Making homemade soap is fun, resourceful, and good "clean" fun for everyone!

Animal and vegetable fats open up a wide range of recipe possibilites. In the beginning, one needs a base--usually lye. Combining the lye with lard and other oils will result in a bar. Distilled water (not tap water) will also be needed.

While homemade soap is not as "latherly" as the manufactured stuff, it cleans just as well without leaving that crusty skin feeling afterwards. People with allergies or skin conditions may find handmade soap a revelation since the abrasive chemicals of manufactured soaps are missing.

Soapmaking can be difficult at first. It just takes practice, practice, and more practice to get it right! Finding the right combination of soothness and soap longevity is part of the fun! While beginners have trouble with concocting soaps that run out too fast, it's fixable and a good learning experience.

There is a sizable online community of soapmaking fans. They exchange recipes, tell what oils to avoid, and how to sell the bars if they wish. Once you start soapmaking, it will be very difficult to stop!