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How To Make Soap - Homemade Soap Making for Beginners (Udemy.com)

How to make your own soap at home using the cold process soapmaking method. A step by step guide for beginners

4.7
5,496 reviews

Created by: Shona O'Connor

Last updated April 2026

Our take

Based on the ratings of 5,496 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in April 2026. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is a short, practical introduction to cold process soapmaking from Shona O'Connor, who says she has made soap for over 25 years and taught in person for 20. It runs 2.3 hours across 65 lectures, and most of that is quick demos: a plain bar, a naturally colored bar, a loaf, exfoliating and confetti soaps, shaving soap and rebatching. It does not cover melt and pour, and hot process is only discussed briefly.

Reviewers like how clear and well organized it is. One calls the lessons bite-sized with step-by-step instructions, and another says it gave a good grasp of soap from zero knowledge. A student with a year of soapmaking behind her still picked up new ideas. Complaints are small. One student wanted the recipes shown on video, since PDFs are tiny on a phone. Another found the Excel resource a barrier. The ratings back it up: about 3,200 five-star and 1,700 four-star ratings, against 115 one- and two-star ones.

The course was last updated in April 2026, so it is not stale. At 2.3 hours it is quick, which suits a first try, but it will not replace a deeper class on formulation. Expect some percentage maths, and expect to handle lye, which the instructor warns will burn skin. For curious beginners it is an easy recommendation. People who already make soap regularly will want something more advanced.

Best forComplete beginners who want to try cold process soap at home with kitchen gear before spending on equipment.
Skip it ifYou want melt and pour or deep hot process teaching, or need recipes shown on video rather than in PDFs.

Pros

  • Uses kitchen equipment and supermarket oils, with household molds and a DIY wooden mold shown
  • Short, step-by-step lessons that reviewers say are clear and easy to rewind
  • Teaches how to write your own recipes and size a batch to fit a mold
  • Extra lessons on troubleshooting, rebatching and packaging go beyond one plain bar

Cons

  • One reviewer wanted the recipes shown on video, as the PDFs are hard to read on a phone
  • Only 2.3 hours, so anyone wanting deep recipe formulation theory will need more
  • One resource uses Excel, which at least one reviewer found a barrier
Gives me a good grasp of making soap from ZERO knowledge. A very good place to start as a hobby.
Shafiq Guan, a student

Truly beginner, but expect basic percentage maths and careful handling of lye, which burns skin.

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What you will learn

  • Create home made natural soap from scratch, using natural ingredients, which you probably have in your pantry
  • Make pure and natural soap, free from harmful ingredients, avoiding known irritants
  • Easily calculate how much soap you need to make to fill your mold, and create your own recipes
  • Use colours and fragrances to create fabulous looking, amazing smelling soap, that is good enough to give as gifts, or sell
  • Use inexpensive items to create amazing packaging for your soap.
  • Build and develop a new creative hobby.

Course content

15 sections · 65 lectures · 2.3 hours of video 11 quizzes, 1 assignment, 10 articles

  1. 1Introduction 2 free previews3 lectures · 6 min
  2. 2What You Will Need To Get Started 1 free preview10 lectures · 4 quizzes · 24 min
  3. 3What You Need to Know Before Making Your Soap9 lectures · 5 quizzes · 20 min
  4. 4Making a Plain Bar Of Soap 1 free preview8 lectures · 2 quizzes · 14 min
  5. 5Making Soap Using a Natural Colourant 1 free preview4 lectures · 6 min
  6. 6How to Create Your Own Recipes 1 free preview7 lectures · 1 quiz · 14 min
  7. 7Making A Loaf of Soap 1 free preview3 lectures · 5 min
  8. 8Making Exfoliating Soap 1 free preview3 lectures · 4 min
  9. 9Making Confetti Soap 2 free previews3 lectures · 5 min
  10. 10Shaving Soap1 lecture · 5 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Anyone who wants to learn how to make soap from scratch using the cold process method.
  • Anyone who wants to make natural soap for health reasons.
  • If you are looking for a new hobby for your own enjoyment.
  • To make a selection of soaps which you could use to give as gifts to friends and family.
  • If you would like to earn some extra money to fund your new hobby, or if you want to start a new fun business

What you need before you start

  • You must be able to complete basic maths i.e addition, multiplication and percentages
  • You will need basic kitchen equipment (that you probably already have).
  • Lye/Sodium hydroxide which is generally available in hardware stores as a drain cleaner.
  • Basic safety equipment (which you probably already own), or can get from the hardware or dollar store
  • Simple ingredients, such as cooking oils and fragrances that are readily available in your grocery and health food stores.

How it compares

Against the other 418 rated Udemy courses in Lifestyle on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.7 out of 5higher than 65% of them
  • Reviews5,496#12 of 419 by number of reviews
  • Length2.3 hoursshorter than 59% of them
  • Last updatedApril 2026more recently than 82% of them

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Course Description

Take this course and you will learn how to make beautiful, natural handmade soap from scratch, at home, using the ingredients of your choice.

The course will give you all the information that you need about oils, butters and fragrances, so that you can easily create your own recipes. I share my own recipes for the soaps demonstrated to give you a start. You can use animal fats or make vegan soap.

With the knowledge you get from this course, you won't have to be limited to following other people's recipes - you will be able to create your own unique handcrafted soaps.

Soapmaking is like any hobby - you can spend a fortune on it. However, in this course I will show you how to get started by using regular kitchen equipment and inexpensive ingredients that you can get in your local supermarket and health food store.

You will discover how to use household or dollar store items as molds, so that you can get started straight away at little or no cost. I will even show you how to make a wooden mold at a fraction of the cost of buying one.

You will see how to colour your soap with natural and cosmetic colours. The course will also show you a colour swirling technique, as well as how to make shampoo, shaving and an exfoliating soap.

FAQs

Q) What method of soap making is used in this course?
A) This course covers Cold Process soap making.

Q) Does this course cover Melt and Pour Soap making?
A) No. This course shows you how to make soap from scratch using the Cold Process Method.

Q) Does this course cover Hot Process Soap making?
A) No the method taught in this course is Cold Process, although the basic method for Hot Process soap is discussed.

Q) Does this course teach how to make soap without lye?

A) No, you cannot make soap from scratch without using lye. You will be left with oils and water and NO soap.

Q) Is this method of soap making suitable for children to do?
A) Some people allow their children to do soap making, however that is usually using the Melt and Pour method. The lye in Cold Process soap making is caustic and will burn the skin, so I would not recommend children or animals to be around while soap making.

Q) What if I run into problems while making my soap?
A) I have highlighted all the important things that you need to know. However, if you do have any problems I'll be there in the discussion area, ready to help you
Read More Beginner Beginner Level product length iconTime: 2.3h

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Instructor Details

Shona O'Connor

I have been making soap, candles and bath products for over 25 years and over the last 20 years, I have taught face to face courses and created a number of online courses.

I started with the Melt and Pour soap method and then went on to make soap from scratch using the Cold Process method. I love to share my expertise with others, which led me to start teaching soap making from my home. Now my course is an online version, which allows me to share my passion with students from all over the world, who want to learn or master soap making.

I have successfully sold my soaps, bath products and candles to friends, co-workers, at craft fairs and online.

The best thing about Hot and Cold Process soap making and candle making is that you can make totally natural products that do not contain any harmful chemicals. I can teach you how to make a simple, plain bar of soap, or how to unleash your creativity using fabulous colouring techniques. I have studied aromatherapy, so am the perfect person to guide students in the use of essential oils.

I have always loved teaching and love the satisfaction of teaching a complete beginner to make something creative and seeing or hearing about their delight in the fabulous results they have achieved. Udemy's discussion area is perfect for following up with students and sharing in their successes.

Join my courses and let me help you have fun and make amazing soap, bath products and candles.


Read More

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Reviews

4.7

5,496 ratings on Udemy

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By Jenny Daniel on 7/7/2026

It is a good match. the Language and speech and instructions are clear, notes can be taken. It is also precise and o like the fact that the video can be re-wound to catch up on any missed parts.

By KoraQa on 6/19/2026

This course was exactly what I was looking for! Shona is a great instructor, and she knows her stuff. She guides us through the science and art of soapmaking with well-planned, organised, bite-sized lessons filled with great examples and step-by-step instructions.

By Tikia Ross on 6/7/2026

She’s actually teaching me something, I have been on this app with people that taught me nothing. It was a waste of my time and money. But she’s good so far at teaching me

By Ashley Stahl on 4/21/2026

I have been making soap for little over a year now and she has mentioned ideas that can be used in my soap making process. I still take courses to boost my soap making confidence.

By Krista Labrecque on 1/1/2026

This really is a beginner course. The course is good, easy to work through and contains additional resources. I was hoping for extra information on working with tallow. I appreciate that it is a beginner course making it easy and affordable for anyone to get into soap making without breaking the bank.

By Shaikh Shahnavaz on 11/12/2025

Its really engaging, i have bough other courses as well but they were all just PPT, but this one is total video and the care instruction i so good that it feel like a mother is giving instructions.

By Erika Morris on 1/4/2023

My soap recipe was too soft and I was unfamiliar with soap calculator at the time I first watched it 2 years ago etc I’m driving ask again later

By Brandon Newman on 9/1/2021

the course is very good, giving a basic skill of soap making. I have zero experience of soap making before taking this course then after this course I can create my own recipe. Material from the website information given is very helpful and informative.

By Abhishek Chandra Mishra on 7/30/2021

Very informative and educational set of videos. Learnt a lot about soap making. I only remember learning saponification process in my chemistry books, at school. It has been 3 decades since. And through this course, I recalled all what I had learnt back then and then much more. Thank you very much

By Shanti Rakshita Wisesan on 11/22/2020

It's a good soap making course

By Abiodun Oderinde on 11/22/2020

The presentation is good

By Meenal Sunil Nene on 11/22/2020

Hello,
I am too happy to take this course. It is an indepth course with all the necessary details.
Thanks to Shonna and Udemy ?

Showing 12 of 310 reviews

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Overall Score : 94 / 100

How To Make Soap - Homemade Soap Making for Beginners
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 2.3h
  • Price: $19.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon April 2026
  • Level: Beginner Beginner
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:65 in 15 sections
  • Practice:11 quizzes
  • Students:24,700
  • Subtitles:1 language
  • Udemy badge:Bestseller
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