One of the things most people overlook is the soap we use. Most of us might question what our soap is made of, but if you think about it, it is something we use several times a day, every day. Shouldn’t we be totally positive as to what we are exposing our highly absorbant skin to on such a regular basis?

Soap is soap, right? Wrong.

Let’s take a closer look. If you look at the back of a soap package, the ingredients will likely include Sodium Tallowate. This is beef fat. The reason it is in your soap is because it is cheap, readily available and makes a really hard soap.

All real soap is made from some type of fat.

Almost all fat that goes into store bought soap is from animals and not vegetables. There are absolutely no vitamins, no minerals and no soothing or healing qualities in animal fat. Animal fat does not add anything beneficial to your skin. And if you ask me, it sounds really gross!

When it comes to looking after your skin and keeping it healthy, there is nothing more important than cleaning it properly. Our skin needs nourishiment, not something which has absolutely no beneficial, or redeeming qualities to recommend use on our human bodies.

One of the best ways to be sure you are doing the best that you can do for your skin is to use a soap with all of the benefits that come from natural vegetable oils like olive and soy bean. Personally I prefer natural ingredients loaded with antioxidants, moisturizing and healing properties, as well as vitamins which actually feed our skin.

Making your own natural soap is a perfect solution to getting what your skin needs. You choose your oils, your scents, and your colors.

After a lot of research on the matter, I have decided that Hot Soap Making – The Complete Guide by Rene Whitlock sounds like something my daughter and I would love to try. We both have a great interest in this, and like the idea of having more options with hot soap processing as opposed to cold soap processing, with less trial and error to slow us down. Learning from someone who has taken the time to put together all the information in one easy place sounds perfect to me!

I can just see myself and Dragon Girl in the very near future… we shall have totally perfected the art of Hot Soap Making, and all our family and friends will simply love us when they see and smell our wonderful naturally created soap gifts in all shapes, sizes, scents, and colors. Not to mention how happy our skin will be… This is truly exciting!!

We would love to share our adventures into the realms of natural soap making, so feel free to check back to see where our next learning experience takes us. Enjoy…

After much research, I decided I like the re-batch method best, as far as soap-making. It seems simple, and since our household has small children, and quite a few pets, it would be safest, since it involves no lye. Lye is the main ingredient for making even the simplest soaps. The re-batch mode simply involves grating or finely chopping fresh soap (within 10 days of being made), and cooking with water until its consistency is like applesauce, with no unmelted chunks. Then, you add the colorants, exfoliates, and fragrance, pour into a mold, and your done. Like I said, very simple. So, I will go into more detail on the re-batch method very soon. 
I look forward to becoming a regular poster, and sharing my research into the topic of homemade necessities!

~Dragon Girl~

Here are a few recipes I wanted to share with those interested…

Aftershave Aroma
* 10 drops Lavender
* 8 drops Tea Tree
* 2 oz distilled water
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and shake mixture well before
each application.

Morning Bliss
* 6 drops Cedarwood
* 3 drops Pine Needle
* 4 drops Grapefruit
* 3 drops Lavender
* 2 oz Massage Lotion
Combine and mix in a bottle. Apply after shaving.

Nourishing Face Cream
* 4 drops Tea Tree
* 4 drops Lavender
* 3 drops Myrrh
* 4 Tbs of Massage Lotion or your favorite skin cream
Apply sparingly, morning and night.

Note: As always, be certain you are not allergic to any ingredients listed above, using your own good judgement or that of your natural health care provider.