It’s not like I woke one morning and decided to make soap. I mean really, in this day and age, who actually makes their own soap? I had no inclination or curiosity to even follow this path.
So, imagine my surprise when my friend Jody mentioned, ‘There is a natural soap making class I think we should take.’
‘Why would we want this?’ I ask her.
‘Because it will be fun. We can make our own soaps,’ she stated in a tone of voice that said, ‘duh’!
‘Jody, I have never wanted to make my own soaps. Who would? Are you kidding me?’
‘No, I am not kidding. It will be fun. Let’s do it.’
Ugh.
One week later I find myself sitting in a soap making class. I study the faces of the others as the instructor discusses such things as carrier, base and essential oils. Everyone looks so engrossed in the words being spoken and a question/answer session develops.
Really? I think to myself. There is such interest in all of this? Can’t we all just make the soap and move on?
As if in response to my thoughts, the instructor continues the class and next thing I know I am mixing a vat of soap. Ingredients such as poppy seeds, peppermint leaves and essential oils are added to the mix. Wow, this is just like cooking. This is actually kind of fun.
We are sent home with our own little soap molds and I pick them up every few days and think to myself, ‘wow, I made this! How cool is that?’
A few days later, Jody calls and we talk about the equipment to buy to make our own soaps at home. I can’t believe I am doing this but I start jumping in full blown. It is November and I figure I can get all the materials in and get the soap ready for holiday gifts. It is important this is planned correctly because the soap takes weeks to cure. I am fully aware that I have done a complete turnaround in my thoughts on soap making. If all the others can do it, I can do it. My level of excitement may not be as high as Jody’s or the others in the class, but I am going to make these Christmas gifts and everyone is going to ooh and aah over them.
Oohing and aahing is correct, but I was the one oohing and aahing and not out of excitement but more like pain. What the heck am I thinking? Making soap and choosing to make four different kinds like I am some expert? In class this was so easy–measure this, blend this, mix that and pour. Easy!! I got this.
What I got was a batch that was so dark green that it was almost black–what happened to that light sea foamy color I was going for? Another batch seized up in the pan and I couldn’t even pour it into the cute little soap molds that I purchased. It became a doorstop, pan and all. I figure I could walk by it and remind myself on a daily basis of my bright idea.
The third batch was coming along smooth and I poured it into the big wooden soap mold I purchased. Perfect!! Ok, this works. Yay! I can do this, I only need practice. I turned my back only for a few seconds. Maybe 5. As I turned around to look at my first successful batch, poured and ready to cure, I watched in horror as the soap was bubbling up and oozing over the sides of the mold. Oh my! What is this? I grab a spoon and try to put it back in but it keeps oozing and oozing over the side.
This is when I say ‘Ooh, darn it! and aaahhhh, oh my gosh!’ The words were something like that, I am sure a few of them were different.
As I stared at this fiasco, I thought about crying in frustration. I thought about chucking everything into the garbage. I also thought about all the money I had in the equipment, the supplies and the little baskets I was going to gift them in. How cute.
Then I straightened my posture and thought, ‘Get your act together! You can do this. Are you going to let soap get the better of you?’ I proceeded to chuck the batches into the garbage–and I chucked them with authority. They aren’t going to get the better of me!
And I promptly started over.
I would like to say that the second time around went smooth. But it didn’t. I am not a quitter though. I have made many more mistakes since then and I am still learning along the way. What started out as something I considered a waste of my time has turned into a full blown passionate hobby.
It was a few weeks before Christmas that I called Jody and said, ‘Hey, there is a class on lotions and lip balms that I think we should take.’
Without missing a beat, she replied, ‘Are you kidding me?’
