When I tried to learn to make soap I became frustrated that most soap "making books were actually soap milling (adding things to existing soap like flowers,oils,etc). I'd start to read the directions and most started with "take your bar of soap and chop it up".
Discussion
Yea, that's just too easy and stupid. We want real stuff!
I was surprised you can mostly buy premade mix, basically just pour it out and make it harden. Will do it with kids, so we avoid lye, but still - that's not the real stuff!😀