soap book?

[Poojagandhi]

Hello all,

I am a beginner planning to buy a book on soap making can someone pls suggest which one is best :-

1) The Everything Soapmaking Book by Alicia
2) The Soapmaker’s Companion by Susan Miller

 

[rubyslippers]

Of those two, my vote would be #2 Soapmaker's Companion. I personally did not gain much knowledge by books by Alicia Grosso. Anne Watson has some very good books also.

 

[Bubbly Buddha]

For me I preferred the Everything Book. I thought it offered more recipes and was easier to follow than Miller Cavitch's book.
That said, I do reference Miller Cavitch's book when looking at colourants and things along those lines.
I would say for a beginner you can't go wrong with the Everything series.

 

[agriffin]

Honestly? Neither. I have pretty much every soap book there is...and really wouldn't recommend any.

I've found way better info on forums (like this one) and blogs, especially www.soapqueen.com. Between her blog and videos...you can learn alot.

Also www.millersoap.com.

 

[cerelife]

I just started making soap a few months ago so I know how you feel! I searched the internet and found the teachsoap.com forum where I got tons of great advice...I read the "Soapmakers Companion" from cover to cover, and the soapqueen videos were invaluable to me to get a picture of what I was trying to do. I spent a couple of months reading/watching and asking questions before I felt comfortable enough to begin. I also played around with the soapcalc lye calculator to learn what different oils would bring to my soap. After my first batch, of course I had more questions, (esp about cleaning up!), so more questions for the forum and then I read the "Everything Soapmaking" book. To me this one was a little more friendly to total newbies like me.
And of course, i found this wonderful forum a few weeks ago!

 

[HenleyNatural]

I checked out The Natural Soap Book by Susan Miller Cavitch from my local library and it gave me a solid foundation for making soap. If you decide to read this book and follow its instructions, be sure to use a stick blender for mixing the base oils and lye. Don't make the mistake I did and stir the batch for 45 minutes by hand.

 

[ewenique]

I highly recommend a brand new book called, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Natural Soaps, by Sally Trew and Zonella Gould. It is up to date and covers pretty much everything you need to know about making soap, including a chapter on how to use Soapcalc.net, CP, HP, CPOP, goat milk soap, liquid soap, colorants, M&P. The recipes are palm oil based. I've made half a dozen of them and all are very nice.

 

[anita]

'soap Naturally' by Patrizia garzena and marina tadiello was and still is invaluable to me in learning to soap.
It has never occurred to me to look into buying another book on the subject. It is so comprehensive and is not a coffee table pretty picture book but a book loaded with kindly shared knowledge gained from years of experience from the two authors.

 

[Poojagandhi]

thank u all for suggestions

 

[djk17]

I began a hundred years ago by getting every single soapmaking book out of the local library, reading them cover to cover, then taking extensive notes and renewing each book until I had a few batches and deliberate rebatches under my belt. I was so proud of those first low-sudsing rocks I produced. Never heard of a lye calculator then and no such things as internet soaping forums. I am dating myself...

Now I have a modest library of my own for inspiration and checking on details here and there.

For quick practical advice and ideas I look here and elsewhere online. I find great tips and advice from people who make soap more frequently than I do and/or are more creative/experimental than I am.

However, reading whatever I could, wherever I could, helped give me an excellent foundation in the science and practise of soapmaking.

Compared to cost of soapmaking supplies and e.o.s and equipment, books are the cheapest investment. Don't agonize over one or the other. If you can afford e.o.s and shea butter, you can afford a few purchases from Amazon.

HTH!

 

[LadyM]

I was in Telluride for a summer and happened upon the only soap book in the local bookstore, The Soapmaker's Companion. I spotted it and became possessed by the vision of soap making so I bought it, read into it a ways, and became totally overwhelmed. It sat on the shelf for many years!

Along the way, with the soap desire still burning, someone taught me in person and handed down their personal copy of The Soap Book by Sandy Maine. It's super simple and easy and I love that little book

Since then of course I've gone through my The Soap Maker's Companion again and again, but it was much less daunting after The Soap Book.
I'd recommend that one, plus it's inexpensive!