Soap Making As A Hobby – Beginners Guide + Homemade Recipes

Soap Making As A Hobby – Beginners Guide + Homemade Recipes

A hobby is an activity that people engage in their leisure time for fun and enjoyment. Hobbies are done regularly, and it aims at relaxation and pleasure instead of stressful work schedules.

There are several types of hobbies such as collecting hobbies, crafts, sports, traveling, reading, gardening, dancing, singing, gaming, etc. Some people engage in Soap making as a hobby among various kinds of hobbies.

It is not a common hobby and has uniqueness within other hobbies. Most of us practiced buying our soap from the market, and it looks easier than making soap at home.

But did you notice the difference between homemade soap and market soap? When you start to practice soap making in your leisure time only to make soap is also an interesting hobby that gives you so many advantages. 

Soap making as a hobby is a beneficial activity that enhances hard work, commitment, new exploration, experiment, and enjoyment. As a soap maker in my leisure time, I can express my experiences regarding soap making, and I hope it will guide beginners.

To start soapmaking, you need to have basic supplies such as molding containers, scale, cutting board, cutter, stirring utensil, soap base, soap dye, and fragrance oil.

These are the most fundamental supplies needed, and then you can improve your tool kit with time. There are four major soap-making methods such as, rebatch method, melt and pour method, cool process, and hot process method.

You can start with easy methods and improve with the experience and commitment. 

By reading this article, you may be encouraged to engage in Soapmaking as a hobby and have the basic guide to start. You will understand the fundamental supplies needed for soap making and the methods you can follow.

Most importantly, I hereby provide you with easy homemade soap recipes and, finally, some tips you can follow to make income from your hobby. So, as beginners of soap making, this article may be beneficial for you. Keep reading!

Supplies needed for soap making

Supplies needed for soap making

Soap making as a hobby is one of the unique choices and investments you can make in your leisure time. If you are searching for a hobby, I suggest you try out soap making as your hobby.

I’m engaging in soap making to fulfill my own soap needs in my leisure time. Therefore I can assure you how advantageous it is. Before starting soap making, you have to get the necessary supplies for it.

The equipment needed for soap making differs from the method you follow. However, beginners can start easily with not much equipment first. With the continuation and time, you can add more supplies to it.

There are fundamental soap-making kits at the market, and they contain all the basic tools needed to start with guidelines. If not, take below mentioned few supplies and start soap making and find out whether it suits you or not. 

  • Molding Containers
  • Scale
  • Cutting board
  • Soap cutter or knife
  • Microwavable Container (Plastic or Glass)
  • Immersion blender
  • Stirring Utensil
  • Soap Base
  • Dye
  • Soap Fragrance Oil

Methods of soap making

When engaging in Soap making as a hobby, you have to identify the methods that can be followed to make soap at home.

There are four methods, and you can follow different methods when practicing soap making for a period.

Each method has several significance, and you can choose an ideal method appropriate for your budget and needs. The major methods are briefly discussed below. 

1. Rebatch method

Hand-milling or rebatch method is considered the easiest soap-making method that suits beginners. This method melts the pre-made soap, and therefore, you don’t need a large number of tools, safety gear, or a large period to produce soap.

However, customizing ingredients, having the smoothest texture, adding fragrances and cool designs is challenging in this method. 

2. Melt and Pour method

This method is also good for beginners since it is easy to engage. This process works with the saponified soap base and doesn’t use any lye.

You don’t need to cure the soap here, and therefore, it’s a quick method. Even though you cannot control ingredients in the soap, you can add some additives like glitter or essential oils as your preference.

However, during this method, difficulties may arise with the hotness of the soap and unavailability to create designs.

3. Cold Process method

This process is a bit complicated, and you have to create the entire soap here. Therefore, I recommend you jump into the cold process after passing a few weeks of selecting soap making as your hobby.

You have to use the chemical lye here and control the soap ingredients. When using lye, be aware of the following necessary safety measures. You can add fresh ingredients to this method, and cool techniques like swirling and layering were used.

The soap mixture is thick here, and you need 4-6 weeks for the soap to be cured. The soap produced here is long-lasting and stronger than previous methods. 

4. Hot Process method

This process has some similar factors to the cold process, and you can decide on ingredients, and the soap is made from scratch here.

Saponification method prevails here, and double boiler or Crock Pot is used for that. You don’t need to spend 4-6 weeks like the cold process here, and the produced soap can be used the next day.

However, the soap bar is not smooth as a cold process and fresh ingredients cannot be added. In addition, layering and swirling techniques cannot be used in the hot process.

Simple homemade soap recipes for beginners

Simple homemade soap recipes for beginners

Soap making as a hobby is quite interesting. It gives you self-satisfaction to having the final product of soap in your hand.

However, before engaging in soap making, you have to be aware of the soap recipes and several appropriate ingredients that can be found easily for making soap at home.

I’ll provide you with some famous and easy homemade soap recipes that I used mostly.

1. Grounded Cinnamon Bar

Since Cinnamon is a beneficial as well as a medicinal ingredient that can be found easily, Cinnamon soap may sound interesting. The ingredients needed are:

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
  • 4 ounces of goat’s milk glycerin.
  • Cinnamon fragrance oil.
  • A tip of the Mahogany crayon.

The goat milk’s glycerin distributes the Cinnamon throughout the soap, and it is challenging to have moles in it.

Cinnamon is an anti-fungal and antiseptic ingredient, and it will be good for your body and face. 

2. Seeded Strawberry Bar

This recipe needed 5 ounces of clear glycerin, ¼ teaspoon poppy seeds, 4 drops of orange and red liquid colorants, and strawberry fragrance oil.

This soap recipe is easy and looks attractive and delicious! When I see this seeded strawberry bar, rather than applying it to wash the body, I have the tenderness to eat it since it looks and smells great.

3. Milk and Honey Soap

Milk and Honey Soap is my favorite soap recipe that is too easy and beneficial for the skin. You need ingredients such as Organic raw honey, Goat’s milk soap base, Silicone honeycomb mold, and yellow and red soap colorant.

First, cut the goat’s milk soap base into cubes and place it in a measuring cup. Then melt it by placing it in a microwave and after it melts completely, add three tablespoons of honey and a few drops of yellow and red soap colorant.

Then, pour it into the honeycomb mold and let it cool. After the soap is cool and firm, transfer it from the mold, and now your milk and honey soap are ready. It has taken only 10 minutes.

4. Cocoa-mint Soap

Cocoa-mint soap is a delicious looking recipe. You need to have 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and chopped fresh mint, peppermint essential oil, and shea butter soap base.

First, the butter soap base should be melting and liquefied in the microwave. Then add cocoa powder, peppermint essential oil, and chopped mint to it, and then your mixture will smell like mint chocolate chip ice cream.

After stirring, put it into the mold and sprinkle a little cocoa powder on the top. Then, let it harden for one hour, and after that, remove it from the mold and cut. Now your easy cocoa-mint soap is ready.

Tips to convert soap making hobby into an income

Tips to convert soap making hobby into an income

Soap making as a hobby will make you excited to explore new things, and it will keep you happy and enjoying. Since homemade soap costs more than factorial soap, the final product of your hobby is worth it and luxurious.

Therefore, you have the chance to generate income from your hobby. We can observe that many soap makers who are making soap in their leisure time have started it as small businesses and have income.

Here are some tips to make your hobby an income. 

  • Estimate the cost and budget

Before making the soaping into an income, you have to draft your budget. Consider all the costs you spend on soap making for all the ingredients, supplies, and everything.

Then estimate how much you have to spend on a bar of soap and have a clearly defined budget. 

  • Draft the price

Draft the price of one soap bar by including the production cost, overhead costs, and taxes and keep a profit for you.

You can decide the profit you keep from each soap bar according to your preference. However, do not try to keep a large profit in the beginning. 

  • Create a unique niche

You have to create a unique niche for your soaps, and it should help customers to differentiate your products from others.

You can use soap ingredients, benefits, shape, and create an attractive niche. 

  • Develop a brand

The brand is used to identify a separate product and service differentiating from other products with its unique name, symbol, term, and design.

Building up a strong brand will make you recognized, increasing your competitive advantage in the market. You have to be aware of your product’s image when developing a brand.

  • Advertise

Advertising is the most important part of making your soap-making hobby income.

Social media is the best place for this kind of home-based small-scale business, and you can use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube for your advertising purposes and wait patiently till you receive orders. 

Final thoughts about soap-making as a hobby

Hello, soap makers! Did the article find you useful? I guess now you are well aware of the basic supplies you need to take for the beginning of Soap making as a hobby.

In addition, you got to know basic methods of soap making and easy and simple homemade soap recipes that you can try. Finally, you understand how to make your hobby an income generator.

So, here is a great chance for you to engage in an enthusiastic hobby that gives you numerous advantages.

Thank you for reading the post. If you think this is useful, feel free to share it with your friends. Stay with HobbyLeads for more about hobbies.

Author

  • Donna Clemons runs a homemade candle, soap, and gift set business successfully. She started the company six years back in her basement and has 14 in-house staff for producing and distributing products. She wanted to share her experience of candle making, soap making, and handcrafting with interested people. Donna will be an excellent asset for converting your hobbies into an income.

Similar Posts