The Natural Soap Chef: Making Luxurious Delights from Cucumber Melon and Almond Cookie to Chai Tea and Espresso Forte

Discovered some wonderful smelling soap at my local grocer, and was shocked to find it cost $6.00 a bar. I splurged, hurried home to indulge myself with this heavenly bar of soap only to discover that it dried my skin out....and was gone in two weeks (my husband loved it). So, after being disappointed with my purchase, I came to Amazon to see exactly how hard it was to make my own soap. I bought this book, worried that I'd read it and discover I was much too inept to attempt soap making. When the book arrived I sat down and read it...all of it. Every soap 'recipe'...everything. Here's what I discovered: Soap can be dangerous so follow all safety precautions and do as much research as possible to avoid dying (that's always my first concern lol). Also, soap can be more fun than baking (which I love) because your finished project will not force you to buy bigger clothes. I loved the recipes in this book, and Ms. Barto does a wonderful job of making them simple and providing fabulous directions. Another bonus? She tells you how to personalize the recipe, so you can make the soap YOU want. I would like to say that I felt this book was made for crafty folks who already have a basic understanding of soap making, not for someone like me who knew absolutely NOTHING about it. Of course, it is such a wonderful book that I don't mind getting something more in-depth and keeping this one for when I'm ready to make fabulous soaps!

The Natural Soap Chef covers all the basics and shares some great recipes and ideas for making soap. It also has wonderful photography. The content is organized, and the recipes are easy to follow. I'd recommend it to anyone beginning to make soap. Experienced soapers should be warned: most of the recipes are based on one oil recipe, so there is not a lot of variety, but if you are learning to make soap and want to try different things while you master an oil recipe, this is a good book to read. Also, this book does not cover how to create recipes of your own, which some reviewers didn't like, so if you are looking to learn how to do that, you probably don't want to check this book out. However, if you are looking for creative ideas and basic information, this book is excellent.

When I purchased this, I was new to soap making. The recipes are relatively simple and the how of it is laid out clearly. The why of it, that being the chemistry of soap making is not so clearly explained. That, however, is not the point of the book and thus does not factor into my review. I state it only to inform those who may be looking for this information. The recipes begin with simple lye and olive oil soap and become more complex from there, allowing one to perfect them at the simplest level and move on as skills improve. Tools and prep methods are clearly defined so that no one who uses the book should be caught without the appropriate tools. It is with the specific ingredients used in the book which present the only real flaw with this book. The title of the book states it is "natural" soap making. This presents two problems with the recipes contained in the book, the first is literal and the other is a result of semantics. First, a few of the recipes call for "scents" which are not essential oils or naturally derived and are instead created in a laboratory. If, like me, you are trying to simplify what you put into and onto your body as well as into and onto the environment, this does little to help in that regard. The second issue is, as I said, semantic. When most people read the word, "natural," they assume that the subject being described is environmentally friendly. It is a term often used with the intent of misleading the consumer and more consumers are learning to be wary of its use. I do not believe the author intended to mislead the reader but it is misleading given the inclusion of palm oil in many of the recipes. The palm oil industry has been connected with damage to the environment as well as numerous human rights violations. Not only is it impossible to find in most stores but it is dubious whether one should even try. The book does, however, offer a solution to this issue by linking to a lye calculator which allows you to enter in what ingredients you are using and adjusting the lye accordingly. I was able to substitute canola oil for the palm oil with a decent result. I am no chemist and have been making soap for less than a year and was able to use the calculator quite easily. Apart from the two problems listed above, the book is useful and contains some decent recipes to get you started. I have yet to find a book which contains every soap recipe although there are a few which will help you learn to experiment with ingredients. This book, however, is a good starting point.

I bought this book because my husband and I thought we would try our hand at soap making. C'mon, all 60+ seniors need a hobby! The book was easy to read, and the soap making recipes easy to follow. When I did have a question, I emailed Heidi Corley Barlo and got an immediate answer! By now, the book is on my soap table, dog eared and splattered, notes on most of the pages, and still a fun read. Honestly, I have never felt this good about any reference book. Inspiring. Oh yes, the soaps we have made from this book? Five star fantastic! Especially the chocolate soufflé soap! And all natural! We love them, our friends love them!

This book is amazing, for anyone who might have an interest in making or trying to understand the process of soapmaking. Starting with the enticing cover and the choice of colors, you are just drawn to this book. The photography of the soaps is well thought out; each backdrop suits the particular soap described. I have tried many of them, as well as given them as gifts, and Heidi has created the feeling that one gets when using each soap. The introduction gives the reader insight to the authors original interest in soapmaking, and then the need to help her daughter. As you read on, you notice the incredible detail in every section. Heidi has not forgotten a thing! Complete comprehensive directions, beautiful photographs, interesting notations about each soap, and for safety #2 in every recipe. An absolutely wonderful book to add to your collection or to give as a gift, along with a delightful bar of soap!

Yes, this book has the recipes I think I will start with and continue to use. I love the pictures (being a visual learner) to help me figure what trace is. The layout of the book is easy to follow and is a great reference to get all the supplies needed for a beginning soaper. My only criticism is that the book lacks recipes with Cocoa butter. She mainly uses Shea butter as one of her oil/fat bases and I know that I can't just switch the butters since the saponification value is different. I really appreciate the "clean up" section. I haven't found this info in any other book. Thanks!

This is a wonderful book for beginning soap makers. Heidi Corley Barto describes the basics of soap making in an easy to understand way and dives right in into a whole array of recipes that result in all kinds of different looking soaps. The first recipe I made from this book is the Hippie Soap which contains hemp oil and smells wonderfully like nag champa. I was not sure if the additives would speed up the saponification process and was happy to find that the soap behaved well and did not accelerate. Most of the soaps are variations of a basic 4-oil soap bar with different added ingredients. They all have a beautiful natural look, achieved by infusing oils with natural colorants or adding various food items like herbs, tees, carrots etc. Towards the end of the book are some beautiful recipes for embedded soaps like the Apple Butter Soap featured on the book cover. The next recipes on my personal to-make list are the Guinness Stout Soap, the Carrot & Ginger Soap, and the Head-to-Toe Shampoo Bar. If I made all the recipes that I like in this book, I would have soap for a long time. I believe I will have to share my soap creations...

This book contains many good ideas and covered many important information for beginners. I've tried many of the recipes inside and compared my soap with the pictures afterward. It is just so different from the photos. I do understand different geographical location and the quality of ingredients probably make a difference but some recipes I follow exactly the same described ingredients, measurement and methods but the result of the appearance is just disappointing. Despite the look, the texture of the soaps are great! My favorite one is the stanky dog soap! Also The basic 4 oil soap is a good blend for a good quality of soap bar. This book doesn't cover troubleshooting or special concern it involves such as making recipe with milk, why blend in the oil it suggested and what if false trace and how should prevent false trace... But for beginner during experimenting period you could give it a try and it's good foundation recipe book as reference. But remember to drop down notes for the recipe you experiment and adjust in the future when you get more experience of soap making.

This book is for the beginner or intermediate soap maker. It includes a broad range of recipes to suite every taste, with simple instructions, along with some packaging ideas. I'm very happy with this book, and would recommend it to others!