5 comments about Basic Candle Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started (Basic Books Series).

1. If you have made candles before, this book isn't for you. It is however the perfect book for me. I am new to candlemaking and have read all the candle books in the library and bought several more. But when I make candles, I find myself jumping from book to book trying to get all the steps straight.
   
   This book is an extremely detailed explanation (with pictures) of the steps to making several types of candles; container, molded, dipped, and rolled beeswax. It is like having an expert standing beside you, "This is the way you prime wicks. This is how to add color to the wax".
   
   Includes information on equipment, a good explanation of the different kinds of wicks and then step-by-step instructions with lots of pictures and a checklist of materials needed.
   
   Once I get the hang of candle-making, this book will probably be put back on the shelf in favor of more advanced techniques. But until then, this is the next best thing to having an expert walk you through each step.



2. This is a great book for people who are just starting making candles or has never done it before. The pictures are big and all color and the directions are clear. It also has a list of supplies that you'll need to get started for basic candles with easy to do projects.



3. Excellent long-lasting bound Book. Excellent colored photos throughtout!
   Highly Recommend for Candle Maker Beginners!
   Would have to be "Advanced" Candle Maker to need any other Book!



4. What's best about this book are the step by step photos included with the instructions. That's what makes it so easy to understand even for the novice.
   
   Offers valuable tips and advice for those who are more advanced as well. This book is a must for your collection if you're serious about candle making.
   
   [...]



5. I started candle making several months ago. I wish I had had this book on Day 1. I pretty much figured out the basics on my own, but would have saved a lot of time (and mistakes) if I had had this book to start with. It's Candle Making 101: basic, simple, step by step, and lots of photos. A great book if you are just starting out.

4 comments about Making Natural Milk Soap: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-199 (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, a-199).

1. Learn the time-honored secrets of making moisturizing, skin-nourishing soaps with milk!
   Create this sought-after soap at home using the specialized yet simple techniques Casey Makela has developed in more than 15 years of soapmaking. Covers how to make moisturizing milk-based soaps like Oatmeal, Peaches and Cream, and specialty soaps.
   Contents include, but are not limited to, making molds, working with lye, preparing the milk, basic equipment, scents, ingredients, specialty recipes, preserving and packaging. This book contains excerpts from another book written by Makela - "Milk Based Soaps."



2. There is very little information in this 32 page pamphlet that you cannot find free on the net. The soapmaking technique (blending) is a little scarry, to me. With the added cost of shipping & handling, you could buy a much more informative hard cover REAL book for the same price at your local book store.



3. I am new to this hobby and like books that can simplify the process of making the gentle soaps. Lot's of recipes and well written.
   I would recommend.



4. This book introduces milk soap making at the beginner's level and includes some basic recipes

No comments about Heaven Preserve Us: A Home Crafting Mystery (A Home Crafting Mystery).

5 comments about Soapmaking for Fun & Profit: Make Money Doing What You Love! (For Fun & Profit).

1. In this book there are tips for making hand-milled soap, melt and pour soap and cold-pressed soap. It contains 19 soap recipes, some of which are illustrated in the middle of the book and look just like desserts - and no wonder with names like Chocolate and Coffee Lover's Temptation, Fresh As A Cucumber, Nancy Bee's Honey, Ron's Refreshing Raspberry, etc.
   
   I was personally more interested in the first part of the book, but for those who'd like to make soap for profit, the second part of the book deals with business aspects, as in how and where to sell your soap, what to charge for it, how to go about promoting it and it covers possible legalities that is good to be aware of.



2. This book was very helpful with starting soap making
   The delivery was on time. "thank you"



3. I am just getting started as a soapmaker and have been searching for a good all-around beginners soapmaking book. This is by far the best book I have found. Comprehensive,informative and interesting. Covers all the bases including taking soapmaking to the next level and starting a business. A well-written and well-researched book.
   
   Highly recommended, money well spent!



4. Great read! Full of useful information and fun recipes. Great to use as a resource for any soapmaking project.



5. I have no knowledge of soapmaking but decided I wanted to start making it and even, maybe, selling it just as a hobby.....this book has given me so much information....more than I expected

5 comments about The Soap Book: Simple Herbal Recipes.

1. This is a really beautiful book -- the photography is gorgeous and I like Sandy Maine's style of writing. She is very readable.

   But...

   There is one recipe in this book, dressed up with different fragrance/essential oils and "fillers". I think this shows a total and complete lack of imagination, considering the WORLD full of God's beautiful, healing oils He put here for us to enjoy. But all it is is olive oil, coconut oil, Crisco...olive oil, coconut oil, Crisco...olive oil, coconu-- well, you get the picture.

   I also think that adding 3 ounces of lavender to that baby soap is going to just about knock the baby across the room. That is an awful lot of scent for a baby soap.

   I'm not sorry I bought the book. The pictures alone gave me some great ideas for packaging and displays. But buy another book if you want some REAL recipes. Save the money you would have spent on buying the enormous quantities of essential oils for these soaps and spend it on a gorgeous bottle of avocado oil. Let your imagination soar. Soapmaking is, in my opinion, an art form. It doesn't have to be as plodding and pedestrian as this book makes it seem.




2. The photos are wonderful. The recipes are only varied according to the eo's that are used. The amounts of eo's would not apply for pure eo's. Soapmakers beware! Start with a small amount of eo, find out how it effects your skin and those using your soap, you can always adjust.
   non tallow soap is too soft to make for everyday use. I use my soap for everything, including the laundry. I would not be able to do this with a vegetable soap. Tallow also cuts the cost, and last a lot longer.



3. I bought this book several years ago--and just got around to making soap for Christmas presents this year. This book was inspiring since it was short, simple, straight-forward . . . recipe was same--just different blends of essential oils.
   
   DON'T USE 4 OUNCES OF ESSENTIAL OILS per batch--WAY TOO MUCH: 1) pool of excess essential oils sits on top of soap, 2) soap never hardens up quite right (according to Cavitch's book), 3) Essential oils are EXPENSIVE, 4) Scent is TOO STRONG, 5) Some essential oils (like cinnamon) used in called-for amounts actually too concentrated for skin (read other reviews!)
   
   This book is a great starter for novices if you do the following: 1) cut the recipes by 1/4 to learn on smaller batches since the ingredients can be costly--in case your batch does not turn out during your learning stage; 2) invest in a good digital scale that allows you to "zero out" after adding each successive ingredient to the same container (accurate to 1/4 ounce and much faster--many initial mistakes attributed to measuring errors); 3) buy coconut oil at Walmart (under $3 for 31.5 oz); 4) obtain reasonably priced essential oils via internet at A Garden Eastward (http://addy.com/brinkley/); 5) Buy one of Susan Cavitch's soapmaking books next to learn from your mistakes and/or take your soapmaking to the next level--by then, you'll be motivated to absorb more complex information that seemed overwhelming/initimidating at first--which will make so much more sense once you've made a couple of batches.



4. Not tons of info and the recipes are pretty basic but if your just starting with soap making its a nice lil book and doesnt take up a ton of room. I would pair this with the book by Anne Watson called "Smart Soapmaking" and a good aromatherapy book to help figure out scenting and what goes well and what each oils properties are.



5. This was my first soap making book. That said, it turned me off to soap making for a good 7 years until my excess of goat milk motivated me to find a better resource for learning to make soap. Sandy Maine includes only 1 recipe in this book, which is difficult to get to work, with no discussion about lye calculators, stirring with a blender, proper superfatting, etc. The approach to mixing the lye and oils is antiquated- never do you need to mix at EXACTLY the same temperature as her book states. You might learn how to follow a recipe from this book, but if you really want to learn how to make and formulate your own soaps, research the web and communicate with others in the business.

5 comments about The Everything Soapmaking Book: Recipes and Techniques for Creating Colorful and Fragrant Soaps (Everything: Sports and Hobbies).

1. Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "The Everything Soapmaking Book" offers the non-specialist general reader with a complete and easy-to-follow guide for making and creating all manner of soaps ranging from simple bath soaps to lovely and aromatic gift soaps. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Everything Soapmaking Book" takes the aspiring soap maker through every step of the process of making soap, including buying the right kind of soap making equipment, securing the proper ingredients, developing unique soap recipes, packaging soaps for holidays and special occasions, adding scents and colors, and the artistic techniques to make soaps in unique shapes and sizes. "The Everything Soapmaking Book" is enthusiastically recommended for anyone of any age wanting to try their hand at making soaps for themselves, their family, or their friends!



2. I've been an artisian soaper for over seven years. I found this book wonderful! Very well written with up-to-date 21st century information. The essential oil section is especially useful for knowing which essential oils that "come through" in cold process or hot process soap. I had to learn most of this the hard way through trial and error, and spending alot of money on research.
   
   There is so much information in this book that was very well researched and a great benefit to the soap maker at any level. There are several techniques that are simplified from other books and information on the internet such as liquid soapmaking in a slow cooker.
   
   There are discussions of soap casting, making geodes, swirling, gemstones, hand milling, and so much more to make this a VERY complete discussion of soap making.
   
   Once you have mastered soap making and want to start selling, Alicia has added a very well written section on selling. Where to sell how to sell and useful information on what to expect when selling.
   
   The only drawback is that the publisher did not use color photographs and add more of them to the book. This really would have enhanced the overall quality of the book if they had used all of Alicia's photos and in color.



3. This is an ultra-complete soap making book. It's my bible. It even touches upon the HP technique that other books leave out.
   
   The BEST part is that the recipes come in batch sizes. And there are no shortages of recipes.
   
   Color photos would have been preferred. 5 star book regardless.



4. As someone who is a beginner at soapmaking I found this book provides a great overview of the subject. Really covers a lot of ground, pretty much any question you can think of is answered here. Lots of useful recipes as well so as you proceed there are many more advanced recipes you can try. Definitely very useful for anyone learning this craft.



5. Having read many books on soapmaking and having made some soap, I find my returning to this book to check methods, and ideas. The book is well written easy to read, understand and full of good information for all types of soap making. A must have for the begining soapmaker.

5 comments about Soapmaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide with Recipes, Techniques & Know-How (Natural Body Series - The Natural Way to Enhance Your Life).

1. I have plans to start making soap in the near future and I was told this was the book to have. Lots of information here. I haven't started the project yet but this book will be right there with me when it happens!!



2. I am only just getting into soapmaking and found this book to be comprehensive and interesting for the most part. What I did not find helpful was the limited (and often dangerous) lack of direction that the author gives re: safety and soapmaking. References like, 'be ready to leave the room' or words to that effect, if you are overcome by fumes, is not my idea of dealing with safety issues, in a professional and sustainable way. Im still looking for information before I begin making soaps but this book did pique my interest even more. Limited what's available at present, finding a book on soapmaking that covers all bases, completely and accurately. It is a craft/business that is growing by leaps and bounds though, hopefully someone will write a book that really covers every issue in detail. Ill be ready to purchase!



3. I've been making soap for some time and have enjoyed this book immensely. It has lots of good suggestions and tons of excellent recipes.



4. The Soapmakers Companion has been in print for more than ten years now. My copy of this book is worn and stained from many soapmaking sessions. Despite the drift of time and my accumulated knowledge, this is one book that I return to frequently for review of all that pertains to Soapmaking. One of the strong points of this book is that it gets you up and running making soap. The recipes work their way from the relatively simple Soap Essentials Bar comprised of a basic coconut/olive/palm oil mixture to more elaborate recipes such as transparent soap and soap in the round. While Susan Miller Cavitch notes that this book is not that much of a basic book, yet I believe that even if one has never made soap before, this is an excellent book to start with.



5. I found her information very helpful and clear. My mother also uses this book and is the one who suggested it to me. She has been making soap at home for years and finds this book the best one she's seen.

5 comments about Making Natural Liquid Soaps: Herbal Shower Gels / Conditioning Shampoos / Moisturizing Hand Soaps.

1. This book is a rip-off. If you want simple, easy recipes to follow, don't buy this book. This book gives a lot of useless information and is poorly written.



2. This book not only explains the mechanics of how to make the soap but it also explains the chemistry in practical ways. This enables me to make up my own recopies to the amount I desire with the proper balance of lye to different kind of oils. It also has starter recipes for the beginners. In short, I think this book is great for the beginner and one who wants to begin to be more creative in their soap making.



3. What a rip off. I wish I had read the reviews before buying. All I wanted were some good recipes and all I got were a bunch of percentages for this and that. Maybe I can use some of the pictures for decoupage.



4. While Failor's book has some very detailed instructions, she makes the process of hand crafted liquid soap more difficult than it needs to be.



5. This book offers great directions for making soap. It also offers some excellent starting recipes to formulate some of your own.

5 comments about The Natural Soap Book: Making Herbal and Vegetable-Based Soaps.

1. An excellent resource, however I would have liked to be able to give it 4.5 stars as the author is fairly preachy about how wonderful vegetable oils are, and how meat and meat products such as animal fats are always bad.



2. I like this book because it gives recipes for smaller batches of soap instead of making enough for an army. It has clear and easy instructions, and easy to find ingredients.



3. As a soapmaking beginner, I found this book to be very helpful. It gives a good grounding in the basic knowledge, chemistry etc. that every soapmaker needs and takes you through the process step by step. There is also a lot of information about safety, working with lye that is important to know, though I can see that it might put some people off. Overall, I would recommend this book - its jam packed with useful information.



4. I have a couple other books on soapmaking, but found this book gives me information that has helped me understand the process much better.



5. I will try to make my own soap and this book is exactly what I was looking for : everything explained from beginning. Thank you Susan

5 comments about Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Traditional Handmade Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Luxurious Handcrafted Soaps for Family, Friends, and Yourself.

1. As a professional soapmaker, I'm always on the lookout to increase my standing knowledge of the craft, and Anne is great for giving time saving tips useful for both old hands and beginners alike.



2. I was inspired to make soap when my daughter shared some shea butter soap with me that she had bought at a farmer's market and because I was concerned about the chemicals in the products we were using.
   
   I read a great deal about making cold process soap during the 2 years I was making melt and pour soap and gathering equipment. It seemed scary and complicated. Everyone said something different and there was lots about "rebatching" soap batches that didn't turn out well.
   
   When I finally had all of my equipment and the only thing stopping me was clear directions and a bit of fear, I read reviews of soap making books on Amazon. This was the book that I was most impressed with from reading the reviews so I ordered it. I shall be eternally grateful that I did.
   
   I have made 2 batches of soap from Anne's shea butter recipe, one of them a bug repellent soap, and they have both turned out perfect. Now I've created 2 of my own recipes using her information and instructions, to use up some extra oils I have, and feel completely confident that they will turn out well. Before reading her book I couldn't imagine creating my own recipes at all, much less this soon.
   
   And like she says, you should never have to "rebatch" a batch of soap. I, too, have read the book several times and continue to reference the excellent information regarding creating your own recipes. I can't say enough good about this book, for either an aspiring or an experienced soap maker. I no longer fear making soap, but find it a totally awesome experience now and feel fantastic every day as I use the soap I've made.
   
   If you're the least bit interested in making soap I would strongly suggest that this be the first book you purchase for your soap making library.



3. I enjoyed Anne's laid back, but very informative writing style. I had no experience making soap, and my first batch turned out really nice -thanks to the clear directions and explanations about how to work with lye,etc.



4. I've purchased other books on soapmaking. This is the best I've read. It gives you the basics and encourages you to go for it. I was apprehensive to purchase this book because it was so small; but it just proves the saying that "good things come in small packages." Start with this one first!



5. This is a great book for anyone with little soap making knowledge. The details and instructions are great, nice recipies too.