Soapers' College

On this page you will find links to sites that have lots of good information on how to make soap. These folks I trust to be reasonably accurate. There is a lot of disinformation out on the 'net so be careful in what you read. Below you will also find recommended books and links to lye or sap calculators. While I have done my best to see that the links on here are to sites with good info, please don't hold me responsible if you find any inaccuracies. Soaping is a vast and potentially complicated combination of magic, science with a modest amount of luck thrown in.  

Tutorials and other how-to links

Miller's Homemade Soap Pages   This site is an excellent place for new soapers to start. It has recipes, tutorials, a wonderful troubleshooting guide and lots of FAQs. A must read if you are serious about making soap.
Teach Soap   A sister site to Brambleberry, one of my favorite venders, this one is full of tutorials on all aspects of soapmaking and lots of fun projects.
Snowdrift Farm   Snowdrift farm has tutorials, how to videos and lots of recipes.
Millennium Ark   This site too has a lot of good information on soap making.
About.com   Come here to learn about almost anything. Their section on soaping is very interesting, accurate and very well illustrated
Goats milk tutorial from Orgeon trail
 

Lye calculators

A word of advice. NEVER trust any recipe you find on this site, in books, or out on the 'net. Run it through one or more of these calculators. I promise you that you will be in a world of hurt if your water-lye-oils ratios aren't correct.  

Majestic Mountain Sage   This is one of the best when it comes to calculating the amount of lye you need for your recipe. I run every new recipe through it, even ones I create myself.
soapcalc.com   There are two calculators on this site. One of them will let you convert from weight to percentage. Both will show you the affect the various oils have on your finished project. They are excellent for formulating your recipe. I use it in conjunction with the one on Majestic Mountain Sage.
Soapers Choice   Here you will find a very simple easy to use calculator.
 

Recommended Books

Smart Soapmaking  By Anne Watson is, IMHO, the best book for a newbie. She takes you by the hand and leads you step by step through the process from gathering your equipment to cleanup at the end. If you follow her techniques you will most likely have a wonderful batch of soap.
  Milk Soap   Also by Anne Watson is a wonderful book on making milk soap. In it you will find easy to follow directions and a variety of recipes using various milks. A must for anyone who wishes to venture into the wonderful madcap world of milk soap.
The Natural Soap Book  by Susan Miller Cavitch This book is another great place to start. Susan covers all the basics,
The Soapmaker's companion  by Susan Miller Cavitch A Sequel to Susan's first book this one is for the more advanced soaper. She goes into detail on a very comprehensive list of soaping topics. I find both of her books excellent reference material. Her recipes make big batches of soap which isn't always the best option for a beginner. The ones I've tried will resize nicely using  soapcalc
The everything Soapmaking Book  by Alicia Grosso. This book is an excellent reference book for beginners. It covers both lye soap and melt and pour as well as the history of soapmaking and lots of good reference material. Of special interest to newbies are her one bar one oil recipes which allow you to see for yourself what each oil brings to the party. I also like the fact that her recipes can be made in 1, 2, 4, or 8 pound batches.
The Handmade soap book   by Melinda Cross. This is a very basic easy to understand book on lye soap making. The few recipes I've tried are wonderful.
Handcrafted Soap by Delores Boone. If you are looking for a good reference book, this is it. In addition to the basics Delores has included some very useful reference charts. I found parts of the one a little hard to follow until I had made a few batches of my own. Now I refer to it often.
Natural Soapmaking by Marie Browning. This is the book that pushed me over the edge and propelled me into the world of soaping. They soap recipes all use the handmilled technique, which is an acquired taste. Marie also has sections on bath salts, bath oils, etc. If you are into packages, gift boxes and the like, this is the book for you.
300 Handcrafted soaps  by Marie Browning. If you are into melt and pour this is the book for you. The recipes in this book are wonderful.
melt&mod Soap Crafting  by C. Kaila Westerman. Here's another must have for the avid melt and pour soaper. The recipes range from very simple to ones that are quite challenging.  

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