Milk Soapmaking (牛乳石鹸): The Smart and Simple Guide to Making Lovely Milk Soap From Cow Milk, Goat Milk, Buttermilk, Cream, Coconut Milk, or Any Other Animal or Plant Milk [ペーパーバック]

Experience the rich, soothing, luxurious feel of milk soap you've made yourself. Your skin will thank you for it.

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REVIEWS AND COMMENTS

"Beautiful in its simplicity. . . . A definitive book for experienced as well as beginning milk soapers." -- Rebekah Bailey, The Original Soap Dish, South Whitley, Indiana

"An easy to read and understand book that will take the mystery out of milk-based soapmaking." -- Amanda Guilfoyle, Bodelicious Bath & Body Products, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

"As always, Anne is up to her usual excellence. This book demystifies milk soapmaking so everyone can have the luxury of a truly decadent bar of soap *easily*. LOVE this book!!!" -- Susan Kennedy, Oregon Trail Soaps, Rogue River, Oregon

"If you have an interest in milk soaps, this is the book for you. . . . Debunks much of the popular wisdom that may have discouraged some soapmakers." -- Kevin M. Dunn, Author, "Caveman Chemistry" and "Scientific Soapmaking" (forthcoming)

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CONTENTS

A Few First Thoughts

Myths and Milk
(Stories You Hear about Milk Soapmaking)

What Is Milk Soap, Anyway?
(What It Is and What Goes Into It)

What Do I Use to Make It?
(Gathering the Equipment You Need)

The Two Ways to Make Milk Soap
(And How to Choose Between Them)

Milk Soapmaking Step-by-Step
(From Prep to Cleanup and Beyond)

More Recipes!
(Different Milk Soaps You Can Try)

Making Soap with Plant Milks
(Vegans Do It Too!)

Getting Your Milk Soap in Shape
(How to Choose and Use a Mold)

Controlling Your Color
(How to Keep It Light)

Why? Why? Why?
(Frequently Asked Questions)

Since my book "Smart Soapmaking" was published, I've been asked again and again if it covers milk soapmaking. It doesn't. Milk soapmaking is a subject unto itself. It uses different materials, of course, but besides that, it needs a different approach. Too much material to cram into one book, I felt.

Also, milk soaps weren't my specialty at that time. I'd made a few, and they were fine soaps. In fact, several people who received bars of my whipping cream soap as gifts began to nag me to go back into the soap business. But I didn't consider myself an expert.

Time changes things. As I started trying to answer questions from soapmakers about milk soap, I was drawn farther and farther into the subject. I learned about the different types of milk, what to expect from them, and how to handle each one.

I made hundreds of bars of soap from dozens of different recipes. I experimented with scent and color to see what happens when they're used with milk. Then there were non-dairy milks to consider -- would any of them make good soap? On a spreadsheet, I kept a log of my experiments -- what went into each batch, and what came out.

When I got unexpected results, I asked materials vendors and chemists -- what's going on here? And they were kind enough to tell me, so a few more puzzle pieces snapped into place. Then I set up a testing program, giving and sending out soap sets identified only by number to testers who rated them for lather, feel, and general attractiveness.

In the end, I decided to write another book. Otherwise, I really would have had to go back into the soap business.