Customer Reviews

Basic Soap Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started (How To Basics)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love that the book is spiral bound so it lays flat and stays open to the page you need. I love the step by step photographs of the process from beginning to end, including the emphasis on safety. I love that the author includes easily understood equations that allow even a newcomer to create original recipes.

Within a few days of receiving this book from Amazon I had made my first wooden soap mold and cutter. The author makes it clear that this is not required, but I wanted to! I had just about every ingredient and tool on hand and made my first batch of 4 oil soap, which is now curing and waiting to be shared with family and friends. I plan on making every recipe in the book and then creating my own. LOVE IT LOVE IT

Basic Soap Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started, Letcavage and Buck, ISBN 978-0-8117-3573-5, is the cold process soap book for which all soap makers have waited! This book is the most complete, comprehensive, accurate instruction manual on beginning soap making and is in brilliant pictogram format. The book contains literally hundreds of photographs and includes images of all steps and phases of cold process soap making, such as cutting, trimming, rebatching scraps, and packaging. Hands down, this is the most complete and most easily understandable beginning soap making book ever published. Even experienced professional soap makers should keep this amazing book within easy access to dazzle inquiring customers with photos of the art of handmade cold process soap making.

I bought this book and another, the "Everything" soap book. I found that this book had all the basic info I was looking for without much chattering, and includes lots of step-by-step pictures, as well as a very lean and clear explanation of SAP values and how to calculate them in your own recipes. It even shows you how to make your own wood soap mold, and gives ideas for packaging. I cannot vouch for the recipes themselves, but there are tons of recipes on the internet if you do a search. All in all, the best clear, basic instructions for someone who wants to learn how to make their own soap. The other resource I found to be very informative, up-to-date and helpful was the "About" series with David Fisher. He has some really good videos on how to use lye properly, and great links for more resources.

I had an opportunity to take a look at this book in one of the bookstores. For several months I had seen this book, I was tired of Soap Making books with the same repetitive information. Unlike, other soap making books, this is bar far one of the best soap making books. I have quite a few in my library. I love to collect soap making books, since I am an avid soapmaker and fan. This book gives step-by-step details on equipment, recipes, procedures, how to make a mold and wooden cutter all with pictures and clear and concise instructions for anyone to follow. I am definitely going to order this book in the next couple of weeks. I urge all soap makers beginners and exprienced to get this wonderful book as an additon to your soap making library.

Excellent soap making book for all ages. Easy to follow directions supported by many pictures. Ingredients and tools are summarized and listed in an easy to follow 'recipe-type' format. Would definitely recommend this book for anyone, any age, interested in entering this field -- as a hobby or as a profession.

I LOVED this book. It's practically all pictures, and the spiral binding allows it to lie flat. Sure, there are tons of soap-making books, but this one wins for simplicity. While other books overwhelmed me with information and calculations, this one walked me through and let me believe that I could actually do this myself and not blow myself up.

Don't get me wrong- I am not saying the details are unimportant. I'm just saying that most adults learn by layering information. They need the basic skeleton....once they have that down, they are comfortable filling in the nooks and crannies with the details. This book is that skeleton and is exactly what I was looking for to get me started.

As for the projects and looks of the soap...they might not be the prettiest ones, but that's what MY imagination is for! I just needed some solid footing to get started.

I ordered this book to kick start learning how to make soap. I was not disappointed,this easy to understand book gives step by step instructions,along with plenty of pictures. Everything you need to be familiar with, when just starting out.

I researched making soap for 2 weeks before trying my first batch - reading books, blogs, articles and watching videos. It wasn't until I had checked this book out from the library that I was brave enough to try it. This book offered pictures of every step - which is what I was looking for. All of the other books that I had read, only talked about the different steps (specifically "trace") but I needed a picture. This book offers BASIC recipes that, given a little imagination, can be adapted. After making the first batch, I now understand how the look of the soaps are completely up to me. The texture, color, design - these are what make soap-making fun!

I'm writing this review to encourage those who are interested in making soap to start with this book. (I'm here to purchase it.) If you don't want to take the plunge and purchase it - try checking it out from your local library.

Has all the basic knowledge you need to start making your own soap. I find the sprial bound pages and pictures come in really handy when actually trying to do the task.

A friend of mine started making olive oil soap in an effort to be more healthy by avoiding all the petrochemicals in commercial soap. Although I've only made two batches (one with the friend), it is really quite easy, and my husband and I love the texture and effects of the natural soap. This book is almost too detailed in its instructions, but, when dealing with lye, it's better to be really sure as to what you are doing.