The pure luxury of
soaps made with coconut butter, almond oil, aloe vera, oatmeal, and
green tea is one of life's little pleasures. And with the help of author
Anne-Marie Faiola, it's easy to make luscious, all-natural soaps right
in your own kitchen. This collection of 32 recipes ranges from simple
castile bars to intricate swirls, embeds, and marbled and layered looks.
Begin with a combination of skin-nourishing oils and then add blueberry
puree, dandelion-infused water, almond milk, coffee grounds, mango and
avocado butters, black tea, or other delicious ingredients -- and then
scent your soap with pure essential oils. Step-by-step photography
guides you through every stage of cold-process soapmaking.
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*I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I wish I would have had this book when I started my own soap-making voyage years ago. It's a hobby I've been meaning to return to, a surprisingly enjoyable pastime.
This book is detailed and almost perfect - it not only lists a generous amount of recipes at the back, but they all use different oil combinations, and each shows different decorating, swirling, and neat techniques for decorating effect. I couldn't ask for more on this section - 5 stars for decorative effort. I see how to get the honeycomb look (saw a similar technique yesterday for decorating a cake), different swirls, layers, cubes, and even a frosting.
The author opens with glossaries of need to know terms, invaluable and in-depth information on oils and their SAP values, coming up with own formulas, detailed information on different herbs and natural solutions for colorants - including full pictures of different stages of the coloring process - and chemical colorants. The natural additives include the ratio to the soap that you need for whatever you're working with. There's a chapter on information on scented dyes and essential oils.
I have to give kudos for including Comfrey in a few recipes (love that herb) and some other natural additives. The pictures are bright, comfortable, creative, and eye catching.
If I made this one absolutely perfect, it would be that I wanted more details on other ways to make soap - such as different techniques for hot process soap, from crockpot to microwave. She mentioned hot process only as a saving attempt for cold process that refuses to trace. On the plus side, the cold process method is shown in several pages, with clear steps, pictures along the way, and full troubleshooting.
If you're looking for a soapmaking book, this is the one I'd recommend for cold process.
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