Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Soap That's Perfect for You, Your Family, or Friends Paperback – December 27, 2016

I'm not one that normally writes reviews, but this book warrants some praise and I thought that new soapers should be advised.First off, I appreciated the thoughtful style in which she covers the basics. Like everything else, a solid foundation is key otherwise everything that gets built upon it risks instability; so that's the first thing.Everyone learns differently, for the hands on learner, this book is for you. We just want to get in there and do it and this book gets you in there doing it, safely and concisely. For me, it's a little wordy, but some people need that much direction and she's done a really good job of getting the reader/soaper from point A to a final product fairly quick... and with great results.When I 1st started I never realised how much chemistry went into making soap, and I am still learning, but it's easier than you would think, and the author takes you by the hand gets you going.It has several starter recipes to choose from; some with and some without butters and mostly veggie based. Personally, I wished for more tallow based recipes as there may come a day when commercial veggie oil may not be so easy to come by.There are SAP values and she explains different oils and other additives. There is also a resource section to help you get started on your new journey.Keep in mind it is a beginners book, but being a hands on learner myself, IMHO it's the best beginners book out there.(Thanks Anne - if you see this)

This book is great for beginners! This is my first time making soap and it takes you from what you need, how to set up your space, and many recipes.

This is the book you want to get if you are new to soapmaking. It’s full of information and is written in a straightforward manner that avoids confusion. As you read if a question is rising in your mind - keep reading because the author has anticipated everything and the answer is probably in the next paragraph! I’m returning the “other” book I bought at the same time because this is the only basic soapmaking book I’ll ever need. Soapmaking is inherently a simple process. It’s the “hows and whys” that are so important to learn. I have read comments that people wish there were more pictures. I personally think they would be a distraction. This book is all about “just master the basics”. I appreciate that I wasn’t being distracted with color options and fancy swirls. And I certainly didn’t need a picture of a basic bar of soap. When I have graduated beyond the basics I will get a book with more pictures. For now this is my textbook on soapmaking and it is a treasure.

This book is like having a kind, older lady standing behind you, with her hand on your shoulder, calmly talking you through every step of the soapmaking process. It can all be pretty intimidating- I've been making bath products for 2 years, and I avoided cold process soapmaking. I'd read fragrance reviews that said stuff like "I was planning a triple axle double Taiwan hanger swirl, but this fragrance seized up on me- could barely get it in the mold" Also, lye discounts, water discounts, superfatting...I think I'm a reasonably intelligent person, but figuring this stuff out- why bother?Well, I'd been overly ambitious on some of my oil and fragrance purchases, and it ends up cold process soap is a great way to use up fragrances and bulk oils and butters that might otherwise expire and have to be thrown out. I made my first batch of Shea butter soap using her recipes and techniques, and so far so good. It's now in slices and happily curing in the closet.So why only four stars? Mostly because I think that some of her equipment requirements are overkill. An 8 quart stainless steel stock pot is way too big for the two pound Recipes in the book. A large heavy duty glass mixing bowl with a pour spout and handle is what's used on Soap Queen, and it worked fine for me. If you have to have stainless steel, a second two quart sauce pan, like the one she recommends for mixing lye would probably be fine, and much easier to find at a thrift shop or garage sale.Also much easier for a smaller person to handle. The whole ice water/stainless steel roasting pan setup is probably overkill also. On many of the instructional videos I saw, people were soaping at 130-140 degrees; the most important thing seems to be keeping all your materials in the same temperature range. Heck, some people were even leaving their butters and solid oils unmelted, and using the hot lye to melt them when they combined everything.Finally, it looks like you can mix your lye in a heavy duty (5 HDPE) plastic bowl or pitcher. Some longtime soap makers were even saying that they used plastic pitchers or bowls from the dollar store. (People admitted that plastics can be tricky, though, and having a melting pitcher full of hot lye would really suck). On Soap Queen they use Pyrex, although this was controversial with some people because glass, even Pyrex can supposedly shatter if used for mixing lye enough times. My point is, maybe do a little research before running out to buy or hunt down stainless steel everything.All that being said, I'm glad that I bought the book, and was really happy with her soapmaking instructions.

For 99 cents, if you own a Kindle or tablet, this book is an absolute treasure for the price you're paying for it. Anne writes comprehensively and dispels many of the most common soapmaking myths with straightforward explanations. You can definitely tell that she knows what she's talking about, and as the reader, you will benefit from her lessons learned through personal research, trial and error and lots of experience.If you're considering getting into milk soapmaking, do yourself a favor, spend the dollar, buy this book and read it cover to cover. This, along with Anne's book "Milk Soapmaking" will help give you the confidence you'll need to head to your kitchen, put your goggles and gloves on, and make some great soaps.You don't need pictures. She writes vividly enough and sorts her instructions clearly enough, for you to follow them just fine if you have basic reading comprehension skills.I'm extremely happy after buying all 3 of her books. Even though I didn't use any of her recipes (yet! -- I have my eye on her sour cream recipe and plan on making that as my next batch!), her instructions and explanations helped me overcome personal trepidation and make a fabulous batch of buttermilk soap that I'm looking forward to using in a few short weeks.