Soap & Candle Making FAQs, Reference & Glossaries

Through email and through the Candle and Soap Making Forum, I get dozens of candle making and soap making questions each week. I do my best to answer them quickly and share my experience. Mailbag Monday is a feature where I'll share reader's questions and the answers. You can ask questions about candle making, soap making, or any of the related...

Sometimes seeing something done in real time is really helpful to understanding just how it works. It's just the same with soap making or candle making. Here are three collections of videos that we've done for the candle and soap making site that will help you get started.

Description of the legendary "tongue test" that soapmakers have used to test the ph of their soap for years.

What is a wick and what is wicking action?

Description & definition of a folded essential oil.

Description of Natrasorb Bath

The term glycerin (glycerine) soap is really a misnomer. All real soap is glycerin soap.

Definition of peroxide value in soap making oils

Definition of what a soap and candle notebook is - a resource for soap and candle making - and how to use it to help you make soap and make candles

Definition of Cyclomethicone

definition of hydrophobic as it pertains to soap making

definition of hydrophillic in soap making

Information about beeswax bloom

Description of Universal Additive for Candles

definition of micronized

Definition of "gel stage" in cold process soap making

Definition of cure in candle making

Colors sometimes don't stay put in melt and pour soap.

Definition of Hypoallergenic

Have a batch of soap that has suddenly turned orange in spots? You're a victim of DOS - or Dreaded Orange Spots

Information about Propylene Glycol

definition of superfatting in cold process soap making

Cold process soap needs to cure or age before it is ready to use

When making cold process soap you must wait until the mixture reaches trace - once you have seen it you will know but trace makes soap making beginners nervous

definition of saponification in soap making process

Description of a "seize" in soap making

Instructions & guidelines on labeling your soaps for sale at craft shows, markets and retail locations.

Information about mica colorants in soap making.

Definition of SAP number (Saponification Number) in soap making

Explanation of the difference between sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide in soap making

Directory of soap making recipes from basic soap making recipes to soaps with botanical additives to specialty soaps