A Beginner's Guide to Cold Process Soaps
by MookFish
In this article I will be explaining a few things I've noticed while playing a small role in a local soap making company. My wife is the mastermind of our creations and I'm a humble writer who teaches English as a second language online. However, it's come to my attention that many people, men mostly, don't really care what goes on their body and they wake up every morning to a disgustingly white bar of shower soap that smells like chalk. Almost everybody takes the shower for granted and now that I am an active member of this apothecary I would like to offer a beginner's guide to cold process soaps. Don't expect to learn how to make soaps here, I'm simply providing some useful introductory knowledge for the consumer.
This soap pictured above is called Ambrosia and it was named after the fabled food of the gods. It tells a story just looking at it. It looks good in your bathroom and it was crafted by a cute artsy girl you met at the farmers' market.
Until recently cold process soaps have been a bit of a mystery to the public, but I'd like to support Earth Berry Apothecary and make them available to everybody. They last a long time and look very sleek and beautiful once they have taken a bit of water. The question remains.. what is cold process?
The term Cold Process suggests that the soap was created with the use of a mixture of chilled water and lye. The mixture is added to perfectly heated and timed oils like olive oil and coconut oil, which is blended smoothly to emulsification. Aromas and colors are added to the concoction and the rest is in the talented hands of the soap maker. They are essentially hand-crafted and by all means a work of creative art and science.
The difference is artistically clear, however, we are unfortunately unable to provide you with the free smells online that are typically available in our home shop. Yet, there is something to be left to the imagination with this rustic method of soap-making. The artist is free to create a design that speaks to them in hopes that someday a customer will pass by and come along for the voyage. Having said that, the next photo is of one of our most famous cold process soaps and there is so much to leave to the powerful imagination.
There is nothing else like Coffee Soap by Earth Berry Apothecary. I couldn't believe my nose the first time she showed me this creation, which she almost shrugged off as it it were nothing special. My senses absolutely exploded and since then I have watched dozens of our customers roll their eyes backwards with delight upon the first moment they experience this soap. Also, it pairs really well with a matching candle, but that is better left for another post.
