If there’s one substance that can be found in every home in the country, it’s soap. This magical substance is used every day for various purposes, from washing your hair to washing your dishes. Of course, the most common purpose of soap is to clean the hands. Now more than ever, it’s critical for every family to promote regular, extensive hand washing before meals and before and after leaving the house.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with focusing more on hygiene. That said, washing your hands over and over can have some pretty damaging effects on your skin. Repeated hand washing can cause your hands to dry out. Painful cracks form. Itchiness becomes prevalent. Of course, there are hand soap options that will preserve your delicate skin, but they tend to be pricy. When you’re washing your hands 10 or 15 times a day, you can hardly afford to break the bank on hand soap.
Perhaps it’s time to think about making your own soap. If you’d like to know how to make hand soap, we’ve got you covered.
Gathering the ingredients
Making your own soap can take as little as a few minutes or as long as six weeks. It all depends on the soap you use. You can start with a pre-made fragrance-free soap, like Castile soap, or you can make your soap from scratch. Traditionally, handmade soap was made from a combination of water, lye and animal lard. If you are concerned about using animal lard, it can be swapped for a blend of natural oils like avocado oil, almond oil, shea butter, coconut oil and others.
Be careful
If you’re going full DIY with your hand soap, be aware that, when mixed with water, lye can be very caustic. When working with lye, be sure to wear gloves and exercise caution during the mixing process. It’s also important to use the correct amount of lye in your recipe. To help with that, there are several free lye calculators online.
The mixing process
Once you’ve collected the correct amount of water, lye and natural ingredients, it’s time to mix the soap. Carefully pour the lye into your water solution (NEVER pour the water into the lye). Stir until the lye is dissolved. Remember, do not touch this liquid. Allow your lye to cool down under a vent while you melt your oils in a slow cooker on low heat. Once they’re adequately melted, add the lye-water mixture to your slow cooker and stir.
Blend the mixture until it resembles a pudding. Then, add your fragrance ingredients (whatever you want!) and let the mixture cook on low heat for an hour. Finally, pour the mixture into a mold and let it sit for 24 hours to harden.
The finest quality soap
Even though you now know how to make hand soap, you just might not have the time to wait several weeks for your new, nourishing soap to take effect. Or perhaps all of this sounds like an awful lot of work. That’s when it’s time to visit Soaps & Scents. For more than 25 years, we have provided high-quality bar and liquid soaps in a variety of fragrances that you’re bound to love. Stop by and see us today!
How to Prepare a Proper Bath: The Secret Is in the Scent
Is there anything more soothing than soaking in a bath after a long, stressful day? Even though many people love taking a long, luxurious bath, everyone approaches this task a little differently. The method of preparing a bath is as unique as the person doing the work.
While you should create the bath environment that most meets your needs, there is a process we recommend to ensure you get the most out of your 30 minutes of peaceful alone time. Find out here how to prepare the perfect bath!
Five steps for preparing a decadent bath experience
Maybe you’ve been taking baths for years but never figured out exactly how to make it your own personal spa experience. Perhaps you’ve wondered about what to do with all of the bath bombs, spa products and candles you keep receiving as birthday or holiday gifts. With this easy step-by-step tutorial, you’ll prepare luxurious essential oils baths that you won’t want to get out of for as long as the water is warm:
The most important part of preparing the perfect bath is having all of the necessary supplies on hand. This includes soaps, lotions, bath bombs, whipped body frostings, scrubs and candles enriched with essential oils. Soaps & Scents has spent more than 25 years creating small-batch bath products using high-quality ingredients and the finest fragrance and essential oils.
Ready to soak away in an essential oils bath? Shop our catalog of bath and spa products. Feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions about our products or process.
Why Soap Is the Best Holiday Gift
It’s hard to believe we finally made it, but 2020 is rapidly coming to an end. Many retailers swapped out their Halloween decorations for Christmas décor on November 1. The merriment and festivity of Christmas and the winter holiday season is nearly upon us, which means it’s time to consider what you’re getting for everyone on your gift list. Before making any present purchases, consider these reasons why soap makes such a good gift during the holiday season.
Give the gift of soap this year
Most people rack their brains trying to think up gifts to give neighbors, acquaintances and coworkers. Instead of driving yourself crazy coming up with something creative, read through these reasons to gift soap for Christmas, Hanukkah and other holidays:
Now that you know all of the reasons soap makes a good gift during the holidays, it’s time to find a soap shop that hand-makes a variety of products to accommodate everyone on your list. The soap maker you buy from should use the highest quality ingredients to create their various products.
That’s why so many people shop at Soaps & Scents. Our 20 years of experience has taught us how to craft the most luxurious bar, foaming and liquid soaps. We also make soaps in the shape of cupcakes, perfect for the person on your list who loves to bake. Contact us now if you have questions about ordering online or want to visit our soap store in El Cajon, CA.
The Basics of Making Hand Soap
If there’s one substance that can be found in every home in the country, it’s soap. This magical substance is used every day for various purposes, from washing your hair to washing your dishes. Of course, the most common purpose of soap is to clean the hands. Now more than ever, it’s critical for every family to promote regular, extensive hand washing before meals and before and after leaving the house.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with focusing more on hygiene. That said, washing your hands over and over can have some pretty damaging effects on your skin. Repeated hand washing can cause your hands to dry out. Painful cracks form. Itchiness becomes prevalent. Of course, there are hand soap options that will preserve your delicate skin, but they tend to be pricy. When you’re washing your hands 10 or 15 times a day, you can hardly afford to break the bank on hand soap.
Perhaps it’s time to think about making your own soap. If you’d like to know how to make hand soap, we’ve got you covered.
Gathering the ingredients
Making your own soap can take as little as a few minutes or as long as six weeks. It all depends on the soap you use. You can start with a pre-made fragrance-free soap, like Castile soap, or you can make your soap from scratch. Traditionally, handmade soap was made from a combination of water, lye and animal lard. If you are concerned about using animal lard, it can be swapped for a blend of natural oils like avocado oil, almond oil, shea butter, coconut oil and others.
Be careful
If you’re going full DIY with your hand soap, be aware that, when mixed with water, lye can be very caustic. When working with lye, be sure to wear gloves and exercise caution during the mixing process. It’s also important to use the correct amount of lye in your recipe. To help with that, there are several free lye calculators online.
The mixing process
Once you’ve collected the correct amount of water, lye and natural ingredients, it’s time to mix the soap. Carefully pour the lye into your water solution (NEVER pour the water into the lye). Stir until the lye is dissolved. Remember, do not touch this liquid. Allow your lye to cool down under a vent while you melt your oils in a slow cooker on low heat. Once they’re adequately melted, add the lye-water mixture to your slow cooker and stir.
Blend the mixture until it resembles a pudding. Then, add your fragrance ingredients (whatever you want!) and let the mixture cook on low heat for an hour. Finally, pour the mixture into a mold and let it sit for 24 hours to harden.
The finest quality soap
Even though you now know how to make hand soap, you just might not have the time to wait several weeks for your new, nourishing soap to take effect. Or perhaps all of this sounds like an awful lot of work. That’s when it’s time to visit Soaps & Scents. For more than 25 years, we have provided high-quality bar and liquid soaps in a variety of fragrances that you’re bound to love. Stop by and see us today!