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There are many problems with most mass produced soaps on the market today. Perhaps through your own experience, you have noticed problems with your soap, or perhaps through research you have done or word of mouth, you would like to start treating your skin better. Learning to make homemade soap offers many benefits, and solves many of the problems present in commercial soap products.

One problem with most store bought soaps is that they are not actually soaps at all, but are detergents, meaning they are petroleum based products. This means they tend to dry out the skin over time, leaving it dry and itchy. Homemade soaps can be made using skin friendly natural oils such as coconut, olive, and palm oils, which will effectively clean your skin, while moisturizing it at the same time.

There are major concerns over the testing of commercial soaps and whether the animals on which the soaps are being testing are being treated ethically. If you make homemade soap, you circumvent this testing process, and you can feel good about doing your part in making the world a better place. All the ingredients in homemade soaps, if chosen properly, are very environmentally friendly.

Homemade soaps can be tailored to your specific needs or tastes. Whatever the specific fragrance is your prefer, be it lilac or cinnamon, you can include it and produce a soap perfect for you. You can also exclude specific ingredients you know react negatively with your skin.

Making soap can be a creative outlet for you, allowing you to experiment with different ingredients and produce wonderful smelling products, which just so happen to make great gifts. The process also allows you to learn a dying art. Most people these days, as is the case with so many things we use every day, take for granted the ability to simply purchase a common item like soap in the store, and do not know this skill that was once essential for every home.

One easy soap making recipe uses only lye, purified water, olive oil, coconut oil, and grape seed oil. The basic procedure is to make a mixture of lye and water, and a separate mixture of all the oils. The two mixtures are then combined when they are at the same temperature - about 110F. The lye-water mixture will require some cooling, while the oils will require some heating. Then the combined mixture is mixed with a blender until it is the right consistency and finally poured into molds.

As you can see from the above soap making recipe, soap is generally easy to make, although there are some risks involved, but these can be easily mitigated with some research and general care and common sense. The riskiest part of making soap is properly handling the lye. This is a very caustic substance and the skin and eyes should be protected while working with it.

Learning to make homemade soap can be a fun, creative process that offers many benefits for you and your skin. From being healthier for you, to being more environmentally friendly, this skill and art is sure to be a satisfying pursuit.

About the Author:

Jen Hopkins has worked in the skin care industry for years. She maintains websites about home soap making, and easy soap making. If you want to contact her, you can use the contact form at one of her sites.