Homemade Soap Class at the CMCA

Every time Zane and I walk through Downtown Frederiksted, we pass the Caribbean Museum Center for The Arts (CMCA). As time passed, curiosity got the best of me, so I looked up what the place was for. The website revealed that it was a building full of beautiful Caribbean art, but also a place that offered art classes! I jumped online and immediately booked the first class I saw: Friends in the Courtyard homemade soap making!

When I arrived for class, the CMCA staff led me to the Friends in the Courtyard tent in the- guess where- courtyard. Within minutes, the name of the group proved to be incredibly accurate. Michelle, the class instructor, introduced me to everyone in the class. Everyone I met was so friendly. We all exchanged stories, which was shocking because I found people who lived in my hometown! It’s truly a small world. It seemed like a lot of the people who showed up are regulars, which makes this a fun activity to meet people and bond over a love for crafting and art.

Michelle, our instructor, brought in the supplies: food-grade lye, water, aloe, and essential oils! She gave a brief introduction to soap-making and explained all the steps we would go through. I loved that her entire soap-making class was hands-on. I had so much more fun than I would watching a YouTube video and trying to follow along. Plus, it was great to have a teacher helping me through my trials and errors.

Michelle brought a whole tray of different essential oils to choose from. I chose the scents of tea tree, lilac, and peppermint. I also experimented by making soaps with raspberry and pomegranate tea leaves, which work as natural exfoliants. Michelle even brought turmeric, which is known to brighten and even out skin tones! I love knowing exactly what ingredients are in my soap. I’m excited to have personalized, healthy soaps that I can make again!

Michelle made our crafting eco-friendly by reusing every part of our crafting materials. When we mixed our soap in red solo cups, she collected them to bring home and wash to reuse for other classes! Also, our soap molds were reused food containers, which was a great use for them. Everyone in the Friends in the Courtyard is so creative in every aspect of their lives! I was proud to be surrounded by champions of upcycling.

Throughout the soap-making class, I learned so much about a hobby I would have never discovered. For instance, did you know that the chemical reactions to make the soap produce temperatures as high as 200 degrees Fahrenheit? I could barely touch the outside of my molds during the hardening process! Also, I learned that soap needs to be cured and hardened for a month before you use it. This process makes your soap last longer. I will be counting down the days until I can try my soap!

Because of Michelle’s class, I’m going to purchase my own soap-making materials to continue the fun art of soap-making at home! I recommend taking a crafting class at the CMCA to anyone who loves being creative and making friends. It is such a supportive environment for people to explore new art. I loved the opportunity to learn a new skill and make my own St. Croix souvenir this morning!