I used to be an Amazon affiliate but stopped actively posting when I already took a full time job. Now that it has been a few years and I am closing in to my retirement, I thought of getting it back up. So I have applied to both Amazon and NurtureSoap for now.
Soapmaking is a very addicting craft. Once you try it and end up liking the process, there is no stopping. In this post, I will share with you the basic products and tools you need as a beginner.
First off, you will need a bowl to mix your oils in. When I was just trying to see if I will like making soap, I started out with the melt and pour technique using pyrex glass measuring cups to microwave the soap. Then, I moved on to cold process soap making. My first bowl was a gallon of ice cream container. It held its shape for a few batches then I invested on a plastic mixing/baking bowl. For diluting my mica and pouring soap batter, I used 4 cup capacity plastic measuring cups. I just bought these funnel pitchers for a pouring technique I planned to do soon. I am thinking on investing on a glass bowl just because it looks nicer on videos and watching the oils reacting with the lye solution looked mesmerizing on a glass bowl. I also used another microwavable bowl for melting solid oils and butters. But some soapmakers recommend against it since the blender can etch the glass and eventually break it.
Next, you will need an immersion blender. I now use a cuisinart brand blender, but the first one I used was a Bella hand blender and it was good while it lasted.
You will also need a weighing scale to weigh your oils and lye. This is what I have been using for a while now. You will need a measuring cup as well. I use the metal ones you see in stores. But I like the color of this Amazon measuring cup, mica powder scoops and plastic teaspoons to mix the mica powder with the oils. I used to use a mini mixer but it did not last long. You might get a longer-lasting mixer.
Most of my learning was done on youtube but I bought a book as well. A few I have on hand are: Soap Crafting and Milk Soapmaking. Check out my youtube channel kcksoapery to see how I make my soap. There are a lot of tutorials you can check out too!
Here is a link to nurturesoap for most soapmaking supplies. Here is a starter kit for melt and pour and a starter kit for cold process soap. I recommend doing the melt and pour for first timers since you won't be dealing with lye right away and you can still make it look colorful and there are lots of mold designs you can use for it. If you want to jump right into cold process soap making, make sure you use gloves and some protective goggles (just to be on the safe side when dealing with sodium hydroxide).
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Here are the links in with the images of what they look like:
