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Diploma in Soap Making

The most comprehensive online soap making course.

Learn how to confidently make your own cold process, hot process and liquid soap.

Are you new to soap making and looking forward to an exciting new hobby, but want expert guidance and reassurance to get started the right way?

Are you a keen soaper ready to learn advanced soap making techniques and make stunningly beautiful soap bars but are struggling to find higher-level instruction?

Are you passionate about a zero waste lifestyle, and perhaps even dream of creating soap to sell?

Introducing the Diploma in Soap Making

The most comprehensive online soap-making course available for learning to make cold process, hot process and liquid soap as well as advanced soap swirling techniques.

In this comprehensive course, you'll gain the skills and knowledge to:

Ready to make your own advanced natural and organic soaps for yourself or to sell?

Join us on the journey today!

Find out more

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Find out more

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Master the science of saponification and stand out from the crowd by learning advanced soap making skills.

Move beyond creating basic bar soap to confidently create extra nourishing hot process soap, gorgeous swirled soap and versatile liquid soap knowing you’re learning from expert soap makers and experienced cosmetic scientists.

Understand the chemistry of soap making and formulate your own soap recipes by learning how different oils function in soap, how to use a soap calculator, how to control the superfat, and how to add advanced ingredients.

Just imagine how good it would feel if you could:

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Create a complete range of soap using ingredients chosen by you

Release your inner scientist as you become a master at saponification and create a range of varied and advanced soap customized to your values. Explore your creative side as you use a wide range of natural, organic, and/or vegan ingredients that reflect your values.

Become the go-to soap making expert in your community

Become an expert in a whole new area of cosmetic science, and delve deeper into the subject than your average soaper with professional instruction and skilled support each step of the way.

Mixing ingredients for making soap in slow cooker.
Natural skincare products with coconut and olives

Empower yourself with skills that will last a lifetime

Take care of your health and hygiene, and that of your family, by making all the soap you’ll ever need. You’ll even be able to make household cleaning soap, too. They’re the perfect gift for friends and family or an ideal addition to your beauty brand range.

Learn to make a wide range of nourishing soaps:

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  • Simple nourishing soap bars
  • Palm-free soap bars
  • Castile soap bars
  • Exfoliating soap bars
  • Colored soap bars
  • African Black Soap-Inspired Soap bars
  • Milk soap
  • Honey soap
  • Charcoal soap
  • Beer soap
  • Cupcake soaps
  • Lace soap
Handmade soap bars with blue swirls on marble.
  • Drop swirl
  • In-the-pot (ITP) swirl
  • Taiwan swirl
  • Hanger swirl
  • Secret swirl
  • Column pour
  • Pipe divider swirl
  • Peacock swirl
  • Simple swirl
  • Mica swirl
Natural soap ingredients on bamboo mat
  • Basic Nourishing
  • Soap with Shea Butter
  • Cocoa Butter Soap
  • Oatmeal Honey Soap
  • Milk and Yogurt Soap
Coconut products and brush on yellow towel
  • Classic Olive Oil Castile Soap
  • Duel-lye Olive Oil Castile Soap
  • Universal Soap
  • Household Cleaning Soap

Your journey on the Diploma in Soap Making

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Theory

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Discover the science and art of soap making

Person slicing block of soap with wire cutter.

Cold process soap

Make successful soap bars following tried and tested recipes

Natural soap ingredients: honeycomb, oats, oil, coconut.

Special ingredients

Incorporate exfoliants, colorants, moisturizers, and more!

Purple frosted cupcakes on a stone plate

Techniques

Pipe and lace your soap for that extra touch of luxury

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Two olive oil bottles on wooden tray

Liquid soap

Explore simple ingredients to create liquid soap, fast

Making soap in a crockpot with tools and ingredients.

Hot process soap

Make nourishing zero waste soap using different techniques

Colorful swirled handmade soaps on gray tray

Swirl designs

Learn different soap swirl techniques and get artistic!

Hands holding purple artisan soap over bowl.

Formulate

Create your own soap recipes using a soap calculator

Meet your instructors and tutors

Learn from and be supported by cosmetic scientists and professional formulators.

Is the Diploma in Soap Making right for me?

This course is perfect for…

Beginners

Passionate beginners

Go from beginner to expert with professional guidance.

Open to learning new skills, you are enthused about making soap and are ready to start at the basics and progress to advanced soap making all in one course.

Intermediate – advanced

Experiened soapers

Take your soap making skills to the next level and stand out from the crowd.

Formulate your own recipes, work with advanced ingredients, and master new, creative techniques like soap swirling, hot process and liquid soap making.

Entrepreneur

Beauty brand owners

Create beautiful, nourishing, and zero waste soaps to sell.

Soaps are the perfect low-cost addition to your existing natural and organic cosmetic range.

Student testimonials

Why learn to formulate your own advanced soaps?

Make zero waste products. Soap bars don’t require any packaging, so they’re good for the environment.

Cost effective, time-efficient and preservative-free. Natural soap bars are inexpensive to make, don’t require any preservatives and last up to two years. This is an easy and affordable route to pursuing something you love or even fulfilling your dream of creating beautiful soaps to sell.

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Prioritize your health and hygiene. Soap is the cornerstone of good hygiene that helps to boost health and wellness. Learn to create your own cold process soaps to a professional standard that are perfect for your skin. 

Expand your product range. If you are already formulating natural skincare products, making your own soaps is the perfect way to take your formulation skills up a level and expand your product range. After all, we all use soap multiple times every day!

Want to try before you buy?

Sample a selection of our course material inside our online classroom.

Tutorial on making swirl pattern soap.

How does the Diploma in Soap Making work?

Our proven system for teaching formulation skills, developed over more than a decade of training provision, means when you study with us, you’ll gain the knowledge, skills, and support to succeed at formulating.

Woman working at laptop in cozy home office.
Knowledge

You don’t need a scientific background; our courses cover everything you need to know.

Skills

We start with more straightforward products and progress to the more complex or challenging ones so you can build your skills and confidence.

Women discussing skincare products at computer
Support

You can rest assured that you are learning from qualified and experienced professionals and are not misled by inaccurate, poor-quality and unsafe information often found online.

We’ll teach you to formulate by providing the following resources for each type of product:

1. Essential theory
Learn about the chemistry of cosmetics, ingredients, equipment, packaging and suppliers.
2. Formulation guidelines and templates
We break each product down and explain the ingredients used, their function, benefits and usage rates.
3. Benchmarks
Analyze products on the market to learn how they are formulated and use them as inspiration for your own products, if you wish.
4. Example formulations
We provide professional standard formulas developed by our cosmetic scientists ready for you to follow, giving you the chance to put the theory into practice.
5. Video demonstrations
Our high quality, step-by-step video demonstrations will help you learn the practical skills required to successfully make each type of product.
6. Product development briefs and formulation worksheets
Follow the prompts and guidelines in our worksheet to formulate your own products and take the fast track to success.
7. Support
Have your questions answered by our team of scientists and join our student communities for peer support.

More than just a course our Diploma in Soap Making includes the support and community you need to truly thrive in your formulating journey

You’ll receive:

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19 in-depth modules and four detailed textbooks with step-by-step instructions and beautiful photographs.

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21 practical demonstration videos that show you exactly how to make a wide variety of soaps.

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Guidance on formulating your own soap recipes.

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Join our supportive, vibrant community of like-minded students and graduates across the world.

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Easy-to-use online classroom, quizzes, and activities.

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23 ready-to-use soap recipes to practice with.

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Assignments marked personally and a course completion certificate.

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Detailed ingredient, equipment and supplier information.

Be supported by cosmetic scientists

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Get your questions answered

each week in our dedicated Tutor Q&A

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Expand your understanding

with our monthly Formulators Forum, a LIVE learning and discussion session on Zoom

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Have your end-of-course assignments personally marked

by our cosmetic scientists

Plus

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Receive an invitation to join our private student and graduate online community.

Connect with like-minded formulators around the world inside our friendly student community. It’s the perfect place to discuss, support and inspire each other.

Student testimonials

Enjoy learning anytime, anywhere

All our training is completed through our easy-to-use online classroom.
Study from anywhere in the world at your own pace. 

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Guide cover: Advanced Soapmaking Liquid Soap
Open book with soap-making instructions and ingredients.
Natural skincare formulation course overview video

Why study with the
School of Natural Skincare?

Be part of our accredited, globally acclaimed, award-winning online formulation school that’s seen over 25,000+ students from 150 countries enjoy mastering the art, science, and creativity of making natural and organic skincare.

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Learn from and be supported by professional cosmetic scientists.

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Tried and tested formulations.

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Formulate your way – natural, organic, vegan, sustainable – and customized to your skin type, tone and concerns.

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Multi-award winning and accredited school, established in 2010.

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Study with us for your own enjoyment and learning or to create a beauty brand.

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