Showing teenagers how to make soap?

[donna4909]

My neighbor and friend has a few teenage daughters that are interested in "real" soap making. The kids are very smart and I'm sure their mother would be okay with it, but does it just seem like a bad idea? I normally do CPOP, but maybe HP would be better?

Naturally, I would keep them away from the raw lye and soap mix, but they could weigh oils, help coat the molds with mineral oil, and watch from a safe distance when the lye comes out. That seems like it would be safe enough, but what do you ladies think?

[Stella1952]

Teens are plenty old enough to learn how to make soap, but a mistake can be very costly. Since they are not your kids, why not start with letting them make some M&P projects and see how that goes? If they are not attentive enough while doing M&P, you have your answer.

[Scented]

Actually I think if they want to learn real soapmaking, they need to handle the lye, but you need to educate them on the dangers of it and nothing speaks louder than pictures too. Though you could already have the lye mixture made and go through the process with them on how you made it and then do the rest of the soapmaking. I would still include visuals though about the dangers of lye, from skin burns to the whole volcano that it can make when mixed improperly. A few years ago there was a story about a soapmaker whose son was burned badly from the lye. It, or a link about it, is in our archives somewhere. That did, I believe, include pictures on that link.

People need to understand the dangers, regardless of the age they decide to try soapmaking. It is the one area that should never be joked about because it can be quite dangerous.

[LuminousBoutique]

I learned to make soap at age 5 with my grandma.. of course I have a 6 year old and 4 year old and cant IMAGINE letting them do it! lol, isnt that just the way it goes though? Truly I think as long as they are properly clothed and gloved, and properly supervised, it would be awesome to teach them

[Tribalvixen]

My son handles some pretty mean chemicals at school in chemistry he is 16. I would be confident in letting him soap as long as he has on the right safety gear including safety glasses and closed in shoes. The soap queen has a video on her channel that shows what lye can do to skin. I made my kids watch it. They have a healthy respect for it and do not come interupt us (dh and I) when we are making soap. I dont think I would let my 13 yo daughter she is just not mature enough.

[micayla75]

I taught my high school students (seniors in a cosmetology science class) how to make soap. They are definitely not science oriented, but we watched the soap queen videos and did a trial run before we started. By the end of the year, each student made their own unique recipe and scent. They learned so much and most agreed that the wsp pumpkin crunch cake made a great scent in soap. :-)

[Pam W]

My neighbor and friend has a few teenage daughters that are interested in "real" soap making. The kids are very smart and I'm sure their mother would be okay with it, but does it just seem like a bad idea? I normally do CPOP, but maybe HP would be better?

Naturally, I would keep them away from the raw lye and soap mix, but they could weigh oils, help coat the molds with mineral oil, and watch from a safe distance when the lye comes out. That seems like it would be safe enough, but what do you ladies think?

I agree with Scented.

The teen could be hands-on with the oils, etc but watch you handle the lye 1st time around. If you feel they have grasp the seriousness of the lye issue, then they could be invited back for a round #2. If any appear to be total air-heads, then assign them an M&P project.

When my G'daughters came for a visit, we spent a whole day making candles, lotions, body sprays & M&P and I was surprised how well they listened and got into the whole process. (ages ranged from 8 to 18) It was a memorable day for me and I hope for them too. Many years down the road, they will be telling their friends on some forum like this one how they made lotion with Grandma.....memories in the making :}

[Kitn]

I would make double sure the parents were okay with it.