Soap making has a messy past based on a chemical reaction that appeared magical. The substance no longer is fat or lye, but a new product capable of cleaning dirt from skin and clothes. Saponification remains the basic chemistry. But modern soap makers experiment with exotics like avocado or walnut oils. Although tallow and lard are available, the mixture of vegetable oils like olive, palm or coconut has become a favorite.
Homemade soap is nothing like the chalky bars of pioneer days.
It may look like stained glass or be studded with oatmeal. Modern soap makers have turned soap into a hobby that produces the finest, silkiest bars. Perfumed with essential oils such as lavender, clary sage, citrus or rose, home soaps look, and feel, luxurious. In commercial soap, one of the by-products, glycerin, is siphoned and sold to cosmetic companies. That simple emollient will remain in your home made soap.