Review: For the Love of All That is Holy!
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 07 1, 2014
Gah! I totally get that the Amazon self publishing platform opens doors to authors that would otherwise not be publishable. However, for a large percentage, there is a REASON. There are SO many awful eBooks out there. Unfortunately, this falls into that category.First, the author is grossly misinformed. I don't want to get too technical, but lye is used in every soapmaking process. When you combine sodium hydroxide (lye) with fatty acids (oil), a chemical reaction takes place, breaking apart both the lye and oil molecules and recombining them to form new substances, aka soap and glycerine. (Cool!) Commercial soap manufacturers separate these two byproducts, keeping the soap part to make standard detergent bars, and selling the glycerine for various uses, including melt and pour soap base. Handmade, cold process soapmaking leaves these two elements together, creating a bar that is both cleansing and nourishing. Sweet.Yep, you need to take precautions when working with raw lye, but you do when you perform basic cooking tasks as well. It's about that easy to get used to. The resulting soap is in no way unsafe or "toxic". Just think of it this way, you wouldn't want to ingest straight hydrogen, but combine it with oxygen and it creates one of the most useful, pure and necessary substances on the planet- water! The power of chemistry.With that out of the way, there are several odd statements and inconsistencies in this book. I'll touch on a few.-In the Brief History section, the author skims over traditional soap making (aka lye soap), moves quickly toward industrialization with comments on how bad all the chemicals are, and then comes back to focus on glycerine soap as the "natural, herbal alternative." The most natural process, clearly, is the one that has been around for centuries- lye soap. Glycerine is a byproduct of the chemical laden, industrial processing.-In the Fragrance/Allergies section, the author states that synthetic fragrance causes allergies, while those from natural sources are allergen free. Some people are definitely sensitive to some components in fragrance oil, and there are definitely good reasons for people to avoid them. However, the same can be said for essential oils. Some are skin irritants, while others are not safe at all for certain groups of people, such as pregnant women and children. For example, some citrus essential oil increase photo-toxicity; this is just a fancy way to say they make you more susceptible to sunburn.  Just do your research, please.-Of course, my beefs with the Sodium Hydroxide section are addressed above. Lye in soap isn't toxic to anybody as it is no longer lye after saponification; it's soap and glycerine.-Milled Soap, the second "no-lye" option the author suggests, is just cold process soap, fully saponified, that is grated down, remelted and mixed with other things. You are starting with the exact same soap that the author claims is so horrible. Or, you're using glycerine melt and pour base, which just pops it right back into that category.  You don't make milled soap with glycerine melt and pour.-Cucumber Melon Soap- there isn't a cucumber melon essential oil. It's a fragrance oil. I use and enjoy fragrance oils myself, being that I'm not in the very small percentage of people sensitive to them, but be aware that the suggested ingredient isn't available "all natural". I am also unaware of the existence of coconut, mango, pomegranate, blackberry, raspberry or strawberry as essential oils. Fruits make juice, not essential oil. (Citrus essential oils come from the peels.)As an aside, it would be nice to have a book that makes medical and scientific claims at least reference the "studies" properly. With as many errors as there are, however, the lack isn't surprising.To be fair, it's not like this book has nothing to offer. For one, there isn't glaring editorial issues, which are rampant in self published works. The author probably earned another star just for proper editing. Also, the recipes are decently thought out. I have nothing against melt and pour soap making, and new ideas and blends are always appreciated. The directions are easy to follow and seem well written. Sadly, the glaring mistakes and what almost seems to be blatant deception makes this book impossible to take seriously.