'SOAPMAKING DAY COURSES'
Learn to make natural, glycerine rich, handmade soaps in your kitchen using plant oils, herbs, natural exfoliators and essential oils.
Your tutor, Melinda Coss, pioneered of the art of handmade soapmaking in the UK & is the author of ‘The Handmade Soap Book’ and ‘Gourmet Soaps Made Easy’, she also ran one of the largest hand made soap companies in the UK before selling her business and moving to France in 2003.
Most of the soaps you buy in the high street are, in fact not soap at all, they are synthetic detergent (syndet) bars which are made up of numerous chemicals. In a handmade soap bar the moisturising glycerine that is a natural bi-product of the process is left in the soap to soften your skin, in mass-produced bars this valuable ingredient is extracted and sold separately. By the end of the course you will understand the benefits of using a variety of plant oils and you will be able to formulate a recipe that is perfect for your skin.
Our courses are very hands on - we divide people into groups of four or five and each group has a soapmaking station with its own equipment. Each station is expertly supervised but You make the soap not us ! The course is perfect for complete beginners and also for those who want to master some new techniques.
At our cold process course you will learn to make bar soaps with a range of ingredients including goats milk and we will teach you specialist techniques so that you can swirl and layer colours in your soaps. We also run a big colouring play session where you can experiment with natural and synthetic colourants. All you need to bring is a pair of rubber gloves and an apron.
If you are thinking of running a soapmaking business our Liquid Soapmaking course is a must because liquid soaps greatly outsell bar soaps. We teach the paste method which is a hot process that creates a paste which you can store and dilute as required for use as a foam soap, a liquid soap or a shower gel. We do not use any chemicals or preservatives.
Cream soapmaking is an exciting hot process technique which enables you to create a rich cream soap that you store in a jar. You can blend exotic oils and exfoliants into this soap to create unique products that will wow your friends.
All our courses are run in Walthamstow which is on the Victoria line tube. There is good accommodation we can recommend if you wish to come for the whole weekend. Full details will be sent to you once you have booked. You will find dates for our courses here
Our practical courses are £85.00 per day or £160 for the two September courses.
These courses are very popular with attendants coming from all over the world. Please book early so you won't be disappointed.
Once you have mastered the art of soapmaking, you may like to attend one of our regular one day, soap business courses. Here you will learn how to set up a super efficient workshop, source equipment, ingredients and packaging at highly competitive prices, and how to market and promote your soaps. Our business course is £100.00 for the day.
TO RESERVE A PLACE EMAIL Melinda Coss or Telephone 07944 899759
OOur London courses are suitable for complete beginners and for those who want to try some special stuff like swirling and layering.. In addition to learning tons about soapmaking you will meet a great bunch of people to share ideas with. We throw in a scrummy lunch and you go home with armfulls of soap that you've made yourself, course papers & software. We're popular - so booksoon!
