ST201906

Start looking at instructions on how to

make your own soap and it’s easy to get

overwhelmed. It can be much more

straightforward than it initially appears.

Most recipes use one of two methods:

cold-process or melt-and-pour.

Cold-process is the more advanced

method, where the maker has much

more freedom about the ingredients that

go into it, but takes longer and requires

working with lye, which is potentially

dangerous if not handled properly.

A simpler way to get a taste for

soap-making is using melt-and-pour.

This is a pre-made soap base, available

from the likes of hobbycraft.co.uk, which

you can then customise to your taste:

O To use, you simply melt down the

base, using either a microwave or a

bain-marie on the stove top, stirring as

you go. When you take it off the heat,

you stir in your essential oils, as desired,

and natural colouring. You could

experiment by adding dried petals,

dried fruit slices, even poppy seeds.

There are plenty of tutorials online, if

you’d rather follow a recipe.

O Pour the liquid into a silicone mould, or

you could re-use a clean plastic container,

lined with baking parchment. Gently tap

to get rid of any air bubbles and leave to

set, which should take about an hour.

O Carefully remove from the mould, then

cut into smaller pieces as needed to

enjoy your handiwork.

sawitsconsumptionboom.In1853,a soaptaxwas

introduced, rendering it a luxury item seen solely in

the washrooms of the rich. Mass-production began

towards the end of the 19th century when the newly

discovered relationship between health and

cleanliness prompted the Lever brothers (now

Unilever) to manufacture soap on a large scale.

Worldwide, soap production – much like wine

making – is closely associated with the surrounding

natural environment. In Spain, the hard white

Castile soap is made from olive oil and soda; Aleppo

soap is made from Syrian laurel oil and lye (an

alkaline solution); Marseille soap includes seawater

and sea plants from the Mediterranean; and Nabulsi

soap is made on the West Bank, Palestine, from local

virgin olive oil, water and an alkaline compound.

When choosing your soap, it’s best to check the

label or dig around on the website first. If the soap is

organic it will be free of chemicals; vegan soap will

be free of animal products including honey or milk;

a Cruelty-Free logo will guarantee it’s not tested on

animals. These days there is a soap for everyone,

whether you are after a Korean golden ginseng bar

(£18, Binu Binu), a slice of Gourmet Olive Tree soap

from (Lush, £10.20 for 100g) or Wild Nettle and

Sage soap, £9, from Soap Co (made by people who

aredisabledordisadvantaged).

Allofwhichisa farcryfromthedays when hands

andfaceswerescrubbedwithcarbolicCoal Tar Soap

(prizedforitsscouringanti-bacterialproperties), or

dehydratedby‘guestsoaps’that,infuriatingly, never

seemedtogetusedupbutinsteadloitered for

eternityinthesoapdish,sittingina soggy puddle.

Trulyweareinthegoldenageofsoap.

ROCKSTARSOAP,£2.95,75g

Smellslikea stickof rocknota heavy

metalfrontman,thankfully.Scented

withvanilla,it’s100%vegetarianwith

ethicallysourcedingredients.

uk.lush.com

WILD ROSE SOAP, £12, 120g
Made in Sweden by L:A Bruket, a company
that uses natural, organic ingredients. This
bar contains essential oil made from wild rose.
carterandbond.com

NAMON & ORANGE,

9, 95g

gansoap by Suma,

mpany specialising in

tarian, fairly traded and

nicproducts.

lsuperstore.com

£12,100g
Fragrancedwithoudh,whichhasa warm,
sweetwoodysmell, plus geranium, amber,
vetiver, patchouli and praline. A heady mix.
urbanapothecarylondon.com

STEP UP TO THE BAR: MAKE YOUR OWN SOAP

“MODERN BARS OF SOAP ARE

EITHER UNWRAPPED OR

TUCKED INSIDE BROWN PAPER”

WELLBEING

CINN

£2. 09

Aveg

acom

vege

organ

ethic

OUDHGERANIUM LUXURY SOAP,
£12 100g