Pure Soapmaking

The single best introduction to making soap at home. Anne-Marie Faiola, known online as “The Soap Queen” and founder of Bramble Berry, one of the largest soapmaking supply companies in the United States, wrote this book to take a complete beginner from zero to confidently crafting beautiful, skin-nourishing bars. It won immediate trust in the soapmaking community and has stayed there since.

Why Start Here

Most soapmaking books either overwhelm you with chemistry or skip past the fundamentals and jump straight into fancy techniques. “Pure Soapmaking” does neither. Faiola starts with a thorough explanation of the cold-process method, walks you through every piece of equipment you need, and gives you a clear safety briefing on working with lye. By the time you attempt your first recipe, you understand what is happening and why.

The book contains over 30 recipes organized by complexity. The early ones are deliberately simple: basic bars with just a few oils, no colorants, no fragrance. Each subsequent recipe introduces one new element, whether that is a swirl technique, a natural colorant like turmeric or activated charcoal, or a new additive like oatmeal or honey. This progressive structure means you build skills naturally rather than trying to do everything at once.

What truly sets this book apart is the photography. Every step of every technique is photographed in full color, so you can see exactly what your soap should look like at each stage. For a craft where visual cues matter enormously, knowing what “trace” looks like or how a proper swirl should move through the batter, this visual guidance is invaluable.

Faiola’s tone is warm and encouraging without being condescending. She clearly remembers what it was like to be a beginner, and she anticipates the questions and anxieties that new soapmakers have. The troubleshooting section alone has saved countless first batches.

What to Expect

A beautifully photographed, progressively structured guide to cold-process soapmaking. At 239 pages, it covers safety, equipment, the science of saponification, more than 30 recipes, and detailed troubleshooting. The tone is practical and supportive, and the step-by-step photography makes even complex techniques feel approachable. This is the book you will reach for before every batch for your entire first year of soapmaking.