Smart Soapmaking

( 7 )
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Paperback
$10.71
BN.com price
$15.00 List Price (Save 29%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$10.04
$15.00 List Price (Save 33%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (14)  
Used (4)  
New (10)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 2
Showing 1 – 10 of 14 (2 pages)
$10.04
(Save 33%)
SuperBookDeals-
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(14101)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Like New
Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.

Ships from: South Bend, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$10.05
(Save 33%)
source media
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(189)

Condition: Like New
Money back if not happy.

Ships from: Hialeah, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
$10.19
(Save 32%)
SuperBookDeals-
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(14101)

Condition: New
Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.

Ships from: South Bend, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$10.20
(Save 32%)
source media
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(189)

Condition: New
Brand New. Money back if not happy.

Ships from: Hialeah, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
$10.29
(Save 31%)
BargainBookStores
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(7941)

Condition: New
BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Ships from: Grand Rapids, MI

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$10.63
(Save 29%)
More Books
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(772)

Condition: Like New
Paperback Fine 100% Brand New!

Ships from: MIAMI, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$10.79
(Save 28%)
More Books
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(772)

Condition: New
Paperback 100% Brand New!

Ships from: MIAMI, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$10.95
(Save 27%)
booklab
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(791)

Condition: Like New
2007 Paperback Fine Brand New! Fast shipping! Great customer service. You will be happy!

Ships from: Schenectady, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$11.11
(Save 26%)
booklab
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(791)

Condition: New
2007 Paperback Brand New! Fast shipping! Great customer service. You will be happy!

Ships from: Schenectady, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$11.45
(Save 24%)
EuroBooks
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(3501)

Condition: New
Shipped from US in 4 to 14 business days. Established seller since 2000

Ships from: Horcott Rd, Fairford, United Kingdom

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 2
Showing 1 – 10 of 14 (2 pages)
Close
Sort by

Overview

Maybe you've made melt-and-pour soap and want to move on to something more challenging and rewarding. Maybe traditional soapmaking appeals to you, but you figure it's too difficult or dangerous. Or maybe you're already doing it, but outmoded ideas and methods are complicating the process and slowing you down.

No matter which of these fits you, you'll find Smart Soapmaking practical, helpful, and refreshing. Written by a former professional soapmaker, this book explodes the myths about soapmaking and shows you how to make luxurious soap with the least fuss and bother.

With both customary and metric measurements, plus a list of suppliers in five countries,...

See more details below
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

Maybe you've made melt-and-pour soap and want to move on to something more challenging and rewarding. Maybe traditional soapmaking appeals to you, but you figure it's too difficult or dangerous. Or maybe you're already doing it, but outmoded ideas and methods are complicating the process and slowing you down.

No matter which of these fits you, you'll find Smart Soapmaking practical, helpful, and refreshing. Written by a former professional soapmaker, this book explodes the myths about soapmaking and shows you how to make luxurious soap with the least fuss and bother.

With both customary and metric measurements, plus a list of suppliers in five countries, Smart Soapmaking is the first truly international book on the craft!

Praise for Smart Soapmaking:

"Should become THE book for soapmaking. . . . It's about time someone wrote a book like this. Most are idealistic and inaccurate. This book has a wonderful common sense approach that is SO long overdue. . . . I can recommend it with 100% confidence."—Susan Kennedy, Oregon Trail Soaps, Rogue River, Oregon

"Smart it is . . . . A simple, no-nonsense book that cuts through the curmudgery of stifling soap bibles like no other."—Shellie Humphries, Harstine Island, Washington

"Way overdue. . . . A gift of common sense caution, proven methods, tried-and-true shortcuts, and some excellent recipes as well, for both the professional/experienced soapmaker and the eager beginner."—Deb Petersen, Shepherd's Soap Co., Shelton, Washington

"A great book for beginners, with clear and easy instructions."—Anne-Marie Faiola, Bramble Berry Inc., Bellingham, Washington

"I learned more from Smart Soapmaking than from any other soaping book, and I have read quite a few. . . . It's written with the average person in mind, not a chemistry major. Directions are very simple and easy to understand. It really takes the mystery out of making soap."—Jackie Pack, Stuart, Virginia

"Written in an easy, casual style that reminded me of an in-person soapmaking class. The information is practical, helpful, and easy to understand."—Barb Miller, Miller's Homemade Soaps, Westfield, Pennsylvania

"Excellent . . . . The simplicity and fear quashing is wonderfully reassuring to the beginning soaper."—Kerry Pearson, Heirloom Body Care, Llandilo, New South Wales

"The directions are more practical than in other soapmaking books I've read. I was also happy to see how many great sources for materials and information the book provided. The book will save soapmakers a lot of time and effort."—Pamela Paine, Butternut Creek Farm Soaps, Dorset, Ohio

"Written with a delightful voice and humor."—Kathy Miller, Miller's Homemade Soap Pages, Silverdale, Washington

"I wish Smart Soapmaking had been my first book on soap. It simplifies the process, and it just makes sense. . . . Covers several months worth of questions."—Phyllis Driggs, Liberty, Indiana

"Excellent . . . . Easy to read, practical, down to earth. Performs the greatly needed service of dispelling myths, which it does with a sense of humor."—Loretta Liefveld, Nature's Wild Child, Rancho Cucamonga, California

"A necessity for those just starting out who want to do it right from the very first time."—Megan Baillie, Budd Lake, New Jersey

"BRILLIANT to find the recipes are in grams as well as ounces."—Jude Birch, Aussie Soap Supplies, Bicton, West Australia

"After making soap for the past year, worrying about every little step and superstition, it was very entertaining and reassuring to read Smart Soapmaking."—Jocelyn Gilmartin, Alisei Soap, Oldwick, New Jersey

"I used Smart Soapmaking to make my first batch of soap. And it was easy!"—Donna McGinn, Pequea, Pennsylvania

"I wish I had read this book six batches ago! I feel like I can start over and make great soap easily."—Sue Turgeon, South St. Paul, Minnesota

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780938497424
  • Publisher: Shepard Publications
  • Publication date: 1/1/2007
  • Pages: 120
  • Sales rank: 101,804
  • Product dimensions: 0.25 (w) x 7.50 (h) x 9.25 (d)

Meet the Author

Anne L. Watson made soap professionally under the company name Soap Tree before deciding that soapmaking was more fun as a hobby than a business. In her other life, she is now retired from a long and honored career as a historic preservation architecture consultant. Other interests of Anne's have included photography, quilting, scale miniatures, puppetry, and carousels. She is the author of an epistolary novel, Skeeter: A Cat Tale (Next River Books, 2005); and with her children's author husband, Aaron Shepard, a graphic novel, Robin Hood (Stone Arch Books, 2007). Anne, Aaron, and their cat, Skeeter, live in Olympia, Washington.

Read an Excerpt

One thing that puzzles new soapmakers is instructions to stir your soap mixture till it shows a condition called "trace." This is described as when the mixture is so thick that, if you dribble a bit of the mixture back into the pot, a "trace" of what you dribble will remain on the surface. Beginning soapmaking books often contain close-up photos of soap at trace. I remember squinting at many of them, trying to figure it all out. When I started making soap, I made two successful batches, fretting about trace the whole time. The soap came out fine, but I was sure I was doing something wrong. I hadn't seen anything that looked like the photos.

It was my good luck to have a friend who had been a high school chemistry teacher. When I phoned and told her about my difficulties with trace, she asked what it was. I was surprised a chemist didn't know, but I explained as best I could.

There was a brief silence. Of course I couldn't see her, but she was probably rubbing her forehead -- which she does when anyone says something that makes no sense.

Finally, she said, "You don't need to worry about that. If you just measure correctly, control the temperature, and mix your ingredients well, you'll get soap."

I decided to follow her advice, and I've never lost a batch of soap. Follow mine, and you won't either.

But why the difference? Are all those soap books wrong?

Not really. With hand stirring, you do have to look for trace. That's because saponification -- the chemical reaction that creates soap -- has to thicken the mixture to that point before you can stop stirring and pour it into the mold. Otherwise, some of the fat and the lye solution could still separate, leaving the reaction incomplete.

But in modern craft soapmaking, hand stirring is most often replaced by use of a stick blender. This blends the fat and the lye solution so rapidly and thoroughly that they quickly get mixed down to a microscopic level. That not only gets the mixture saponifying a whole lot faster, it also helps hold the fat and the lye solution together while it's happening.

Of course, the chemistry is more complicated than that, but the bottom line is that you don't have to wait for the mixture to thicken all the way to trace before pouring it into the mold. It will get there after you pour it.

How do you know when you can stop blending? Don't worry, I'll describe the signs for you. You'll be able to tell by sight, by sound, and even by temperature. Yes, you'll be able to gauge it with a thermometer!

Table of Contents

A Few First Thoughts

Superstitions Galore!
(Myths About Soap and Soapmaking)

What Is Soap, Anyway?
(What It Is and What Goes Into It)

What Do I Use to Make It?
(Gathering the Equipment You Need)

Step-by-Step Soapmaking
(From Prep to Cleanup and Beyond)

More Recipes!
(Different Soaps You Can Try)

Designing Your Own
(How to Create Great Recipes)

Getting Your Soap in Shape
(How to Choose or Make a Mold)

Wrapping It Up
(Lovely Packaging for Your Soap)

Why? Why? Why?
(Frequently Asked Questions)

A Few Final Thoughts

Resources

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 7 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(4)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(3)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing all of 7 Customer Reviews

  • Posted December 14, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    An outstanding introduction to the craft of soap making

    Where oh where was this book when I was starting out making soap?!
    Anne Watson delivers a kind, funny and entirely useful introduction to the art of soap making in the very simplest book of its kind on the market. I once considered writing a book to help those who had never made soap or those who had tried and needed some help understanding the underlying principles of the craft. I have abandoned that idea now because Smart Soap making handles the job so eloquently.
    While I do not consider myself an expert soap maker, after almost three years making soap I like to think I know most of the tricks and methods. I have to admit though that I learned a few things reading this book and Anne had me smiling the whole way through.
    If you want to buy a book for a master soap maker then this might not be the best choice but for the rest of us, especially those starting out who need some handholding or those wanting a more thorough understanding of soap making this is definitely the book for you.
    It won't change your life but it will absolutely make you a better soaper!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 23, 2007

    I became smarter with this book.

    This book will be helpful to beginners and experienced alike. The author's directions are concise, practical, and descriptive. She also includes recipes!! Having made some handmade soap, I was able to gleam more advanced ideas such as how-to's on CPOP. The resources are up to date and very useful. I keep this book right where I can find it all the time. You will use this resource!!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 29, 2008

    Not great ...

    Not a good beginner or only book in your soaping library. The author bucks a lot of traditional advice, without really supporting her statements. It's published by her husband and has an amateurish feel. Also, the font is large so you don't get your 100 pages worth. Interesting read, but not worth the money.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 25, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 19, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 20, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 3, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 7 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit