I get asked quite a lot if you can come to my soap making workshops with a child who may enjoy it. Sadly the answer is no and there really is only one reason for this.
Soap making involves using lye which is caustic soda and is just not safe for children to use. Unfortunately, you can only make proper soap with lye and so there is just no way round it. I hover closely around the adults that attend as it is, as they complete the lye weighing and mixing and I don't think my nerves could cope with worrying about children even if it was viable.
Teenagers - yes some teens probably are very capable but my insurance will only allow me to teach adults and if you knew how long it took me to get the insurance you would understand my reluctance to try and push it further. Teaching soap making appears to be outside of the box for all but basic craft insurance companies and they could not cover my premises etc as well. Plus, if I am honest, I would not want the responsibility of risking it with someone else's beloved child. I don't even let my own teenagers help with that aspect of soap making.
It is for the same reason that I am unable to teach adults with learning difficulties or dementia for example.
There is an alternative if you would like to try soap making at home, Melt and Pour kits. These kits have already had the caustic part done for you so all you need to do is quite literally melt your soap, add any scents or colours and pour it in to moulds. The soap is not quite the same as a traditional cold press soap but it is still a lot of fun for both of you. There are some great kits out there and I have recently launched the first of my own range.
Alternatively why not book yourself on a course with a friend and make a grown ups day of it? After all we all need a little me time :)
You can find out more about my Soap Making Workshops in Dorset here
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