The Little Book of Beldi: A Modern Take on a Classic Soap.

Making Soap, Cosmetics & Candles magazine readers, please meet Rebecca K. Wright.

- VENESSA PHIPPS

She is the founder of Botanical Formulations, holds a diploma in Aromatherapy and has a passion for making natural skincare products. Before she became a formulator, she was a Registered Social Worker.

My first introduction to Beldi soap was in 2013. During this time, I considered myself a soap explorer. I explored in the frontiers of techniques, bubbles, lather, formulating for the face, hair, feet, private parts and more.

One day while surfing the web, I happened upon Beldi soap. I hit the brakes and went into the park. What is this? I was fascinated by the entire process. I must admit the explanation was way over my head, but I knew it was good. It reminded me of a trip I wanted to take, with the full knowledge that some preparation was required prior to the journey. The years passed and I gained the skills and understanding. Then, one day as I was coursing through Instagram, I came upon Rebecca's book. Oh, my goodness, what gem is this? When I opened the eBook, I got a cheese face, which simply means smiling from ear-toear with all teeth showing.

Rebecca resides in the United Kingdom; therefore, I expected differences like describing weights, measurements, spelling and the basic things that distinguish British English and United States English as I read the book. The eye-opener for me is in the book's disclaimer, and I remembered that laws for soap making in the United Kingdom are much different than the laws in the United States for those who sell their products. The book's disclaimer brought this to immediate attention.

The recipes in the book are written in order of difficulty. For those new to hot process soap making this removes the guessing game of where to start. In addition, it helps to remove the fear of the unknown, especially for someone working with a new soaping technique and potassium hydroxide for the first time.