Anyone who has made soap for any period of time has almost certainly come across a phenomenon whereby that gorgeous picture you had in your head for your soap does not come out quite as planned – it has a crackly, aged look with clear tiger stripes (rivers) through it that just seem strange. But fear not – many soap makers have gone before us and have gone a long way to solving the mystery of why glycerine rivers appear, so settle back with a cuppa and come along for the ride, while we explore the mystery of Glycerine Rivers. (more…)

Trying any new craft can be daunting – there is a lot of information available, which can be helpful but can also be overwhelming. Soap making is no different – it is a basic concept that can be easily over-complicated. So, lets start with what you must have, and then maybe look at some “nice to haves”. (more…)

At its heart, making soap is as simple as adding two components together to cause a chemical reaction that results in soap – simple! But don’t let that fool you – if there is a way to mess up that simple process, I think I have discovered it. I won’t cover them all – none of us have that much time to spare – however some things I have learned are: (more…)

Batter: Once the oils and lye used to make soap are combined – emulsified – this liquid state is commonly referred to as “soap batter”. The longer you blend the soap batter – or leave it for the chemical reaction to take place – the thicker the batter becomes – known as “trace”. (more…)