This class covers the basics of cold process soapmaking. Discuss the history and chemistry of soap, then walk through the process from start to finish, from choosing a recipe to cutting, curing, and storing your bars. We'll be covering how to add fragrance and color to your batches as well as lye safety, INS values, soap ash, troubleshooting the dreaded orange spots, and more. Each participant should take home a soap batch equivalent to six 4oz bars and the information they need to get started designing their own soaps.

Open to all soapmaking skill levels, using some kitchen skills like measuring, mixing, and using a digital scale. We'll be working with lye, so this class is 18+.

Closed-toe shoes
Comfortable clothes
Protective eyewear (We'll have some as well for you)
Optional: apron
Optional: your own stick/immersion blender

working safely with lye

soapmaking qualities of different oils and fat

INS values

sourcing soap recipes and recipe design

molds and moldmaking

fragrance and color

saponification versus curing

clean-up

documenting soap batches and noting outcomes

Max Reeher is interested in historical soapmaking, salvemaking, and natural perfumery. He has experience researching and replicating historical soap recipes as well as making and selling contemporary cold process, hot process, and dual-lye soaps.