If you want soap that is natural, this is a great choice. Typically, goat’s milk glycerin soap is slightly higher than other types of soaps but still very affordable and well worth investment.

MELT AND POUR SOAP MAKING EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS

The great thing about using melt and pour is that you can use equipment you typically have on hand. With this method, you can use base of a double boiler or your microwave oven.

Keep in mind that if you choose microwave, bowl with soap substance will need to be covered with plastic wrap to keep it from splattering but more importantly, to help keep excess moisture from evaporating. For microwave method, you would melt base soap on high for about one minute, stirring in remaining pieces not yet melted.

For double boiler option, bring water to a boil. Then, add your melt and pour soap of choice, cover, and leave on low. This will take quite some time to melt so about every 10 minutes, check base to see if it is melted. If you like, you can stir occasionally to ensure an even melt.

Fragrance

For both methods of melt and pour, if you want to add in fragrance, once base soap has melted, then you would add fragrance oil. Be sure fragrance is mixed in completely and that base of soap does not have a cloudy appearance.

Although you can use more or less fragrance according to personal preference, typically a good rule to follow is to use .25 ounces to every one pound of soap base. In addition to fragrances, you can also use essential oils.

Color

Now for color, if you want to create colored soap, add approximately one-eighth teaspoon to one-quarter teaspoon mica in with melting soap base, making sure to mix in it well.

If any bubbles form on top of soap, you can leave them for design effect or spray them with rubbing alcohol. If you want to use food coloring, start with just one drop to melted base, stirring well. Then, you can add one additional drop until you find color of preference.

After fragrance and color have been added to soap base, pour melted base into mold of your choice. Again, if you want to remove any bubbles that will settle on top, spray them with rubbing alcohol. After soap has hardened, generally a few hours, you can use it and enjoy!

COST

As you can see, to make your own soap at home, you would pay around $40 for slab of base, a few dollars for fragrance, a few dollars for coloring, and that is about it. The process is very cost effective, fun, and you end up with exactly type of soap you love most.

Most people figure that one bar of homemade soap will average .50, far less than you would pay elsewhere. In addition, you can add in special items or effects to jazz things up.

Making soap using melt and pour process is easy and fun… and makes for very inexpensive soap. Not only is it great for making your own soap, but it makes for truly unique and creative gifts.

Making Right Selection

There is a fantastic range of digital cameras available on market. Nonetheless manufacturers focus on their customers and target specific models at certain sectors of market. The table below summarises information, which we have discussed.

Basic camera

A fixed lens camera priced at less than £50 [Or $90 USD] which takes digital images of up to 1 MegaPixel - will be adequate for computer or television screen display.

Party Camera

A compact design camera with a fixed lens – cost up to £150 [Or $280 USD] - taking images of up to 2 MegaPixel - will generate good quality images suitable for printing up to 4 x 5 inches

Holiday Camera

Another compact design but with a 2 – 1 zoom lens and costing between £200 and £400 [$350 - $800 USD] taking images or between 3 and 5 MegaPixel which will be suitable for printing up to 10 x 8 inches

Serious Camera

A SLR style camera with a 5 – 1 zoom lens costing between £600 and £1000 [$1000 - $2000 USD] and producing images of up to 6 MegaPixel which will produce prints of up to 12 x 16 inches

Professional Camera

An SLR camera with interchangeable lenses and costing upwards of £1,500 [Or around $3000 USD], which will take images of up to 8 MegaPixel, which will print to poster size.

SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. These are cameras, which do not have a separate viewfinder. Rather operator looks through lens of camera. Momentarily before shutter is opened a mirror flicks up and light passing through lens is allowed to hit sensitive surface of camera. In many cases lens at front of camera can be changed for another type. A variation on this presents image as seen by camera in a digital liquid crystal display either on back of camera or through a viewfinder.

Flash. Many of inexpensive cameras will have on board flash – remember that these will only work up to about 10 feet, and they might produce red eye. More expensive cameras will expect user to use an independent external flashgun.

Camera Accessories

Most digital cameras come with interface cables and PC software bundled. So if you have a PC at home or work you can ‘download’ images from your camera to your PC, do basic editing such as removing red eye and delete images you do not want! Your valued images you can store for future generations on CD Rom or another recording medium.

Digital Memory Media

Sometimes known as Smart Card, Compact Flash, Multi Media Card, Memory Stick. These are memory chips on which your images are stored – some people refer to them as digital film. The larger capacity of media, more images it can store. So buy one larger then you need – for now. Images can be deleted from media – but back them up on a CD Rom or DVD before you erase card.

Final Hint – Keep lots of batteries handy. Digital cameras use a lot of power!