The Bottom Line
- Good information about why soaps made with milk are beneficial
- Very good information & instructions on how to make milk soaps
- Good basic soap making information
- Doesn't mention coconut or soy milks
- A little dated in some procedures (like no stick blenders!)
- Recipes all have vegetable shortening as their primary oil
Description
- Great information about making soaps with all kinds of milk.
- Fairly easy to follow instructions - though a bit intimidating in places.
- A few idiosyncracies like the disparity of mixing temperatures.
- An interesting final chapter on labeling and selling your soaps.
Guide Review - Milk-Based Soaps by Casey Makela
So if you really want a book that gives good information about making soaps with milks this book goes into the benefits of milk and how-to of making soap with milk better than most other books out there. She discusses the proteins, vitamins and ash in the milk - and the differences in milks. (Did you know that reindeer milk has almost 5 times the fat of cow and goat's milk?)
The rest of the book is pretty straightforward and basic. It's pretty dated in its tools and equipment used - no stick blenders! There is some good discussion on molds and other soap ingredients...and some interesting recipes. But she uses far too high a percentage of vegetable shortening (eg. Crisco) in her recipes for my taste. Luckily, most of them can translate easily to recipes you formulate yourself.
