A soap that produces lots of bubbles can feel more cleansing, but lather and cleansing are not the same thing. Learn why different oils create very different lather and why more foam is not always desirable.
Olive oil and coconut oil can both be used for liquid Castile soap, but they produce very different soaps. Learn how they compare in cleansing, lather and thickness—and why the better choice depends on what you want the soap to do.
Liquid Castile soap can range from surprisingly thick to almost watery, and thickness does not tell you how well it cleans or lathers. Learn why the oils used make such a difference to the consistency of the finished soap.
Cold process soap is shaped by much more than its basic recipe. Learn how oils and butters influence hardness, lather and skin feel; how fresh ingredients, powders, fragrance and other additives affect a bar; and how formulation, troubleshooting and artistic design fit together.
Artistic soap design starts before the soap is poured. Learn how to break an inspiration image into colours, gradients, textures and recognizable elements—and why planning the composition matters as much as adding decoration.
A beautiful-looking soap is not necessarily a correctly made soap, and an unattractive bar is not necessarily a failed one. Learn why pH is an important quality check and how it helps distinguish an aesthetic problem from a more fundamental formulation issue.
Cold process soap can be made without palm oil, but removing it can change the hardness and longevity of the finished bar. Understand why replacing palm oil is not always straightforward and why a shorter-lasting bar is not necessarily a failed soap.
Cold process soap does not automatically need added glycerin because glycerin is already produced during the soap-making process. Learn why it remains in the bar and how adding extra glycerin can affect softness and moisture absorption.
Cold process soap can contain liquids, fresh pastes and purées, botanical powders, clays and physical scrubs—but they don’t all behave in the same way. Learn why the form, texture and amount of an additive matter to the finished soap.
Cold process soap can sometimes change from fluid and manageable to unexpectedly thick. Learn why over-blending and certain essential or fragrance oils can accelerate thickening, and why losing your design does not necessarily mean losing the soap.
