Teach Soap

I'm curious as to what got people started in soaping.

I loved a chocolate soap I used to buy at Basin in Disney World but they discontinued it. After trying other chocolate soap and not being happy with any I found I decided to find out how to make it. I found Brambleberry online, read about melt & pour and took the plunge. Brambleberry's Rich Dark Chocolate got me hooked. And the rest is history and future as they say.

What's your story?

You know, I suppose it was the fact I wanted a way to make money that would be fun! After much research we all decided to dive into b&b making. Everyone on the AmplifyMe team would get together during a few days in the summer and make some m&p soap. This soap was never sold but it was just so much fun to make, that we opened up shop! Soaping is like an addiction! It's the devil... and it invades the house but it's still so much fun and it's always so interesting to see what you can come up with, I guess that's also one of the reasons why we continue, we want to see how far we can stretch our artistic ability.

Can't wait to see others!

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Come check out the shop!
http://www.amplifyme.etsy.com
and the blog!
http://www.amplifymesoapco.blogspot.com

It started for me Christmas 2007. I made some things for my family, they loved it! They wanted more and more. The more I read, the more I made and I was hooked! What an awesome drug I tell ya! AND it smells soooooo much better than my day job.

Malia

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- Mickey!

My Aunt got me started. She is pretty crafty and was working at BB a couple years before me. I made some MP with her a few times. I had no idea how popular, fun and easy making your own soap was!

Ok, here is mine:

I was born in Prague, Czech Republic. I am a third generation Aromatherapist, herbalist, soapmaker & toiletry maker.

As a child I remember grandma making soap outside in a big kettle over an open fire. The lye was made by pouring ashes over rain water which my grandma collected during the rainy season. When she had enough lye, she would suspend an egg to see if the lye was strong enough. If the egg sank, the lye was too strong. If the egg just barely floated on the top of the water, the lye wasn't strong enough. But, if the egg submerged just half way, the lye was just right. She collected grease drippings in the kitchen in an empty coffee can. This soap was mostly used to wash laundry and dirty dishes. Our clothes were washed in a tin tub with a wooden washboard.

Then the clothes were hung on a rope with clothespins outside to get the wonderful clean smell from drying in the warmth of the sun.

My mother took me to gather herbs when I was about 7 years old for the first time. We woke up at about 4AM to get the best benefits from the herbs. The time I remember the best was in the fall when I could get my fill from ripe berries, including gooseberries. We also harvested fresh mushrooms from the forest after a gentle rain and make scrambled eggs with mushrooms for breakfast. Mushrooms that were left over, got sliced and dried for soup in the cold winter ahead.

Both mom and grandma made lotions, potions and creams. I use to think that my family had magicians because to a child what they made was just magic. People would come to buy these things so they would get better. My mom's kitchen was full of herbs drying upside down, secret jars full of steeping herbs or dark glass bottles filled with wonderful or "smelly" liquids. Since doctors were expensive, we made do with what we had.

Now that I'm grown up I'm following in their footsteps. Nowadays we have it easy. Different types of oils, butters, pre-made lye or fragrant oils are more readily available. I still think of magic when I make lotion with yellow or green oils & it comes out white, or when my soap comes to trace, so I can pour it in my mold.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Soapbuddy...
If you ever publish an autobiography... or a soap makers book... or... anything... I'll be first in line to buy it.

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- Mickey!

Soapbuddy, what a wonderful story... You have a storytelling talent, it was as if I physically went into your childhood.

Thanks Soapbuddy, WOW we do have it so easier now. The way they lived to survive is so respectful.

Awww, thanks guys!

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

What they all said. Now I *really* wanna come live with you!!!

As for "my story"....I dunno, I just started doing things for us at home. Like, sewing clothes, etc. Times got tough, I made bread instead of forking out $4 a loaf for store bought. We generally eat at home anyway, so why the heck was I *not* making bread? Times got tougher, I start thinking of ways to conserve. After I cut services back (like, why do I need call waiting on a home phone that only gets calls from solicitors???) and cleaned out clutter, I thought....I could make SOAP! Then I started reading and reading and reading...and I found out that not all homemade soap = veggie soap. And there is a legitimate reason to use animal fats, and it was not unusual for people to do so. THEN, the soap I loved (Dove)...I found out that THAT is made with animal fat...and that really sealed the deal. So, I dabbled in it being something fun to do, but then I was like, OMG...I've been had!

LOL@Vinca...

I too was a fan of Dove. But those days are long gone! I'm into handmade stuff...hehe.

What got me started?

A hole bunch of things. I generally am interested in aromatherapy, lotions, herbalism and natural things that make the body feel good. In college, my two favorite spots were the tea shop and the coffee shop. Both areas were filled with opportunities to explore different tastes and aromas. And then: I discovered Trader Joe's. My eyes were opened by the world of natural foods and products. I started buying Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap and after each use wondered: "Boy! I only used a teaspoon of this stuff and I'm squeaky clean!"

I eventually graduated to stores like Bath and Body Works and The Body Shop. Eventually I found heaven. When I walked into a Lush store, my heart leaped out of my chest. It was like the roof blew open, the clouds parted and a ray of light welcomed me into the store.

After that I was hooked. I always read my labels, double, quadruple, quintoople (sp?) checked the ingredients of all my toiletry products.

Eventually I met an inquiry--how do they make this stuff? So I went online and bought a book. I was introduced to CP soap making by Anne Watson's Smart Soapmaking() From there I found BB's website and links to dozens of sites! It does feel good to be doing something crafty, scientific and fun!

Now if only I can convince Mrs. Watson to add a chapter in her book titled "Drano Soap Kills!".

Curiosity as in "oooh, I wonder how you do that?" and the desperate need to create

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Goldenearthgirl

since i have just started, my story will be subject to change, i wanted to make christmas presents, that was last year, then i read that you could make soap out of soap, well that is another story already, my plan was to go to the dollar store, buy three bars of glycerin soap, melt/dissolve them, and do something impressive and wonderful and impress everyone with my creatitivy. you can imagine what a mess i had. in between i bought some orange extract, food color. then the search for mica. THEN THE DISASTER. well about 40 bucks later (so much for my 10 dollar and under plan), i realized that this was an art, and if i wanted to do it i better have a plan. still have a plan, it is slow going, but i can see what i want in my minds eye, so if i can see it i can make it a reality. now i have a tiny tiny tiny business (sell the good stuff), lots of my friends have free soap (some of it very strange looking), but they are waiting for the more good stuff and are very supportive. thanks everyone out there for your help and encouragement, jan

and so it goes

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jan

Wow, soapbuddy! I love your story!! How wonderful and magical!

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Debbie Chialtas

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