My experimentations with homemade soap began when I became enamored with making things at home, like maintaining my own sourdough starter, painting my own kitchen cabinets, and repairing my own clothes. Even if time-consuming, I found that doing things myself, from start to finish, was immensely rewarding. It gave me a far greater appreciation for the goods that came my way, and made me a lot more conscious (in a good way) of the quality of ingredients.
As time went by and my life got busier, my hobbies went on the backburner. However, soapmaking stuck around. It was very complicated at first, and therefore can be off-putting to some, but I've actually found it has one of the best effort-to-reward ratios out of all my hobbies. Much like knitting, it's a meditative activity and a creative outlet. But unlike knitting, just a few evenings or weekends of work can reap great rewards, as well as furnish me with loads of ready-made gifts for the people I love.
