive Oil.

Glycerin or Transparent Soap

Although all handmade soap contains glycerin (a naturally occuring component of the fats and oils used in soap making), when most soap makers are talking about glycerin soaps what they actually mean are transparent soaps.

Transparent soaps are made pretty much in the same way as opaque soaps up to the point where the soap mixture comes to trace. It is at that point that the soap making instructions begin to diverge!

Laundry Soap

Making laundry soap is not only cost effective, it can also be a lot of fun!

Most of the recipes you will find on the web for laundry soap will tell you to use bar soap as the primary ingredient.

You could go out and buy commercial soap bars or a soap base from a soap supplies store to use in your home made laundry soap, but if you are a true 'soaper' you will want to use your own!

No Scent Soap for Allergy Sufferers

No scent soaps are just that - soaps with no scent or any other ingredients that may aggrevate allergies. That generally means a very basic white soap as even the choice of colourants is very limited.

If you have an allergy sufferer in your family - making your own soap definitely helps to eliminate a potential source of allergens from your home!

Other Soap Making Ideas

• Aromatherapy Soap
• Trademan's Soap
• Strong Soap for Gardeners
• Kid's Soaps

Making soaps for kids is just plain fun!

Most of the soap I make for kids are unscented (to avoid issues with allergies) in a variety of kid friendly of colours.

But the really interesting part of making soaps for kids is finding and using special molds. I use jelly molds in the shape of trains, dinosaurs, teddy bears and butterflies for my kids soaps!

• Special Occassion Soaps
• Baby Soaps
• Insecticidal or Pet Soap

The end result of your soap making efforts is only limited by your imagination!