To be honest this time last year I would never have imagined that I would be running a small business selling Rosehip Oil from my home in Devon, let alone making soap! However, here I am telling you about my foray into soap-making; showcasing all the highs, lows, trials and tribulations that I have experienced along the way in the past year 9 months.
Initially the plan had been to sell my organic Rosehip Seed Oil as a simple, hydrating, nourishing and replenishing facial oil; however this didn't last long. I was soon researching and discovering alternative products in which to use my rosehip oil.
Rosehip oil is a great carrier oil and is widely used due to its nutritional benefits and anti-ageing properties in all sorts of natural skincare products from facial oils, body butters, bath oils and soap!
Always up for a challenge and learning something new I chose to make soap. After much scrolling on the internet on 'how to make soap', I thought I might have bitten off more than I could chew. I was becoming more and more bamboozled by all the different terms and processes and concerned about using lye. I realised the only way forward was to go on a course and learn about the art of soap-making under the guidance of someone with plenty of experience and knowledge.
So on a grey day in December Mum and I attended a cold process soap-making beginners course with Keri aka the Soap Coach in the Duchy town of Poundbury. What an awesome experience and I would highly recommend! Straight from the off it was full on and hands on! From learning about soap ingredients and technical terms such as saponification, to working safely with lye and blending essential oils, Keri gave us a great foundation and confidence from which to start our cold-process soap-making journeys.
Read part 2 to see how I faired going it alone.