If you are like most of us out there in the world, you have apprehensions about using lye for making all of those beautiful cold process soaps that you see stocking the shelves at farmer's markets and high-end boutiques. Soap making can be quite profitable if you take the time to know your market and your technique. There are several methods for making those wonderful natural soaps. My preference is cold process soaps because of the look and feel of them. They take longer to cure and you do have to use lye in order to "cook" them. However, there is another method called rebatching, or sometimes referred to as hand-milling, which produces lovely soaps without having to be concerned about the lye. Below you will find an article I wrote explaining exactly what rebatched soap is.
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What is Rebatched Soap?
Rebatched soap (also sometimes called hand-milled or milled) is considered luxurious and sought-after by many consumers due to the pleasing texture. Milled soap is made by melting grated soap base and adding colorants, scents and other additives such as oatmeal, honey, coffee, cornmeal, liquified fruits and vegetables, etc. and then pouring the mixture into molds. It is best to use an unscented soap base because the scent will be present in your completed soap even with the addition of the other scents you add. For an excellent tutorial on hand-milled soaps visit http://www.rebatchsoapbase.com/.
Rebatched soap has many advantages to both soap makers and consumers. Consumers enjoy the elegant feel and look of it while soap makers enjoy experimenting with colors, scents and other ingredients. Another important factor in this method of soap making is that the lye is no longer present in milled soap. Scents, colorants and additives can be used to their fullest advantage without damage as in cold process soap. Molds such as vintage tins or muffin pans can be used without concern as in hot and cold process soaps.
Other points to remember when rebatching your soap are always wait to add your scents, dyes and additives just before pouring the remelted soap into the molds. You want to have a consistent color throughout your rebatch soap so make sure all lumps are melted because the colorants will not be absorbed into the unmelted particles. Also, if you are unable to make a perfectly smooth soap, it's okay. You will have speckled soap, which is very attractive.
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Okay, so what do you think about this method so far? It is a wonderful way to save time and to be able to enjoy the actual process of creating a luxurious soap perfect for resale.
Check back for recipes and links for using rebatch soap base for making your own soapy creations.
_________________________________________________
What is Rebatched Soap?
Rebatched soap (also sometimes called hand-milled or milled) is considered luxurious and sought-after by many consumers due to the pleasing texture. Milled soap is made by melting grated soap base and adding colorants, scents and other additives such as oatmeal, honey, coffee, cornmeal, liquified fruits and vegetables, etc. and then pouring the mixture into molds. It is best to use an unscented soap base because the scent will be present in your completed soap even with the addition of the other scents you add. For an excellent tutorial on hand-milled soaps visit http://www.rebatchsoapbase.com/.
Rebatched soap has many advantages to both soap makers and consumers. Consumers enjoy the elegant feel and look of it while soap makers enjoy experimenting with colors, scents and other ingredients. Another important factor in this method of soap making is that the lye is no longer present in milled soap. Scents, colorants and additives can be used to their fullest advantage without damage as in cold process soap. Molds such as vintage tins or muffin pans can be used without concern as in hot and cold process soaps.
Other points to remember when rebatching your soap are always wait to add your scents, dyes and additives just before pouring the remelted soap into the molds. You want to have a consistent color throughout your rebatch soap so make sure all lumps are melted because the colorants will not be absorbed into the unmelted particles. Also, if you are unable to make a perfectly smooth soap, it's okay. You will have speckled soap, which is very attractive.
_________________________________________________
Okay, so what do you think about this method so far? It is a wonderful way to save time and to be able to enjoy the actual process of creating a luxurious soap perfect for resale.
Check back for recipes and links for using rebatch soap base for making your own soapy creations.
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