Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

Hello all.  I admit I found this forum by default having googled endlessly trying to find a soap making course in Scotland.

I've still been unsuccessful and wondered if there was anybody out there interested in teaching myself and a couple of my volunteers the principles of soap making.  We'd pay a commercial rate and travel cost to Glasgow southside.

We have already been making soap using melt and pour products but need some help and advice on fragrances, how to make soap from scratch if possible etc.

Any ideas???

Many thanks

Lesley

Welcome to the forum. I know that Carishea was thinking about it, bit I don't know they are actually doing it.

Hello Lesley, welcome to the forum.

You mention volunteers - do you intend that you and your volunteers would be working with a group of people?

I'm asking as, before I retired I was an Occupational Therapist working as Skills Officer working with adults with learning disabilities living in the community and many attending various centres. With one of these groups I set up soap-making with two of the support workers/staff of the unit.

On assessment I decided that making soap from scratch (Hot or Cold Process) was not advisory because of the caustic nature of the lye and that only certain Essential Oils would be used, ditto Fragrance Oils. They successfully made and sold Melt and Pour.

However Denice of Carishea set up the business making all types of soap and toiletries with an entirely different type of group and they are also successful.

Apologies for the long post which doesn't directly answer your quesion, but to know with whom you and your volunteers will be working could help us answer.

 Denice may possibly have some info for you.

Hi and a warm welcome  :buttrf:

Yes, I was thinking Denise (Carishea) too  :)

Thank you all so much for the warm welcome.

EJ - strangely this is exactly what we are trying to do.  I support a group of adults with complex additional support needs.  Some of their funding is now coming to an end and we are looking at ways of creating a little sustainable income - we don't expect to make a lot of money, and to be honest, its as much about promoting a positive image of disability as much as anything else.

I have about 6 volunteers who'd love to learn to make soap - not just for the groups benefit but also for their own personal development and interest - but also means if one or two leave others still know how to continue making the items

We have set up our own little enterprise and created some melt and pour soap - so far its had a fantastic feedback.  We've had our 'recipes' CE (?) certified but I know we could do this better than we are and think they'd be super interested in learning different techniques, colours, fragrances etc.

Any thoughts or input would be much appreciated.  As I said we'd be happy to pay the going rate for this so if anybody is interested, please give me a shout.

Thanks again for the replies.

Lesley

Hi Lesley

Sorry for my silence - been caught up with my daughter's wedding!  Now catching up with work and everything else.

We're based in Greenock - would that work for you to travel to?

pm me or email me at Denice@Carishea.com and we'll see if we can work something out  :buttrf:

Hello Denise

Yes it would be ideal :)

I will email you today - thank you :)

Lesley