The Handmade Soap Book

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Awe-Inspiring Photos, but Poor Recipes
Review: This book was the first soap book I purchased, and I found the photographs to be absolutely awe-inspiring. The soaps in the pictures look fabulous, and there are photos of the soapmaking process that would be valuable to a beginner. For one thing there are photos of "trace", which eludes most beginners because there are so many conflicting definitions.

Unfortunately, I found the recipes to be very disappointing. They are a little on the lye-heavy side, for one thing, and as other reviewers have pointed out, this can cause major problems on small batches. The recipes are also quite complex, and the ones I've tried made soft, short-lived bars. However, they did inspire me to incorporate some of the ideas in my own recipes.

I would have given this book a 2 1/2 star rating if that had been available.