Making Soap

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Description

The workshop will cover a range of topics including how to colour and fragrance soaps, materials used in soap-making, and how to create your own recipes and make your own soap from scratch.

Course outline

The course will cover:

• history and culture of soap
• the chemistry of soap
• methods and techniques including cold process and 'melt and pour' bases.
• safety
• recipes and quantity calculation
• fragrances, colourants and other additives
• troubleshooting
• supplies and packaging
• how to sell your soap (business)

Materials and what to bring

Materials are included for this workshop. Please bring a tea towel, a bowl or plastic container with 1-2 litres capacity, and something to take your soap home in. As the course spans lunch time, bring a sandwich or packed lunch. Tea and coffee will be provided.

What you will get

This course is hands-on and each participant will leave with a variety of soaps they have created themselves. Participants will leave with the knowledge of how to make their own soaps at home and where to source ingredients.

Information about ingredients and safety protocols

Safety briefings are conducted in all classes and students are furnished with gloves and goggles to use when mixing soap. Ingredients used include sodium hydroxide (lye) solution, essential oils and fragrances. The essential oils we use are orange, lemon and lavender. Fragrances are certified to be cosmetic grade and skin safe. For student safety, lye-mixing is completed beforehand and offsite by the tutor. Students use pre-mixed lye solutions in class. The tutor conducts one demonstration of mixing lye using small quantities with good ventilation. This is so you know how to safely mix lye at home. Full safety notes are provided. Some people can be sensitive to the strong scents in the room so if you are sensitive to strong smells, are pregnant or have lung dysfunction, you may wish to bring an industrial face mask, or choose not to attend this course.

Next steps

Jackie offers Solid Shampoo and Conditioner Bars and Colouring Techniques for Soap Making as courses to extend soap making knowledge.

Testimonials

"Jacqueline was really fun and kind. She explained in detail so it was easy to follow".

Did the course meet your expectations? "Yes - over and above. Being able to experiment with all the ingredients was great.  Well resourced." "Yes. I feel confident to go ahead with making soap!" "The tutor was awesome". "Got to take home 3 finished items. Did not expect to do this much."

Comments about the tutor? "Good demonstrations with techniques and safety. Good rapport with students. Friendly and approachable & great knowledge of the subject. Fabulous". "Jacqueline was very capable and passionate".

Q & A

Do these soap products contain palm oil?

No. Tutor Jacqueline confirms that palm oil is not used in any of these products.

Is this 'melt and pour' or making from scratch?

You'll learn to make soap from scratch. Jacqueline will also explain how melt and pour works.

I'm pregnant.  Is soap-making safe for me?

Soap making exposes students to ingredients such as essential oils and sodium hydroxide which are classified as irritants. As pregnancy often causes sensitivity to smells, the fumes of these ingredients may be irritating.  If you're unsure, consult with your midwife or GP for advice.

What about the colours?

In the basic course, soap is coloured using artificial colours.  You can elect to leave these out.  Using natural colours in soap making is discussed in the 'Colouring Techniques' course.

People who attended this course also attended...

Colouring Techniques in Soap Making, Solid Shampoo and Conditioner Bars