Handmade soap is easy in the making and wonderful in use, for the environment as well as for the skin. I chose to use only natural ingredients, such as vegetable oils (olive, sunflower, rapeseed, coconut, etc.), clay, plants, essential oils, without any artificial preservatives or colors. The ingredients I use are organic, as much as possible.
Making one's own cosmetics (yes, soap is a cosmetic, since it comes in contact with the skin) allows one to know what is in the products we use every day, to avoid using byproducts of the oil industry, to use local products, to reduce packaging, toxic releases and expenses - not to mention the revision of the chemistry classes that's required ;)
Here a few samples of what I do :