Welcome Soapmakers and Cosmetics Crafters!

The Soapmaking Studio homepage lists upcoming San Diego and southern California soapmaking events; for a complete list, view the schedule. Check the Soapmaking Studio hours.

Closed Tuesdays, Thursdays, and holidays.

Additional Closures:

Monday, August 5, 2019
Monday, September 2, 2019 (Labor Day)

Forming a Legal Business Entity to Sell Soap

Sunday, July 21 at the Soapmaking Studio

Start a Business to Sell Soap and Cosmetics!

Come learn the proper steps to starting your own business in Soap Business 320, Forming a Legal Business Entity to Sell Soap. This business class focuses on the necessary licenses and permits required to sell soap and handmade cosmetic items, as well as product liability insurance available to soapmakers. It also covers how to choose an effective business name and how a company's name directly affects search engine rankings. Attend in person or online. Register for Soap Business 320.

Soap Labeling and Marketing

Sunday, July 28 at the Soapmaking Studio

Learn to Comply with the New Soap Labeling Regulations!

Attend to learn the grizzly details of the new 2015 soap labeling laws and learn how to label your soaps to meet the labeling requirements of the five government agencies that regulate soap labels. Soap Business 330 is an intermediate business class that covers the federal and local regulations for labeling soap. Students learn to distinguish soap from cosmetics or drugs and their appropriate labeling laws. The class lecture includes the 2018 updates to Proposition 65 and the resulting new soap labeling requirements. This class also presents several inexpensive and effective marketing tips to promote the sale of handmade soap. Students are encouraged to bring a sample soap label for discussion and critique during the class. Attend in person or online. Register for Soap Business 330.

Soap from Ashes

Sunday, August 4 at the Soapmaking Studio

Learn to Make Old-Fashioned Soap without Lye!

Soap from Ashes is complete lecture with detailed instructions and photographs for making soap from plant ashes. This presentation includes information on how to extract the naturally-caustic solution from any type of plant ashes (combusted hardwood, softwood, grasses, or leaves) and how to concentrate the solution for maximum effectiveness. Learn how to collect and filter rain water, how to render and prepare animal fats for soapmaking, how to test the soap for harshness, how to adjust the soap for gentleness, and how to cook the soap over a wood fire—all without using electricity, for a true pioneer experience. Attend in person or online. Register for Soap from Ashes.

Beginning Cold Process Soapmaking

Sunday, August 18 at the Soapmaking Studio

Learn How to Make Cold Process Soap with No Cure Time!

Soapmaking 101 is a beginning-level soapmaking class designed to teach students to make soap by hand at home. The main focus of this class is the "cold process" soapmaking method; although the class does briefly describe "melt & pour" soap crafting. After learning soapmaking safety, students learn to formulate soap recipes and calculate lye quantities without using a "lye calculator." The objective of Soapmaking 101 is to have students understand saponification values and be comfortable creating their own soap recipes at home. Students make cold process soap during the class session and take home a bar.

This class is also available online: Description of Online Soapmaking 101.

Coloring and Scenting Soap

Sunday, September 29 at the Soapmaking Studio

Learn How to Distill Essential Oils and Learn Advanced Soap Coloring Techniques!

Come learn which colorants and scents are safe for use in soap and learn how to add them to cold process soap in Soapmaking 220. An essential oil distilling unit will be running during the class so students can see how essential oils and hydrosols are distilled from plants. Learn how to calculate maximum allowable fragrance content and review FDA findings for soap and cosmetic colorants. This class also features a demonstration of a popular advanced soap swirling technique. Attend in person or online. Register for Soapmaking 220.

Soap Makers' Luncheon

Sunday, October 13, 2019 at Marie Callender's Restaurant

Network with Southern California Soap and Cosmetic Crafters!

This luncheon is open to all soapmakers and makers of personal care products, whether professional or novice, whether cold/hot process method or "melt and pour." The Soap Makers' Luncheon is open to the public and attendance is free, just pay for anything you order from the menu. Our friendly soap meetup group is casual and provides a means of networking with local soapy artisans. Attend this creative handmade soaps and DIY bodycare meetup group luncheon at any level: Professional soapmaker, hobbyist soaper, or beginning crafter. The soap lunch venue is Marie Callender's restaurant on Alvarado Road in San Diego at 2:00 pm. Map & Directions. View the Soap Makers' Luncheon Agenda.

Marie Callender's Restaurant
6950 Alvarado Rd
San Diego, CA 92120

Soapmaking Classes

Soapmaking Classes are Fun, Understandable, and Affordable!

Learn how to make soap at the Soapmaking Studio in San Diego County, California!

Soapmaking 101 Beginning Cold Process Soapmaking has been a huge success and fills weeks in advance; the next class will be Sunday, June 2, 2019! The next Soapmaking 210 Advanced Cold/Hot Process Soapmaking will be in 2019. Soap Garden 224 Cultivating, Drying, and Adding Herbs to Soap and Soapmaking 220 Coloring and Scenting Soap are both available and open for registration. Our popular Soapmaking Supplies are now available for Standard Shipping or free Store Pickup.
Please check back because classes are added and website sections are updated on a regular basis. Email info@soapmakingstudio.com with any questions.

View soapmaking classes, the schedule, or store hours.

Classes are held at a private home occupied by a pet cat. If you are allergic to cats, please contact info@soapmakingstudio.com prior to enrolling in a class.