We are Open and Sell Soapmaking Supplies in San Diego!

Our physical store location is open and we have isopropyl alcohol in stock. Check the Soapmaking Studio hours. View the schedule of classes resuming May 3rd.

Closed Tuesdays, Thursdays, and holidays.

Additional Closures:

Sunday, April 12, 2020 (Easter Sunday)
Monday, April 20, 2020 (Cleaning & Maintenance)
Sunday, May 10, 2020 (Mother's Day)
Monday, May 25, 2020 (Memorial Day)

Coronavirus Policies

We Care About Our Customers' Health

We care about the health and safety of our customers and students. In accordance with https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/, which forbids gatherings of any kind, Soapmaking Studio classes are canceled until the Scrub Making Class on Sunday, May 3, 2020. Our store remains open.

Because isopropyl alcohol, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, other natural chemicals, and base oils, fats are essential ingredients for making hand sanitizer and soap, our store remains open. We offer our customers unlimited access to Purell® hand sanitizer, Kleenex® anti-viral tissues, Clorox® disinfecting wipes, sinks and soap (for washing hands), and face masks for use while shopping at the Soapmaking Studio. We clean and sanitize high-contact points (e.g. doorknobs, light switches, handles, and electronic check-out devices) after each customer. Now, more than ever, it is important for our customers to make effective products, such as soap and hand sanitizer, at home by hand.

If you have any questions, please telephone the Soapmaking Studio: (619) 668-1435.

Where to Buy Isopropyl Alcohol in San Diego

Isopropyl Alcohol from the Soapmaking Studio

The Soapmaking Studio in San Diego sells isopropyl alcohol, isopropanol, or "rubbing alcohol." Our isopropyl alcohol is 99% pure; the remaining 1% is water. Currently, we have a large supply of isopropyl alcohol; it is in stock and for sale at the Soapmaking Studio. Isopropyl alcohol is used to make hand sanitizer and transparent soap. We sell 99% isopropyl alcohol in the following sizes and quantities.

• 1 pint (16 fluid ounces) isopropyl alcohol for $10
• ½ gallon (64 fluid ounces) isopropyl alcohol for $40
• 1 gallon (128 fluid ounces) isopropyl alcohol for $60

About Isopropyl Alcohol % Strength

What is the difference between 70% rubbing alcohol and 99% rubbing alcohol? The remaining amounts are water. Therefore, 70% rubbing alcohol is 70% isopropanol and 30% water. The CDC explains hand sanitizers with isopropyl alcohol must contain a minimum 70% isopropyl alcohol to be effective: "Laboratory data demonstrate…70% isopropanol, the active ingredient in CDC-recommended alcohol-based hand sanitizers, inactivates viruses that are genetically related to, and with similar physical properties as, the 2019-nCoV."¹ Therefore, 70% rubbing alcohol cannot be used to make hand sanitizer because, if any thickening agents are added, then the percentage of isopropanol will be less than the required 70% minimum.

Thicken Isopropyl Alcohol to Make Hand Sanitizer

How to thicken isopropyl alcohol so it can be dispensed from a pump as hand sanitizer? If a rheology agent or thickening ingredient is added to 70% isopropanol to create a thicker product to pump, the thickener may occupy up to 15% of the product volume, which would reduce the isopropanol content to an ineffective mere 55%. The answer is to start with 99% isopropanol; if the same 15% thickener were added to 99% isopropanol, the finished product will contain 84% isopropanol.

The Soapmaking Studio store sells 99% isopropyl alcohol. The isopropyl alcohol is flammable and cannot be shipped; it must be picked up from our physical location.

1. "CDC Statement for Healthcare Personnel on Hand Hygiene during the Response to the International Emergence of COVID-19," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Stated Department of Health and Human Services, last reviewed March 14, 2020; accessed March 29, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/infection-control/hcp-hand-sanitizer.html.

Scrub Making Class

Sunday, May 3 at the Soapmaking Studio

Learn to Make Decadent, Spa-Quality, Handcrafted Salt and Sugar Scrubs!

Learn how to formulate effective spa-quality scrubs. In this Scrub Making Class, understand the difference between salt scrubs and sugar scrubs and when one is preferred over the other for easily achieving safe and natural skin exfoliation. Learn how to add beneficial vitamins and learn why preservatives should be used in oil based products. For those opposed to oil based products, learn how to create oil-free scrubs. Students take home three types of scrubs. Attend in person or online. Register for Scrub Making Class.

Beginning Cold Process Soapmaking

Saturday, May 16 at the Soapmaking Studio

Spend Saturday Learning 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 Saturday 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.

Cultivating, Drying, and Adding Herbs to Soap

Sunday, May 17 at the Soapmaking Studio

Grow Herbs and Plants for Your Own Local Area to Use in Soap!

Soap Garden 224 covers how to select appropriate plants for your area, including growing in containers versus in the ground. Learn which plants do best in soap and how to prepare them. This class includes a mini field trip through the Soapmaking Studio's aromatic plant garden. Students will learn to prepare dried lavender and other herbs for use in cooking and in soap. Students receive fresh herbs. Register for Soap Garden 224.

Coloring and Scenting Soap

Sunday, May 24 at the Soapmaking Studio

Essential Oil Distilling and Soap Swirling the Sunday Before Memorial Day!

Come learn which colorants and scents are safe for use in soap and learn how to add them to cold process soap. An essential oil distilling unit will be set up during the class so students can see how essential oils and hydrosols are distilled from plants. Students will be taught how to distill essential oils from plants using a large pot with an inverted lid. Learn how to calculate the maximum allowable fragrance content per the IFRA and review FDA findings for soap and cosmetic colorants. This class also features a demonstrations of popular advanced soap swirling techniques. Register for Soapmaking 220.

Water Substitution in Soapmaking

Sunday, May 31 at the Soapmaking Studio

Springtime Special Edition Class with Puréed Berries and Goat Milk to Replace the Water in Soap Cupcakes!

In this special version of Soapmaking 225, learn to make the wildly popular soap cupcakes! In the class, we will use puréed Berries for the cake portion and goat milk for the frosted tops of the cupcakes. Students learn the tricks and special techniques to substituting the water portion of cold process soap with goat milk, heavy cream, yogurt, buttermilk, fresh juices, wine, spirits, and of course beer. During this Soapmaking 225 class, we will make two different batches of soap: Puréed berry soap for the bottom cake portion and goat milk soap for the top frosting portion of the soap cupcakes. Attend in person or online.

Beginning Cold Process Soapmaking

Sunday, July 5 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.

Serum Making Class

Sunday, August 23 at the Soapmaking Studio

Concentrated Active Cosmeceutical Ingredients for Effective Treatments and Natural Hand Sanitizer!

The August 23 Serum Making Class will include making hand sanitizer for students to take home. Due to the current high demand for hand sanitizer, we will make natural hand sanitizer (from the hand sanitizer recipe in the workbook) for students to take home with them. Students who attend the class online will receive the handmade hand sanitizer in the mail.

Learn to make oil-free, concentrated facial serums containing vitamins and active ingredients. In Serum Making Class, learn about the different vitamins and active ingredients used to improve skin texture, minimize wrinkle lines, improve elasticity, treat acne, and even skin tone. Learn to use the Skin Deep database as a reference to determine the general safety of new ingredients. During the class, learn to make natural hand sanitizer gel and gel mascara with the same beneficial base ingredients. Students take home two facial serums and hand sanitizer made in class. Attend in person or online. Register for Serum Making Class.

Advanced Cold/Hot Process Soapmaking

Sunday, August 30 at the Soapmaking Studio

Learn to Use Advanced Soapmaking Chemistry!

The goal of Soapmaking 210 is for students to learn how to formulate a truly great bar of cold or hot process soap through their choice of soapmaking base oils. In this information-packed advanced soapmaking class, learn which oils have similar fatty acid profiles and can be substituted for one another, what types of lather come from which soapmaking oils, how to correctly use antioxidants (such as ROE or vitamin E), how handmade soap differs from commercial soap chemically, and some basic soapmaking chemistry in the popular Soapmaking 210 class. Attend in person or online.

Soap Makers' Luncheon

Sunday, October 11, 2020 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, March 22, 2020! The next Soapmaking 210 Advanced Cold/Hot Process Soapmaking will be Sunday, March 29, 2020. 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.