Customer Reviews

Essentially Soap: The Elegant Art of Handmade Soap Making, Scenting, Coloring & Shaping

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am a "successful soaper" and have done what the Soaping Lists call the Happy Soaper's Dance! This success is due to the generous help of those same soapers... soapers like Dr. Bob McDaniel.

Dr. McDaniel's book, Essentially Soap, is my MOST-read soaping book. It has just edged out Cavitch's book (The Soapmaker's Companion)as being my most referenced source.

I have a "need to know"... this tendency is why these 2 books are my core reference material.

Essentially Soap includes a valuable tool in formulating your own recipes of oils. Their intrinsic characteristics work together or against each other when combined to make soap.

The INS information and explanation has simplified this mystifying process for me. I am now confident that I can put together a soap that will not waste my oils and will produce something lovely to hold, look at, smell and USE!

The soaping world is a complex mix of individuals and approaches. Dr. McDaniel does not push a philosophy, so much as he presents a chemistry. He takes complex chemical reactions and translates them into terms that the average person can readily understand.

His approach is open and inviting. The reader is NEVER made to feel anything less than empowered and encouraged.

He also has given thanks and recognition to the same groups of people who have helped me and thousands (literally) of others around the world... the world of the Internet Lists. I appreciated that reference to them.

My soaps, based on the techniques and information in this book, have ALL been a complete success... without wrapping my molds, without crossing my fingers or soaping with the moon! <grin>

This book is a MUST HAVE, in every Soaper's Library.

I agree with Pamela's review. I have most every contemporary soap book published, including Ann Bramson's, my very first...and I rank Dr. Bob's among the top two (along with "The Soapmaker's Companion" by Cavitch). Every book I've read on the topic contains unique pearls of wisdom, but Dr Bob gives it to you straight and with plenty of colorful photos and illustrations. It covers each area of the soap making process in appropriate detail...from the history, to the various methods of soapmaking, to a bit on fragrances, to a nice collection of recipes anyone can enjoy experimenting with. You would be well advised to make this your first book on cold-process soapmaking. Now if he'd only supplement the book with a video...hmmm.....

Dr. Bob does a fine job of bringing the past to the present inmethods of soap making in one book. So rare it is to find a book thatmentions current methods and still isn't stuck in 1970's Ann Bramson'smethod. We have gone so far beyond Ms. Bramson now. The book starts with some ancient history on soap making and brings us up to present day. I like that he mentions my favorite story, "The urine collectors". Hahahaa, I don't know why I like that story so much, but I think it is fun. :) There are a couple of cartoons and some actual photos of how to leach the lye from wood ash. So many people have asked me how to do that and this is a fine section on describing the process with photos so now I can just recommend this book! And no, you don't need to collect Roman urine. ;) There are two good sections to get you started with glycerin Melt & Pour, and Rebatching. Dr. Bob gives the basics and gets you thinking with some ideas which he explains quite well. He gives a good method of remelting soap which should work for you every time, unlike other books which have attempted that topic. I don't know why, on page 36, Dr. Bob just didn't buy the matching end cap for that PVC pipe... It is a lot easier than using saran wrap or making a wax plug.... but that works too. I have to laugh when I see the scale pictured thoughout the book. How did that scale get so clean! haaha. Mine is all marred up from lye spills and goo and raw soaps. A nice, new scale just looks odd to me, haahaa. This book is really very good for the person who has never made soap. Dr. Bob puts the chemistry in to English and has a well thought out plan for presenting the information. He starts at the beginning, covers the nonlye methods first, like a beginner is likely to approach soap making. Later he does get in to the meat of the matter and gives good, clear instructions on how to make soap with lye, and does it safely. There is also lots of other information here that isn't usually found in soap making books, such as an essential oil section. He covers the chemical make up of numerous essential oils which will give you an idea on how they will react in soap making. Also included are what their basic uses are in aromatherapy and medicinal. Very nice touch to the book! In the cold process soap making recipe section he actually gives the Grams amounts AND the US equivalents! Hurray! You can use which method you understand. Not all of us are chemist geeks or Canadian. Some of us still use good old American Ounces and Pounds for everything. The oils section is very good, giving the percent of unsaponifiables in each oil, with other valuable information such as the basic composition of the particular oil or fat. This takes that guess work out of writing recipes. Using this book you're able to write very good recipes for soap making because you actually know why which oil works in what ways. Very valuable information that I haven't seen in any book before. :) It is a more scientific approach to recipe writing that I'm sure is going to be discussed in length on the soap making email chat lists. This book is really geared towards the brand new soap maker, however, there is an awful lot of information that is of interest to the seasoned soap maker. Those who have been making soap for years will find so much they can work with to refine their skill. Like Ann Bamson's book before it, this one will always be close at hand. You will be referring to it for years to come. Is it worth the price? OOOhhh Yes!

I have an estensive collection of books on soapmaking, but this is still the one I turn to when I have a problem or when I am looking for a new idea. I have taught classes in soapmaking and recommend this book to all taking the classes.
It is great for beginners but still has enough technical information for those expanding into their own business.
Great real-world photos, too--not some professional photographer's idea of what soap should look like.

I had to have a friend who is very good with math teach me how to figure INS values. (Math major I am not.) If you like math and are very scientific about soap you'll like them. I am sure INS values would gaurd you from making a bad batch, but it boggled me a bit.
I am a hot process soaper and this book was not helpful for perfecting hot process. The recipes are well balanced and you won't go wrong there, but I am going to buy the soapmaker's companion next. (I have Milk-Based soaps also.)

I just don't think any one book will give you it all. Soap making methods are very personal and I suggest you buy several books and take what you like from them and leave the rest.
Soap making is after all very personal and Dr. Bob has given a good take on his personal niche with soap. With some exploration each soaper can find theirs.

Some soap books are just pretty pictures and recipes with variations on fragrances and organic additives. I know, as I have been making soap for over a year, and have read every soap book in the Milwaukee County Library system - and that is more than just a shelf full! I have made hundreds of batches of soap in the last year.

This is one of the few books that I have actually purchased for my own library, to use as a reference. It joins the shelf with SOAPMAKERS COMPANION by Cavitch, and Handmade Soap Book by Cross, supplemented by the links available from http://users.silverlink.net/~timer/soaplinks.html (Thanks Kathy Miller, whoever you are!)

What I like about it is the explanation of the INS numbers as it relates to creating a good soap recipe. 160 is the best INS number to arrive at. In this book, Dr. McDaniel goes into far more technical depth than many of other soap books that just have pretty pictures.

He covers melt and pour, cold process, and rebatching, and does a good job with all of them. He has a good chapter on essential oils, which ones to use, and what to avoid, and what goes with what. It strikes me that this is like the Readers Digest book of Home Repair, for soapmakers.

I am also giving this book as a gift to another soaping friend, and suggest it as a good book for the beyond beginning, or the experienced soaper who wants to have all the details carefully explained to him/her... To move your soapmaking onto the next level of expertise.

Best of luck with your soapmaking - Enjoy!

After reading the other reviews of "Essentially Soap", I had to run out and buy it for myself (I just love controversy). I was really curious about "INS", which is a term I have never heard or read about before. None of the other soap books I've read have mentioned it, nor the websites, so I was interested in learning more about it.

Apparently INS was relatively new to Dr. Bob, too, because he states that the "discovery set the wheels in motion and a quick scrutiny of my own recipes showed an INS nearly in the optimum range", optimum being 160. Dr. Bob then adjusted his own recipes to get closer to the optimum range. However, Dr. Bob apparently did not adjust his lye content based on these changes. About half of the recipes are lye-heavy (many with negative discount!) and the other half are oil-heavy, with 8 or even 10 percent discount. Also, Dr. Bob uses the now infamous "fuzzy math" when analyzing his own recipes' INS values, because the example he uses lists the INS of palm oil at 206, but the chart in the back of the book lists the value at 145.

However, assuming that I can trust the INS numbers in the back of the book, now that they have been called into question, I will be able to use this methodology to improve my own soap recipes (no doubt I will run mine through the lye calculator, though!). Also, Dr. Bob's book includes good information on the properties of oils and essential oils, other additives, and includes coloring techniques. And, unlike other reviewers, I found the pictures to be interesting (not all soap is perfect) and even inspiring. Also, my first reaction to the water droplets on the soaps in the photos was that the photographer was interested in showing how soap might look wet (as in, in the shower), not that the soaps were fresh from the freezer.

Remember, as in any art or craft, you must develop your own techniques and style. Therefore, don't take the recipes or techniques as gospel; if you want to insulate, do so. And remember: ALWAYS check every recipe (your own creation or a published one) in a lye calculator before using.

I have read lots of soapmaking books and this is one of the best!Helps you understand the soapmaking process in laymans terms.Love the pictures!Doesnt look like he doctored his pictures up to look picture perfect all the time.He is also up to date with the new techniques being tried, such as not insulating and not letting soap go thru gel stage. Very clear instructions on soapmaking and problems that can come up. Dr Bob is also available on line to answer any questions that may come up and has been a great help to many soapmakers.This book in invaluable for the beginning soapmaker and the advanced.Great recipes and herb knowledge. Love this book!

I was quite confused over the conflicting recommendations in various books on the market--natural or synthetic, vegetable or animal, which are good or bad! But this book cuts to the "essentials" with common sense and just enough chemistry, too. It is plain to me after reading this book, that the mysterious gel phase is neither an essential part of the process or even desirable to all soapmakers. The author makes no bones about the best ways to proceed to make soap if you are a serious soapmaker, but he also presents alternatives to the rank beginner that don't require a ton of expensive equipment and ingredients. Not only that, but the illustrations look real and reflect different ways of making soap bars, not some artificially lit professional photographer's view of what Madison Avenue thinks soap should look like. And isn't that what it is all about?
It was not surprise to me to find out on the internet that this book has just been issued in Spanish, too -- jabones esenciales.
This one is a keeper!

I thought it might be helpful to hear some thoughts about this book from someone who is relatively new to soap making. I have read and followed Susan Cavitch's books for about 6 months and learned much from them. But, if you are interested in 'doing your own thing', this book has excellent information that I have yet to find anywhere else. (And I have searched!) I think the fun part of the soap-making process is creating your own recipes and this book has enough information to allow you to do just that. Plus, it is well written and easy to follow for a beginner. The author( a PhD) explains some of the technical points in laymen's terms which is wonderful for us non-chemists. His pictures are very realistic and I appreciate that. I have seen many air-brushed pictures in other craft books that I could not hope to emulate which is very discouraging. I highly recommend this book for beginners and hope the author follows it with another book about soap........I'll buy it!