Soap On Holiday – 2016 Edition
We are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth here at the southernmost tip of Africa. We have a great climate and lots of wonderful things to see and do. For recreation we don’t need … Continued
St. Florian, Patron Saint of Soapmakers – Soap Mould Tutorial
When I first started making soap I saw the world with new eyes. Anything and everything equipped with some form of cavity became the centre of intense focus as a potential soap mould. This is a common phase that many … Continued
The Soap That Came From Ireland…
Once upon a time I swapped soap with Hajni Kele, the very talented soapmaster and owner at Mianra Soap in Cork, Ireland. The soap arrived, as international soap deliveries do, in a mail parcel. All the excitement of meeting soaps … Continued
Ghost Swirl Soap Follow-Up
The response to the un-coloured Ghost Swirl Soap that I posted about a month ago (you can read about it here) has been rather overwhelming. I’m humbled by all the positive comments and I’m very excited to see how other … Continued
The Ghost Swirl
“I had decided to do what I shall call a Ghost Swirl; a technique where a deliberate design is ’conjured’ into the soap without the use of any added colourant. It’s not essential whether the design is swirled with … Continued
Playing with Melt and Pour Soap
Soap craft is a wonderfully diverse thing. So many methods, so many aspects, so many stages, phases and outcomes, and endless possibilities for creative combinations. To me the notion of taming the soap holds a very special charm. To be … Continued
Myth Busting on Manhattan
One of the most frequently stated arguments for using handmade soap is that “supermarket soap isn’t soap, it’s synthetic detergent”. On plenty of websites and on soaping forums on social media this categorical statement is presented as if it were … Continued
What’s Hot and What’s Not – A Study In Overheating
Sensitive viewers be warned. This post is about soap overheating in various ways and features ugly soaps galore. For pretty pics I would suggest a meander through Auntie Clara’s photo gallery, a run through our Facebook photo stream, or a … Continued