It has always bugged me when I've been at a craft show or in a soap shop and the salesperson has said, "Our soaps are all natural glycerin soaps." Or, "Our soaps are better because they're glycerin soaps." I can't quite say, "You don't know what you're talking about." They're basically right...but the term glycerin soap is really a misnomer.
All real soap is glycerin soap.
I repeat, all real soap (not made with synthetic detergents) is essentially glycerin soap. Glycerin is a byproduct of the soap making process.
Oils + lye (with some water) = soap + glycerin
What many people call glycerin soap is actually transparent soap. Transparent soap is real soap too...it just goes through a hot process where sugar and/or alcohol are added as "solvents" to keep the soap crystals from becoming opaque. Without this crystallization, the soap remains clear. You could take just about any of your soap recipes and adjust the process to make them transparent. (Naturally, some recipes will work better than others...but that's basically the case.)
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Some people like their soap rich and smooth and creamy.
Some like it full of scrubby stuff.
Most, like me, like it somewhere in between...or a combination of both
After cleansing, exfoliation is one of the most important parts of overall skin care; a little bit of scrub is actually quite good for you! So why not incorporate a little bit of scrub along with your cleansing? Along with dozens of natural colorants you can add to give your soap (both cold process and melt-n-pour) color, there are many natural exfoliants you can add to give your soap some scrubbiness. Here’s a growing list I’ve been compiling from my own soaps, tests and other soapers.
Using Natural Exfoliants in Soap.
You really will notice a difference in your skin if you regularly exfoliate.

Over the holiday, I did a ruthless re-organization of the craft room. Actually, I was able to organize everything into a "craft closet" instead of it spreading out throughout the whole room. I got rid of some old stuff, packed some stuff away, and just as important, put the important stuff (that I tend to forget about) near the front. It had gotten to a point that I had to something...I was spending more time finding the materials and ingredients to do candle and soap projects than actually making them?
Is "Organize the Craft Room" perpetually on your "To Do" list? When my soap and candle supplies are well organized, I can easily find what I'm looking for to make a project. Unfortunately, that's not as often as I like, so I set out to find some resources to help me get the craft room more organized. Here is an updated list of best articles and resources I found - my Top Ten Articles to Help You Get Your Craft Room More Organized!

Whether you sell your soaps and candles...or they're just for you and friends and family, Valentine's Day is just a bit over a month away. (I know, we're just barely past Christmas!) While there's still time for you to place fragrance orders from your local or an online supplies vendor, here's a list of my Top Ten Valentine's Day Fragrance Oils. Your tastes may vary, but these are some of my personal favorites...and ones that my friends and family like a lot. So whether you're making soap or candles for yourself, your spouse, sweetheart, significant other or whomever, give these a try. Enjoy!
And be sure to visit the discussion on the Candle and Soap Making Forum to chime in about your favorite romantic fragrances or blends.
Photo credit: Renaud Visage/ Getty Images