@J-Soaper
Is it just something you do for fun sometimes? ~ For me, making soap is a hobby that I really enjoy. It started out as something to try, sort of on a lark after thinking I'd like to try this. As I continued to explore, I found that making soap is educational, utilizes old and new skills, appeals to my sense of adventure, can be done as a solitary activity or in the company of others, and that my family and friends support, encourage and also benefit, plus it is a creative and artistic endeavor, which can be very satisfying and fill a need for artistic expression. I benefit in a variety of ways. In fact my Occupational Therapist has deemed making soap is important therapy for the rehab of my thumb after recent surgery, therefore it is beneficial to me on many levels.
Of course, frequency of soap making is dependent on a variety of circumstances (surgery on my dominant hand, for example).
Do you make your soap in your kitchen? ~ Yes, unless I am traveling, then I make soap where ever is handy.
Do you have a separate room or even a separate building for making soap? ~ I plan to one day, and do have specific plans, however am in no hurry. There are so many other thing to do with my time than remodel. I do not cure my soap in my kitchen, of course. Curing occurs in a spare room upstairs that also has a ceiling fan to improve ventilation. I also store some extra equipment in that room as well.
Did you buy all special equipment specifically for making soap that is kept completely separate from all other similar equipment? ~ Yes, I have a worktable dedicated to soap making & my most often used soap making equipment lives there. As a point of interest, I tend to look for things that can be used for soapmaking in a variety of places, like second-hand shops in order to save a buck. I also use and re-use whatever works (like cardboard boxes, plastic wrap, even paper towels) to reduce waste and reduce costs. Although I will buy spendy items, I won't pass up a bargain or free item if it will serve my purpose. I am a bargain hunter by nature, although am known to buy the spendy item now and again. I probably have far too much equipment for a hobbyist, because I do tend to go overboard when it comes to the things I enjoy.
Do you just use pots, pans, and utensils you already owned and use for cooking? ~ Generally no, although when I started out I did use the SB (stick blender) that I already had, but never do I use the same SB for food. As a retired nurse (and also as a certified Food Sanitation & Safety Manager - we used to own a restaurant as well), my training has instilled in me to guard against cross-contamination of foods. I have since bought another for food use only and also have a spare for soap for when I travel. I have a soap making travel bag in which I keep a few essentials that I can take (like a Go-Bag) on a moment's notice when I take to the road. The only item I feel safe using for food after using for soap making is a stainless steel mixing bowl which I brought with me to San Antonio when I was living in a tiny house with my granddaughter and space was limited.
Do you make soap to give away as gifts? ~ Often. I also donate to local charities.
Have you sold a few bar here and there? ~ No, I do not sell, and doubt I will as I don't want to run a business.
Do you make your living making and selling soap? ~ No, I've been in business before. Don't want to do it again. I am retired, travel a lot, and as I said, don't wish to be tied down to a business.
Do you like to try things and see how it turns out? ~ Obviously.
Do you keep a careful log of everything you've tried with pictures of and notes about the final product? ~ Yes, I am now on my 3rd note book for my soap making journey, plus one for a specific experiment. I also keep records on my computer of some of my formulas and loads of photos, although I did not start taking photos of my soaps until into my second year of soapmaking.
Are you totally into the science and chemistry of soap making? ~ Totally? Perhaps not totally, but generally I tend to be interested in the scientific side of things including Soap making. I have attended lectures/talks/presentations by
Kevin Dunn and do have a signed copy of his book, which I refer to now and again:
Scientific Soapmaking: the Chemistry of the Cold Process.
I mix my lye right on top of the glass cooktop. Never even thought about doing it any place else. ~ I have always mixed my lye solution in my kitchen sink (except when I travel, where I still mix it in or adjacent to a sink.) My mother taught me lye safety when I was a teen, so I have not had that extreme fear of it that some newbies talk about when they first come to SMF, but am aware of the inherent dangers it presents. So I prefer to mix in a sink to contain any possible spills or roiling over of lye solutions made with sugar &/or alcohol containing ingredients (like Kombucha tea or Beer, for example.) Also an ice bath is easier to contain in a sink than elsewhere, in my experience. Also, the height & depth of my kitchen sink in comparison to my standing height is most comfortable for mixing lye.
I do master-batch my lye, so I don't have to mix it every time I make a batch of soap. Sometimes I will masterbatch oils for a minimal number of batches (like enough for 2 or 3 batches of soap at a time.)
Questions not asked or comments not made:
Do you teach soap making or any aspect of educating others in your soap making? ~ Yes, education is an inherent part of sharing a skill with ones family, but also the public, as many here have mentioned time and again in this forum. But specifically, I have made soap with both a granddaughter and grandson in the past and specifically have taught my granddaughter to make lye soap. We have created soaps together where she utilized her exceptional artistic talents for a design concept that we then applied to create a work of artistic soap creation. We also attended a two-day soap making workshop in 2019 once she was 17 and it was allowed by her parents & the organizers.
Did you you learn soap making on your own, or did you take a class? ~ Both. First I taught myself, then I took a couple of classes.
Did soap making provide you with a wider range of social contacts or network? ~ Yes. First Face-to-face, then online.
Did a family member teach you to make soap? ~ No, which is why I find it so important to me to pass on this knowledge and skill to my granddaughter. Even if she never makes soap to the extent that I do, I know she can because I have taught her and she has enjoyed the process of learning as well as the making. I believe sharing & teaching skills to our children and our children's children to be a form of honoring our children as well as preparing them for the future, especially those skills lost to generations for whatever reason (progress, cheaper, even snobbery).
But yes, if I know someone likes receiving my soap as a gift, or asks me to make it as as a gift they can give to someone, I love doing that.
