Making soap involves combining fats and oils with sodium hydroxide (lye) to generate a chemical reaction called saponification. This occurs in both the cold-process and hot-process methods of soap making, and we like experimenting with both processes. 

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• Cold-process soap is the more common practice of soap-making because of its silkier finishes in batches. Because the batter is thinner, it is easier to create designs, layers, or swirls in soap bars. It's called cold-process soap even though the batch is never refrigerated or cooled. Heat is never applied, except to the oils before combination.

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• Hot-process soap is similar to cold process, with the notable difference being that the soap is cooked in a slow cooker which speeds up the saponification process. This means hot-process batches can be used sooner than cold-process batches due to the shorter curing time.

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Another popular soapmaking method, melt and pour, is where pre-made soap bases are melted and customized using colors and fragrances. We only use melt and pour for embeds, which is when an embedded shape such as a heart or moon is in a soap bar.

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 Soapmaking is both a creative and technical art that requires patience and accuracy. Still, the satisfaction that comes from unmolding and cutting a fresh batch is like no other.