My Soap-Making Experience
I treated my mum to a soap-making experience gift for her birthday, and after what felt like an eternity in lockdown we finally went! It was so lovely spending time with my mum.
Soap has changed so much over the years, and nowadays homemade, natural soap bars have been transformed into a desirable body product.

I have become a convert – it smells so good and leaves your skin in great condition.
The Soap Coach

Keri, aka ‘The Soap Coach’ delivers these wonderful classes from her studio in Poundbury, Dorchester.
She provided a relaxed and friendly atmosphere while teaching us the ins and outs of cold-pressed soap-making. She talked us through the science involved, as well as the ingredients, equipment and safety measures. We enjoyed a demonstration, then after a cuppa and cookie break, we cracked on to make our very own soap.
Keri also owns The Dog and I which specialises in making soap for dogs.
You can even choose to make dog or human soap!
And then it began…
We donned our safety goggles and gloves and started the soap-making experience. Keri supplies a range of essential oils and natural colouring so we can choose the smell and colour of the soap. She also shows us how to add decorative touches like swirls and layering, and finally topping them with a choice of dried petals.

We made 2 trays each of amazing smelling and beautiful soap to take home. I made Lavender, Lemongrass and Rosemary soap whilst my mum chose Grapefruit, Ylang Ylang and Geranium.


After 2 days you can cut the soap, however, you can’t use it for about another 4 weeks (so, if you intend to make some for gifts then bear this in mind!).

Keri did provide a sample of her own gorgeous soap to take home so we had something to use in the meantime!
Final thoughts…
I highly recommend this soap-making experience. We did it to try something new and to have a mother/daughter day out. However, it is equally suitable for anyone wishing to start their soap-making journey whether for a hobby or even to start up a business.
Keri has taken lots of safety measures since opening up post lockdown. She has a maximum of 3 people in a workshop at a time and we have our own table to socially distance.
The half-day workshops are £65 per person, and you get to take home 1200g of soap that you make. She also provides full-day workshops which teaches you both cold and hot-pressed soap-making.

Keri provides detailed notes with all the instructions should you wish to make more soap at home, and you can even purchase the ingredients from her to get you started.
If you are interested then take a look at her website https://thesoapcoach.co.uk/ for more information on her workshops. She also provides gift vouchers.
If you have a pooch, then check out her luxury dog soap range too, The Dog and I https://www.thedogandi.co.uk/
Take a look at our other posts around soap:
Sumptuous Plastic-Free Soap Bars
Soap Bar Holders and Accessories