8 Compelling Reasons Why You Need to Make Your Own Handmade Soap
This article is about why you should consider making your own handmade soap at home…or at least purchase natural, handmade soap from small local businesses. Just know: there is nothing like enjoying your own natural, homemade soap creations!
Have you ever picked up a REAL bar of handmade soap? One that is made with completely natural ingredients and scents? If you have, then you KNOW what I’m talking about when I say there is absolutely nothing like a REAL bar of handmade soap from an artisan or home soap maker.
If you’ve been fortunate enough to make your own natural soaps, then you know what I’m talking about…or perhaps you’ve seen the process first-hand? Then you also know what I’m talking about. If you’re a homemade soap maker, you’ve probably had lots of people react positively to your new hobby!
In fact, I’ve heard comments like these quite a few times from many different people:
“I just can’t go back to using store-bought soap because I just love handmade soap so much better!” OR:
“My skin just feels so much better when I use your soap….I don’t know what it is, but can you teach me how to make my own?” OR:
“I LOVE the way your soap (and your house) smells!” OR:
“Do you sell your soaps? I’ll buy some from you!” (And no, generally, I do not—-I give it all away.)
And on, and on, and on……
I mean, there are the obvious reasons to make your own handmade natural soap: to give as gifts, to make beautiful things you’re proud of, and more; but there are some other, less obvious, and sometimes more important reasons why you should make your own handmade soap!
Here are some considerations for you, if you have been thinking about making your own handmade soap but haven’t quite taken the leap (yet).
FTC Disclosure: There may be affiliate links scattered throughout this article. If you click through and make any kind of purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
8 Reasons Why You Should Make Your Own Handmade Natural Soap
One key word in the statement above is “natural.” There are some ingredients that some soap makers (even home soap makers) will tell you are natural, and they really aren’t.
For my own personal purposes as well as the purposes of this and any article I write, I say that “natural” ingredients are those that come from the earth. So clays, plants, and certain textures (such as pumice as an example) are natural.
I just can’t get behind lab-created so-called “natural” ingredients (and yes, this is definitely a “thing” in both our cosmetics industry, big pharma, and even processed foods.) Beware the word “natural.”
You need to know this about me right up front.
I talk more about what is natural and what is really not in my soap making course, but just know that if one of the reasons you decide to make your own soap is to get rid of toxins in your life, you’ll need to pay attention to that section on natural ingredients.
So, here are the main reasons why you should consider learning the easy, fun, HEALTHY skill of handmade natural soap making:
1) For Health and Toxin Free Living
This is delved into a bit above, but really, I’m sure you have heard by now that your skin is your largest organ. And as such, it can soak in an awful lot of toxins and chemicals, especially if they are slathered all over yourself (or your babies and children).
I wrote about the Killer Toxins Lurking in Your Soap awhile back, and if you’re not sure what these are and you want to have a good idea what to watch out for (even in so-called “natural” soaps), you’ll want to head over and read it.
Then come back here and continue with more reasons why you should make your own soaps.
The bottom line is chemical poisons that enter your body through your skin can cause cancers over time, may be hormone disruptors for male and female alike, and cause skin sensitivities among many other potentially dangerous issues.
Making your own handmade soaps puts the control of what is IN that soap squarely on your shoulders and in your hands. It’s a wonderful feeling to know you are making soap that is GOOD for your body.
This is a quick side note, but I have a private Facebook group called Handmade and All Natural Body with Heidi, and the number one reason the members of my group say they want to learn how to make their own soap and body care products is to reduce the dangerous toxic chemical poisons they put on their bodies.
The word is getting out, my friend!
2) To Give Your Family the BEST They Deserve
Really. Doesn’t your family deserve the best?
The most healthy, wellness-centered foods as well as a toxin free environment (at least as much as you can control)?
YES!
Yes, they do.
Your babies deserve to be washed in gentle, chemical-free soaps and soothed with creams and powders that are natural and don’t cause sensitivities or allergies. That don’t contain strange “fragrances” or “natural” ingredients that are really not, but are couched in mysterious government regulations, right?
Right!
And Amen!
Do you really want to slather benzalchomium choride on your baby’s tender skin? Or your own?
Or how about tetrasodium etridonate? Or butylphenyl metropropional? Or any of the other incredibly hard to pronounce chemicals found in a typical bar of commercial bath soap?
My friend, if you go to the EWG (Environmental Working Group) website, as I have done numerous times, and search these chemicals, or even just do a general Google search for the ingredients listed on your body products, including “soap”, you will be horrified at what you find. I promise.
Well, if you are a normal person concerned about toxins in and on your body you will be.
And if you love your family? Heavens, just NO.
You will find, after making and using your own natural handmade soap, that you just will not be able to go back to using those commercial bars of chemicals ever again.
Mr. V. and I take our own soaps everywhere we travel, as a matter of fact. And we make our own antibacterial spray to carry with us, too—-if we need it.
The bottom line is when you learn to make your very own soaps and body products, you have developed a healthy, traditional skill that will save you money (more on this in a moment) and keep you healthier.
3) So You Can Make Incredible Gifts for Occasions and Holidays…Or Just Because
I have only met one person so far who did not really appreciate getting handmade natural soap as a gift. And this lady is just, well, not very bright. She doesn’t understand the skill required, nor does she care (or care to know) about the dangerous chemicals in store-bought products.
Luckily, she has no children.
OK, that probably sounded judgmental. She is perfectly bright. She is just ignorant of the facts, as so many folks are these days. So many will gladly stick their head in the sand and choose NOT to know what’s going on in our big corporate money world so they can be spared the hard choices, right?
But the truth is, most people LOVE getting handmade gifts, and most people LOVE handmade soap made by your own two loving hands.
One of my favorite things to do is watch a person’s eyes light up as they pick up a gifted bar of the handmade soap I created and give it a big smell. What a delight!
So, if you are wondering if people would appreciate your gifted handmade soap? The answer is (except for the rare bird) YES.
4) Honestly, It’s a BLAST (Creative Outlet)
Making soap is addicting.
I know addiction can be a bad thing, but in my world, it’s a big plus to have a hobby that can serve so many practical purposes.
Once you get the soap making basics down, your creativity and imagination will explode! You’ll constantly be thinking about different essential oil combinations for scent; or which natural clay will do best in that Aztec soap bar you want to make; or which herbal tea will make the perfect anti-itch bar of soap?
We have all these plants, clays, and other materials from our good earth to use in our soap making, and the sky is the limit!
Having a creative outlet is important for our mental health. Some of us choose to grab those adult coloring books and color. Now I’m not knocking those because I realize they are easy and serve a calming purpose. But I just love that I can be creative and actually make something USEFUL….and beautiful too.
5) Empowerment and Self-Reliance
As a person who is rather into preparedness, my mind often goes to the “What if’s” of emergency scenarios.
For example, “What if we have an emergency disaster, and we run out of soap?”
Follow me here!
How would you clean yourself? Your dishes? Your hair? Your pits?
You could argue that in a real emergency disaster cleanliness might take a back seat, but I have to disagree. Especially in a long term disaster, I love knowing that I have some skills to take care of certain things….like our soap.
Also, handmade soap can be a barter item in cases like this.
And if you delve deeply enough into the world of soap making, you can learn to make the traditional pioneer soap (also known as Black African soap) from wood potash—-which is on my soap making bucket list.
At any rate, the empowerment and feeling of self-reliance you’ll have from making your very own bars of soap the way YOU want them to be is just incredible.
I can think of a million reasons to make handmade soap…but they can be condensed down to these main 8. If you’ve thought about making your own handmade soap, there’s never a better time than now to get started! Holiday gift giving season is right around the corner, and THAT is just ONE of the reasons! Find out how and why you should start making your own soap now! #soapmaking #hotprocess #handmadesoap #howtomake #soap #handmadegift #homemadegift #holiday #naturalsoap
6) To Save Money: A TON of Money
Now, like anything, you can buy expensive soap making oils and ingredients to make your soaps a spa like experience. I love doing this, as a matter of fact.
But do you know what a handmade salt bar of soap with a bit of clay costs in the real world? How about $5 on the very low side to over $12 a bar? I even saw one once that was priced at $15! Before shipping! This is for a standard 4.5 ounce bar of soap. YIKES!
You’ll initially put out a bit of money to get your supplies, but trust me: your soap won’t cost any where near what a garbage (dangerous chemical) filled commercial bar of soap costs, and definitely not what a designer bar would cost either. You’ll be shocked at how much money you’ll save on soaps!
My friend, Gaye, who writes at Strategic Living, is currently experimenting with basic soap costs for an article she is writing. At the time I write this, she has gotten a handmade bar of soap made with lard down to just 0.59 cents!!!
That’s amazing.
AND, it’s WAY better than anything you’ll purchase.
Animal fat soaps, in case you haven’t tried them, are just phenomenal. They’re great for your skin, and they lather fabulously.
In fact, I should price my elk tallow soap——I bet it just might be less expensive than 0.59! But I’d have to crunch numbers, and I don’t like that. I’ll leave that to Gaye. I’ll link to her article here as soon as she finishes it, too!
7) For Emotional Reasons and Mental Health
This is related to the “creative outlet” reason above, but really, it’s different.
Sometimes, we need an activity that will take our mind completely off a low point in our lives: when we are grieving, for example. Or when we are dealing with anxiety. Or perhaps we just need to DO something that will keep us from thinking (or over-thinking).
Soap making requires full attention.
This is because it does involve using lye, which is caustic, and just might be a big dangerous IF you don’t know what you’re doing. It also requires precise measurements to be successful.
It’s a process in which you must be fully aware, at least if you are being responsible about your soap making.
So, if you need to find an activity that will bring you joy while taking your mind off things you’d rather not be thinking about or dwelling on….making soap might just fit that bill.
It has for me, in the past.
8) People Will Tell You How Amazing Your House Smells: All the Time
I love this reason! Just LOVE it!
It thrills me when people walk in and say something along the lines of, “Your house always smells so good!” OR “How do you get your house to smell so good all the time?” OR even when the neighbor across the street mentions he knows you’re making soap because “It smells so good.”
Your home has its own scent profile based on the things that go on in there. Greasy cooking? YUCK. Lots of garlic? Hmm…
(Actually, I love garlic, but I don’t want my home to smell like it all the time. I definitely don’t want my home smelling like the Greasy Spoon Cafe.)
Anyhow, essential oils are wonderful, natural fragrances, and they will scent your home beautifully. Over time, the scents just become part of your home environment. They really do!
Why not have your home smell beautiful, based on the natural scents of plants, rather than dirt/grease/grime, or worse: chemical fragrances that mess up your hormones (and the hormones of your kids)?
Final Thoughts on Why You Should Make Your Own Soaps:
I realize I’m very biased on this topic….
However, facts are facts, and I think I made a pretty good case above about why you should at least consider making handmade soap for your family.
If you are unable or unwilling to make your own handmade soap, that’s ok! It’s not for everyone.
BUT, I hope you’ll at least choose to support your local handmade soap maker….I promise you they are everywhere and would love to share their soaps with you. If you can’t find one locally, I’d go with Etsy!
IF, however, you think natural soap making might just be something you want to try, I hope you’ll use this website and other soap makers out there as great resources to help you get going.
I wrote a soap making ebook a couple of years ago because I saw the need for some really clear directions for the hot process soap making method. The book has been incredibly popular, and has even led to several (that I know of) soap making businesses.
(You can see this eBook over on the sidebar to the right, if you’re on desktop, and WAY down below if you are on mobile. Keep reading to find out how you can get it free!)
Over the years, I realized that some people just prefer to “SEE” the soap making process instead of reading about it.
Because of this, I recently created a beginning soap making video and text course that focuses on the hot process method.
Can’t you just get the information free?
Well, you can, if you want to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what you need to know, exactly. And there is a LOT of misinformation out there.
For example:
Some soap makers will tell you that soap recipes can simply be converted between cold process and hot process soap making methods, and this is not always the case.
Plus, there are some quite faulty lessons and information on YouTube about hot process soap making that can lead to some mistakes and really messed up soap—-like too much of a super fat (explained in the course), or not handling lye safely, among others.
And there are always the questions about substituting oils in your recipes, how long the soap needs to cook, and if you really need to use lye or not?
Plus, if you are a purists (like me) you will absolutely want to know how to add herbs, clays, and natural essential oils properly in order to have and make a beautiful and natural soap product.
Well, I go through all of this and lots more in the course. I hope you’ll click through to find out more if you’re thinking about making your own handmade soap.
By the way, the soap eBook I wrote that thousands have experienced and even started businesses from?
It’s included in the course as a Bonus.
So are around 30 palm free recipes for trying different ingredients in your hot process soaps.
And maybe you’re wondering what hot process soap is?
Well, there are different methods of making soap, two specifically. You can find a good comparison about them in this article, and you’ll be able to see if it’s a good method of soap making for you.
If you’re considering giving homemade gifts this holiday season, or just want to be sure your family gets the best, non-toxic, chemical free life you can give them, I hope you’ll check out my soap making course…because I know making soap is one of the best things you’ll ever learn to do!
Hugs, Health, and Self-Reliance,
Heidi
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