A Soap Making Adventure

Apricot and Grapefruit Soap with cornmeal for extra scrubbiness

 For almost 2 years I've been mulling around the idea of stating a soap company. It's no secret that I have a mild obsession with soap, the few reviews and guides I've posted on this blog only hint at the number of drawers in my bathroom dedicated to my obsession. It stands to reason that I ought to just start making my own, right? Especially if my own consists of awesome soap with an awesome fantasy, steampunk, exotic flare to it. I even have a name already, Rogue Alchemy. Sounds freaking awesome, right? To get my started on this journey I got together with my most awesome former roommate, Laura.

Exemplifying safe lab practices!

Laura is probably one of the raddest ladies out there. She can do just about anything, and not just "girlie" stuff like sewing, canning, and soap making. She is a badass 5'2" welder and her favorite recreational activity is attending metal pours. Seriously. Anyway, I got together with Laura for some cold process soap making the other day. In addition to getting in touch with our inner nerds via safety googles and gloves we also chatted about Fight Club, because what soap making experience isn't complete without a reference to that iconic soap making cinematic masterpiece?

We mixed up a 5lb batch of Apricot and Grapefruit soap, with cornmeal added for some extra scrubbing action. We used the "real deal" cold process soap making method so the soap won't be ready for some time, since it has to cure for 3 weeks. However, I'm excited to start mixing up some of my own - the ideas are endless! I even downloaded the Bramble Berry Soap Calculator App, which has been pretty awesome for designing your own recipes (soap making can be a rather complicated thing, especially when you're doing it the hard way!).

Any soap makers out there with any advice? Preference for hot vs. cold process? Suggestions for wholesalers?