After two years of procrastinating I have settled down to write my very first book on the art of cold pressed soap making.
I took notice of the problems and queries my students have when they attend my soap making workshops, what questions they ask, what problems they have when they make soap at home by themselves. Lots of books are aimed at people who have some idea of how to make soap so lots of the terminology, methods and recipes are very daunting to the absolute beginner.
I find students light up when we start to talk about different skin types and skin conditions and the different natural oils/butters that can be used to help and how each individual oil/butter contains different fatty acids, vitamins and minerals which means different types of soap with different properties and bubbles can be made. This means my book will contain lists of wonderful oils/butters each one describing why they are brilliant in soap or skincare products and what they can do for your skin.
I will include different liquids that can be used and essential oils that can be used for therapeutic properties as well as for fragrance, natural colours and additives to make your soap wonderfully special and nourishing for your skin.
The method of making cold-pressed soap can vary from book to book and from soapmaker to soapmaker which can be very confusing if you are just starting out, I plan to show you an easy, full proof way of ensuring your soap turns out great every time. If you know the science behind the process it makes it easier to understand what you are trying to achieve and I'll eliminate the myths regarding trace and superfatting.
I would love to have your thoughts and ideas please, what have you found difficult in soap making, what makes you worry each time you make soap, have things gone horribly wrong, did you get your recipe wrong, are you concerned about essential oil quantities, are you vegetarian or vegan so don't want to use anything animal based..... let me know and I can make sure my book covers everything everyone needs to know.
Please get in touch.
At the moment I deciding on how my book will be set out, will it have hand drawn pictures or glossy photos, what will the cover look like. Shall I self-publish and how much will I have to send to the experts, all very daunting for me, however, I do plan to have the lovely, talented Janey Lee Grace who has inspired me to write this book by myside throughout this journey - hope she has oodles of patience!
I'll keep you up to date with my book writing as I take you on the journey with me.
x Diane