Soap Making School

I recently took a private cold process class with 6 other girlfriends, and we had a blast. I love crafts and soap making was on my list of things to learn. Rene was a wonderful instructor. She’s been in the business for over 18 years and knows her stuff. Not to mention her skin looks amazing. My jaw dropped when she told us her age (haha!); It’s definitely a testament to the quality of products she not only creates but uses on herself. The class was very informative, as we not only learned how to make soap, but the benefits of natural soap compared to the commercial, chemicalized products out there. I have eczema which I feel has worsened over the years so I’m even more interested in healthier, natural options for my skin.
The structure of the 3 hour class was very organized. We all received paper handouts and even a CD-​rom containing digital copies as well as a comprehensive soap making guide for our reference. I loved this. The soaps are made from a combination of olive oil and coconut oil. You get to choose your proportions; olive oil is more moisturizing while coconut oil creates a great lather and is great for cleansing. We also got to choose our special oil (grapeseed, cocoa, shea butter, etc), colors and exfoliants, and fragrances (essential oils only). Nothing here is artificial. One of the things I love the most about the process of soap making is customizing your soap to fit your own personal tastes and needs. The possibilities and combinations are endless! There’s a bit of math and science involved in the process, but Rene has that all taken care of with a straight forward worksheet that helps you with the formulas needed to figure out the proper amounts of ingredients (also in the CD rom).
In the end all us girls chose different scents and colors so that we could eventually do a soap swap and try each others’ finished product. We each ended up with a 2 pound bar of soap that can be cut up any way you like (the next day we all cut ours into 14 nice sized pieces for our exchange). It was so exciting to see our soap being poured into the mold, the hardest part was closing it up and having to wait until the next day to open it! You have to wait 6 – 8 weeks for the soap to cure before it becomes ideal for use; an agonizing wait for sure because we’re all so excited to start using the soap! Nonetheless I’m sure it will be worth the wait. (P.S. the hot process for soap making allows you to bypass the wait time and is available as another class — this might be next on my list!) Rene also offers studio time, so once you’ve taken the cold process class, you can sign up and use her studio to make more soaps! I can’t wait to come back and make soaps for myself and the holiday season. They’d make great Christmas gifts. This class was amazing. 5 stars!

Beginners cold-​process soap making class was amazing! The instructor Rene truly has a passion for natural products and sharing her knowledge with others. Classes are small, very hands on and easy to follow. During the 3 hour class we learned about the soap making process, how industry processes soap we see at the grocery stores. By the end of this class, we were able to create a customized 2 pound loaf to take home.

If you enjoy shopping for natural lotions and potions as much as I do, you simply must take Rene’s classes. Like most women, I’ve wasted lots of time and money looking everywhere for just the right face and body products, only to be disappointed time and time again. That’s when I thought I should just make my own, according to my own specifications. I’ve looked everywhere for soap and lotion making classes, and none of them appealed to me as much as Rene’s because of her high standards of using organic and natural ingredients. After the first class, i was hooked. Why? My own vanity. Rene is the poster child for good skin. She has no makeup on and her skin is so smooth and blemish free! She is her own walking testimonial to the products she creates. When I heard how old Rene is, I knew I had to learn from her as much as possible because she looks over 15 years younger. My favourite products I’ve learned to make at Soap Making School so far are soaps (of course), butters, lotions, makeup remover, and shampoo.
I read a lot about ingredients but Rene has encyclopedic knowledge about numerous ingredients that surpass anyone I’ve ever met. Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot from her. In class she is generous, patient, and so kind and sweet even when students mess things up. Even if you can’t take her class just yet, I’d recommend signing up for her free newsletters. They are a wealth of information. If you are lucky enough to have the time to take a class, I’d recommend signing up early since I’ve seen how quickly some of Rene’s classes fill up.
Rene is one woman soap making empire. Besides all the selfish reasons I signed up for her classes, it’s a treat to support small ethically-​run businesses.