I regularly used to buy soaps from John when he was at the Farnham
Market and was greatly upset when I learnt of his passing away (I missed
the market a couple of times and later noticed that he wasn’t around
when I did manage to get there, and I eventually learnt of his passing
away when I visited the market in September 2007). I used to greatly
enjoy our chats and he was a very friendly man indeed.

On Saturday I happened to come across the very last bar of soap from the
very last batch that I bought from him (possibly March 2007?); I vouched
that I would never use this and would keep this in memory of him which I
have done so to date! For some reason I thought that I would carry out
an internet search and was thrilled to find your website and that you
have carried on with the production! Needless to say I packed myself off
to Farnham this Sunday as was thrilled to find my old favourites - the
lavender scrub and the rose garden! John worked hard to create these
wonderful products and it is wonderful to be able to experience them
again.

With sincerest regards

Arthur Murfitt

The Secret of Soap Making
Soap is the result of a basic chemical reaction between fats or oils and lye. That’s it. The difference between high-street harsh, greasy, “lye soap,” and your luxurious hand made soap, is the choice of ingredients. By carefully choosing a combination of quality oils, adding your favorite fragrance or essential oils, and swirling in a lively colorant, your soap suddenly takes on that charming “character” that commercially manufactured soap can’t even begin to compete with.
Safety Reminder:
If you are new to cold process soapmaking, please purchase a book and read about the serious safety issues associated with lye. A good book to start with is Susan Miller Cavitch’s “The SoapMakers Companion.” When handling lye, please use gloves and goggles and do not breathe in the fumes. Lye is VERY dangerous and can cause serious burns!!
Remember, the lye water mixture is always added to the oil and not vice versa.
The following recipes will yield approximately 5-6 bars of soap.
1 pound Hemp/Coconut/Olive Oil Batch

5 oz. Coconut Oil
5 oz. Hempseed Oil
6 oz. Olive Oil
2.3 oz. Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)
6 oz. water

Fragrance/Essential Oil .7 oz.
(See end of article for list of things you will need.)
Now for the fun part!
First, take the plastic shoebox and line the entire box with plastic wrap or cling film. You can set the box on the counter top, on top of the old drapery. The box will be your mold for the soap, which you will later cut into small bars.
Suit up in safety goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Add the lye to the water. This will heat up so be careful. Stir well taking precautions to not breathe in the fumes. Set the mixture to the side and allow it to cool to approximately 110F. You can put the lye water mixture outside if you are not in a well ventilated area.
Second, place the oils in the stainless steel pot and turn the heat on low. Put the thermometer into the pot and watch to be sure that the temperature does not exceed 120F. Melt the oils to a thick liquid. Remove from the stove, set-aside (still in the pot) and let cool to approximately 110F, or within 5 degrees of the lye water. This temperature match is very important.
Add the lye water to the melted oils, carefully. Stir vigorously until trace occurs. Trace looks like a thin pudding. If you can write your name in the soap on the surface, then it is more than likely began to trace. A stick blender will help speed trace along. If you are stirring by hand, this recipe may take up to an hour to trace.
You could add some fragrances now if you wish to make your soap smell lovely. Stir well after adding any essential oils or fragrances.
By now the soap will have thickened quite a bit. Pour the raw soap into your mold using a back and forth motion to make sure that the soap evenly spreads out. Scrape the last, thick bits of soap out of the pot with a rubber spatula.
If the top of the soap in the mold is uneven, smooth it out with a spatula. Pick the mold up and gently tap it on the counter top to dislodge and air bubbles that may have been trapped. Set the soap in a warm, safe place to set up and begin curing.
The soap mixture will begin to get hot as the saponification process starts. Depending on the temperature of the room, it often helps to lay a towel around or over the mold to help keep it warm, and keep the reaction going strong.
Put all of your ingredients and equipment away.
Keeping your gloves and safety goggles on, wash all of your utensils and soap pots with hot, soapy water. (Note: The oily raw soap residue that’s left in the pan is still a bit caustic, and can cause irritation and burns.)
After your soap has set for about 24 hours, it should be hard enough to unmold and slice. Pop or slide the soap out of the mold. Slice it into whatever size bars you like, and set it aside to cure. While the saponification process will have stopped in several days and the soap will technically be safe to use, it really needs to cure for approximately four weeks until it’s ready to use.
Congratulations……. You have made your first soap.
Things you will need.
Things you’ll need to get started:

1.) 1 pair of heavy duty elbow length rubber gloves
2.) 1 pair of safety goggles
3.) 2 1/2 gallon plastic pouring containers
4.) 2 large plastic spoons
5.) 1 good thermometer
6.) 1 set of scales
7.) Roll of plastic wrap
8.) 1 Stainless steel large pot
9.) 1 plastic shoebox lined with plastic wrap