Cool Soapmaking: The Smart Guide to Low-Temp Tricks for Making Soap, or How to Handle Fussy Ingredie

Soap makers may love to add a variety of materials to soap, but they find that some cause more trouble than others. In the heat of the chemical reaction, an ingredient might discolor, lose its scent, or develop a bad smell. Or it might cause problems during soapmaking, giving off noxious fumes, or making the soap harden so fast that there's no time to pour it in the mold. Help has arrived. Anne L. Watson extends the low-temp techniques from her book "Milk Soapmaking" to making soap from a variety of special ingredients, including cucumber, citrus, pine tar, beer, and wine. Soaps that have long challenged home soap makers will now pose no problem at all.