| Soapmaking can be a creative and
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| | periodically.Use the right
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| rewarding hobby as long as the proper
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| | equipment.Choose your bowls, pitchers,
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| safety precautions are followed. One of
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| | spoons, or whatever will come in contact
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| the biggest aspects of this means
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| | with your raw soap carefully. Ideally,
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| learning about lye and other safety
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| | you want to make sure your supplies
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| procedures, and this should be done
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| | aren't going to be used again for
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| before even bothering to attempt to
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| | cooking, for an example. You also have to
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| research how the soapmaking process
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| | keep in mind that certain metals such as
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| works. Sometimes even experienced
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| | aluminum or copper can have undesired
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| soapmakers need to be reminded! Don't let
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| | chemical reactions with lye. The best
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| this all scare you- making soap can be as
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| | materials to use are stainless steel and
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| safe of a craft as any other! However,
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| | heavy duty dishwasher safe plastics.
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| the key to safety means being informed.
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| | (Even wooden spoons will do, though the
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| Here's some guidelines and tips:GET TO
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| | lye water will slowly eat at them over
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| KNOW LYE AND RESPECT IT!!!Soap CANNOT be
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| | time. I lost a good spoon that way!) Some
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| made without lye. There's no way around
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| | people even recommend using large glass
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| it and if someone told you they did, I
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| | Pyrex measuring cups. However, I
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| hate to break it to you- they lied. Even
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| | personally can't. I have heard of rare
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| liquid soap, bath gels, and shampoos
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| | instances where even sturdy Pyrex glass
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| contain a form of lye called potassium
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| | has shattered- in one case I heard of, no
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| hydroxide. However lye, alone, is a
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| | one was even in the same room when it
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| highly dangerous substance. There's no
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| | happened! In a way it makes sense. Lye
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| sugar coating it- lye can kill you. If
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| | water, when first mixed, can reach very
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| you respect it and use it properly
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| | high temperatures in an absurdly small
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| everything will be fine. Try not develop
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| | amount of time. Then on top of it, over
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| a fear of it, and instead focus on
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| | time the potent lye itself may do it's
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| handling it properly.Label your lye
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| | damage. Over time it may make the glass
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| water.If lye is ingested internally,
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| | brittle and create stress on it, though
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| there is a strong likelihood of it being
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| | unseen to the human eye.Use distilled
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| fatal. If you walked away for even for
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| | water instead of tap.Some people say it's
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| less than a minute and someone walked
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| | alright to use regular tap water for
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| into your kitchen with a bowl of lye
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| | soapmaking. In most cases, it probably is
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| water in a glass, bowl, or pitcher- the
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| | fine... However tap water can contain
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| results could be deadly! Just to be safe
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| | various trace metals and minerals that
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| I like to mark my bowl or pitcher with
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| | may interact with your lye, giving some
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| large adhesive label or even better yet,
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| | unexpected results in your finished
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| a permanent marker.Wear your goggles or
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| | soaps. Once again, much better to be
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| safety glasses.Always! If lye water
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| | safer than sorry!Mind your pour!Always
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| splashes into your eyes, it can blind
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| | make sure to close the container of lye
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| you. It doesn't take much... Better to be
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| | tightly when you're done. Any moisture
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| safe than sorry!Wear your gloves.... And
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| | that gets in contact with the lye
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| your clothes!If it can do that to your
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| | granules will form clumps, which may
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| eyes, exposed skin isn't safer either!
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| | increase the chance of spills while
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| Lye can eat through skin. Even in tiny
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| | pouring next time you use it. It may even
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| amounts it can cause painfully irritating
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| | effect your soap by giving you inaccurate
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| chemical burns. It's wise to keep a
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| | weighings of your ingredients in the end,
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| bottle of vinegar around in case of
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| | if enough gets in there. Pouring slowly
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| splashes or spills. If this should occur,
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| | so you get it right the first shot and
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| rinsing with vinegar helps to neutralize
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| | don't have to put any back is also wise.
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| the lye. However, care should be taken to
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| | Another thing that can be a hassle
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| prevent this because the vinegar cannot
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| | sometimes when pouring to weigh your lye
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| undo damage that has already been done!
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| | is static... Lye sometimes gets a
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| Even finished soap bars can be irritating
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| | "charge" and granules here and there seem
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| until soap has it's "curing" time-
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| | to have a mind of their own when being
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| usually a very minimum of four weeks.
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| | poured! A quick wiping of the container
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| When making soap, it's smart to make sure
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| | you'll be weighing with a dryer sheet
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| you're wearing clothes that will protect
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| | first helps with a smoother pour.Always
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| your skin. Pants, instead of shorts or
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| | use a lye calculator- no matter
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| dresses, and long sleeves are ideal.
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| | what.Never assume a recipe that someone
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| Don't forget your feet- remember your
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| | gives you, that you find online, or come
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| shoes!Keep pets and children away while
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| | across in a book is safe. Even if you
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| soapmaking.It doesn't take much for lye
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| | obtain a recipe from the world's most
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| to be harmful to anyone- it takes even
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| | trustworthy source, it is always safer to
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| less to bring harm to a small child or
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| | run your recipe through a lye calculator
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| pet. If you have little ones running
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| | first to make sure you use the proper
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| around, it's best to do your soapmaking
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| | amount of your ingredients. There are
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| in an area they don't have access to or
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| | many free and easy to use lye calculators
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| wait until you have "alone time". Even
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| | that can be used online or downloaded to
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| with ground rules and with the best
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| | your computer, so there's no excuses!Stay
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| behaved children or pets in the world,
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| | away from painted surfaces.It's best not
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| it's just not worth the risk.Only use
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| | to do your soapmaking on any painted
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| pure lye.NEVER attempt to use Draino or
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| | surfaces. Lye can easily strip paint and
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| any other products that "contain" lye.
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| | damage surfaces. Even on kitchen counters
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| These products contain other chemical
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| | made with a tougher surface material,
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| additives that may interfere with the
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| | it's a good idea to lay down some plastic
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| soapmaking process. The results could
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| | or freezer paper to protect the area
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| range from winding up with a soap that is
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| | you're working in. Remember to always
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| highly irritant to the skin to a lethal
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| | keep that vinegar handy as well, just in
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| concoction that you wouldn't even want to
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| | case!I know this all must sound
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| be in the same room with!Work in a well
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| | terrifying to some and makes you feel as
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| ventilated area.The fumes that rise when
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| | if you need a Hazmat team on standby when
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| lye is mixed with water during the first
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| | learning how to make soap, but believe me
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| few minutes can irritate the lungs. Some
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| | it's not really as bad as it sounds! More
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| people are more sensitive to it than
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| | people than you'd probably imagine
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| others, but a well ventilated area is
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| | throughout the world make soap every day.
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| recommended to anyone. Remember even if
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| | If you're interested in soapcrafting,
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| it doesn't bother you at the moment,
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| | just do as much research on the subject
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| repeated exposure may bring about a
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| | as possible from as many different
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| different story. Larger batches of soap
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| | sources as you can. There are also
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| are usually give off more potent fumes
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| | several wonderful forums for soapmakers
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| than smaller ones.Use an accurate
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| | where people can turn to others for
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| scale.Never measure your ingredients by
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| | advice and to share experiences and
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| volume because it can lead to
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| | ideas. Soapmaking may not be for
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| inaccuracies, leaving you with an
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| | everyone, but chances are once you make
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| irritating "lye heavy" soap. Instead,
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| | your first successful batch , you'll be
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| make sure you use an accurate scale to
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| | hooked on this craft! Just remember- at
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| weigh out your ingredients- one that
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| | any stage in this wonderful hobby, safety
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| measures in increments of at least a 10th
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| | always comes first!You can visit Lisa
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| of an ounce is best. A good postal scale
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| | Chambers' website at for free
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| will do just fine. It's also a good idea
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| | information, recipes, and tips based on
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| to invest in calibration weights for your
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| | natural or crafty point of views.
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| scale so that you can test it's accuracy
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