Overview: Advanced Soapmaker Certification and General Criteria

The HSCG Advanced HP/CP Certification requires the submission of one (1) soap sample which meets very exact criteria. The soap is judged based on a Soap Evaluation Sheet, which specifies the points for each aspect of the soap, labeling, and required documentation. The soap may receive up to 100 points; 85 points is required for the soap to pass. The soap must pass on its own merit in order to pass the Soap Sample portion of the HSCG Advanced HP/CP Certification Program.

You can review the Soap Evaluation Sheets for the HP/CP Advanced Level Soap Samples to see exactly how the sample soap is evaluated and scored.

Sample Soap Requirements

Specifications for the soap sample are as follows.

1. Recipe

1. Formulate your recipe using at least three different oils/fats/butters of your choosing.
2. Calculate the amounts of water and lye (sodium hydroxide) to use.
3. Decide the level of superfat or lye discount to use.
4. Do not add any fragrance, color, or other additives.
5. Scale the recipe to fit your equipment.

2. Size and Weight

1. The soap must be appropriately wrapped/packaged and labeled per your country's regulations
2. The bar to have a net weight in the range of 3.5 to 5.5 oz (100 to 156 grams).

3. Labeling

1. Each soap must be appropriately wrapped/packaged and labeled per your country's regulations.
2. If a soap is misbranded, it will be disqualified.

4. Documentation

1. Include recipe calculations illustrating how the amounts of lye and water were calculated. A copy of your own calculations, either handwritten or typed are acceptable documents.
2. Complete a Batch Code Sheet (provided) with the batch number, recipe ingredients and amounts, and curing record. Use the form attached to provide this information.
3. Attach on a separate sheet your record of data collected during the soapmaking and finishing steps appropriate for the specific soap recipe. The record of data should include a written description of how the soap was made stating relevant temperatures, time, conditions and residual alkalinity test results.
4. Provide SDS for each ingredient used in recipe, except water.

Submittal of Soap Samples and Documentation

1. If taking the Advanced CPHP exam at the Annual Conference, the soap sample and documents can be submitted to the Certification Committee Table at the Conference. Please submit as soon as possible so evaluations can be made in a timely manner.
2. If soap sample and documents will be submitted at a time other than at the Annual Conference, contact the HSCG office for the correct mailing address for the judge evaluating the soaps within 10 days before or after taking the written exam. Please package the soap carefully so it will arrive undamaged. Soap and documentation will not be returned.

Scoring of Soap Samples

• Each criterion of the evaluation has percentage points assigned to it. The maximum score per soap is 100 percentage points
• Each soap must score 85 percentage points or higher to pass its individual exam. Every soap must pass in order to pass the Soap Evaluation Part.
• If a soap is deemed to be adulterated or misbranded, it will be automatically disqualified.

The HSCG Advanced MP Certification requires the submission of four (4) soap samples which meet very exact criteria. Each soap is judged based on a Soap Evaluation Sheet, which specifies the points for each aspect of the soap, labeling, and required documentation. Each soap may receive up to 100 points; 85 points is required for the soap to pass. Every soap must pass on its own merit in order to pass the Soap Sample portion of the HSCG Advanced MP Certification Program.

You can review the Soap Evaluation Sheets for the MP Advanced Level Soap Samples to see exactly how the sample soaps are evaluated and scored.

Sample Soap Requirements

Specifications for the 4 sample soaps are as follows.

1. Recipes

1. Recipe 1: Produce a bar with a minimum of three different additives (color, fragrance, and/or botanical) in a clear or opaque soap base.
2. Recipe 2: Produce a bar demonstrating proficiency of embedding techniques using at least two soap embeds. Color and fragrance are allowed.
3. Recipe 3: Produce a bar demonstrating multi-layer technique with at least three layers using a different color for each layer. Fragrance is allowed.
4. Recipe 4: Produce a bar demonstrating use of at least two different botanicals, herbs, or other additives to change soap texture.

2. Size and Weight

1. A bar of soap either individually molded or cut from log or block.
2. The bar to have a net weight in the range of 3.5 to 5.5 oz (100 to 156 grams).

3. Labeling

1. Each soap must be appropriately wrapped/packaged and labeled per your country's regulations.
2. If a soap is misbranded, it will be disqualified.

4. Documentation

1. Complete a Batch Code Sheet (provided) with the batch number, recipe ingredients and amounts, and curing record. Use the form attached to provide this information.
2. Attach on a separate sheet your record of data collected during the soapmaking and finishing steps appropriate for the specific soap recipe. The record of data should include a written description of how the soap was made stating relevant temperatures, time, conditions and residual alkalinity test results.
3. Provide SDS for each ingredient used in recipe, except water, herbs and botanicals that do not have an SDS.

Submittal of Soap Samples and Documentation

1. If taking the Advanced MP exam at the Annual Conference, the soap sample and documents can be submitted to the Certification Committee Table at the Conference. Please submit as soon as possible so evaluations can be made in a timely manner.
2. If soap sample and documents will be submitted at a time other than at the Annual Conference, contact the HSCG office for the correct mailing address for the judge evaluating the soaps within 10 days before or after taking the written exam. Please package the soap carefully so it will arrive undamaged. Soap and documentation will not be returned.

Scoring of Soap Samples

• Each criterion of the evaluation has percentage points assigned to it. The maximum score per soap is 100 percentage points.
• Each soap must score 85 percentage points or higher to pass its individual exam. Every soap must pass in order to pass the Soap Evaluation Part.
• If a soap is deemed to be adulterated or misbranded, it will be automatically disqualified.

Updated April 18, 2017

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These are the terms and concepts that a person taking the HSCG Advanced Soapmaker Exam would be expected to know and understand. The list includes terms for both CP/HP and MP Soapmaking.

General Soapmaking Knowledge

Fat.

Triglycerides that are generally solid at room temperature. Tallow, palm oil, and lard are examples of fats.

Fatty Acid.

A molecule that has a saturated or unsaturated carbon chain, typically of 4 to 28 carbons, with a carboxylic acid group at one end. When a triglyceride is reacted with sodium hydroxide, the fatty acid is released from the glycerin backbone and attaches to the sodium atom to form the sodium salt of the fatty acid.

• Lauric Acid: A fatty acid with a saturated carbon chain of 12 carbons.
• Myristic Acid: A fatty acid with a saturated carbon chain of 14 carbons.
• Palmitic Acid: A fatty acid with a saturated carbon chain of 16 carbons.
• Stearic Acid: A fatty acid with a saturated carbon chain of 18 carbons.
• Oleic Acid: A fatty acid with an unsaturated carbon chain of 18 carbons and 1 double bond.
• Linoleic Acid: A fatty acid with an unsaturated carbon chain of 18 carbons and 2 double bonds.
• Linolenic Acid: A fatty acid with an unsaturated carbon chain of 18 carbons and 3 double bonds.
• Ricinoleic Acid: A fatty acid with an unsaturated carbon chain of 18 carbons, 1 double bond, and a hydroxyl group on the twelfth carbon of the chain.

Glycerin.

Produced whenever fats/oils are saponified with lye. It is typically present in MP soap base to improve its clarity and also acts as a humectant. It is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic trihydroxy alcohol (a sugar alcohol) that is three carbons long, with a hydroxyl group attached to each carbon. Glycerin is a viscous liquid at room temperature. It is also known as glycerol.

Oil.

Triglycerides that are typically liquid at room temperature. Olive oil, almond oil, and avocado oil are examples of oils.

Triglyceride.

An ester derived from three fatty acid molecules with one glycerol molecule. Commonly found in oils or fats; they can be solid or liquid at room temperature.

Cold Process and Hot Process Soapmaking

Acid Value.

The number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide needed to neutralize the free fatty acid in 1 gram of fat or oil. It is a measure of the free fatty acid present in the fat or oil.

Hydrogenated Oil.

An oil that has had its unsaturated fatty acids changed to saturated fatty acids by reacting the oil with hydrogen and converting the double bonds to single bonds. The carbon chain of the oil has been saturated with hydrogen.

Iodine Value.

The measure of unsaturation (referring to the presence of double bonds in absence of hydrogen atoms along the carbon chain) in a fat or oil.

SAP Value.

The number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide needed to saponify 1 gram of fat or oil.

Saturated Fatty Acid.

A fatty acid that has only single bonds connecting carbons to each other in its carbon chain. The carbon chain of the oil molecule is saturated with hydrogen.

Unsaponifiable Matter.

The weight percent of an oil/fat/wax that does not react with alkali to form soap.

Unsaturated Fatty Acid.

A fatty acid that has one or more double bonds connecting carbons to each other in its carbon chain. The carbon chain of the oil molecule is not saturated with hydrogen, as if some were missing from the chain. An unsaturated fatty acid that has only one double bond is known as "monounsaturated." An unsaturated fatty acid that has more than one double bond is known as "polyunsaturated."

Melt & Pour Soapmaking

Beeswax.

Added to melted MP base to create a harder bar. It may cause cloudiness in the finished product and affect lather, depending upon the amount and type of MP base used. Beeswax is considered a natural product produced by honey bees and has a variable composition. It varies in color from white to yellow, is a waxy solid at room temperature, and has a melting point of 144 to 147° F (62 to 64° C).

Color Fastness.

The ability of a color additive to not bleed, not fade in light, and not transfer its color to lather or articles.

Fragrance Burn-off.

When fragrance evaporates due to being added to melted MP soap that is too hot. The intensity of the fragrance is reduced.

Low-Sweat MP Base.

A MP base, either clear or opaque, which does not form as much glycerin dew as standard MP bases. Use of less glycerin in the production of this MP base is the reason for it not sweating as much as standard MP bases.

Mold.

The container melted MP base is poured into, which has a shape and features the MP base will take on once it has solidified. Manufacturers typically provide mold volume capacities in units of "ounces of water."

• "Loaf" mold: A long, deep five-sided mold, open on the top, to cast soap for slicing. The bar faces touch each other perpendicularly in the mold.
• "Sheet" mold: A mold that has multiple molded cavities on one sheet.
• "Tray" or "Slab" mold: A single cavity mold that is meant to be cut into multiple full-size bars of soap. The bar faces are the horizontal top of the product, open to the air.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).

A synthetic detergent used in soap and cosmetics as a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying agent. It can be produced by the ethoxylation of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Also known as sodium lauryl ether sulfate.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

A synthetic detergent used in soap and cosmetics as a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying agent. It can be produced by the reaction of sulphuric acid with lauryl alcohol. Lauryl alcohol may be produced from lauric acid which is a fatty acid obtained from coconut or palm kernel oil.

Sodium Stearate.

Used in soap and cosmetics as a cleansing and emulsifying agent. It is a very hard soap formed from sodium hydroxide and stearic fatty acid to produce the sodium salt of stearic fatty acid.

Sorbitol.

Used with MP base to improve clarity and also acts as a humectant. It is a molecule that is 6 carbons long with 6 hydroxyl groups, one hydroxyl group attached to each carbon.

Stearic Acid.

Added to melted MP base to create a harder bar. It may cause cloudiness in the soap and affect lather, depending upon the amount and type of MP base used. Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid with an 18-carbon chain. It is a white, waxy solid at room temperature and has a melting point of 157° F (69.6° C).

Color Additives

Color Additives.

Any material or ingredient used to impart a color to a cosmetic. In the European Union, Canada and the United States, only approved color additives may be used in cosmetics. Some color additives are limited in the amount that may be used or the body parts they may come in contact with. An ingredient that changes the color of the product may be exempt from the definition of a color additive only if the color is clearly unimportant in the appearance, value, marketability, or consumer acceptability is concerned. It is not enough to warrant exemption if the purpose is other than imparting color; the color must be unimportant.

Safety and GMP

Adulterated.

A product is considered adulterated if it includes any filthy putrid or decomposed substance, if it is prepared, packed or held under unsanitary conditions, if it contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to the user under conditions of use, if it contains unsafe color additives within the meaning of the FD&C Act, if the packaging is composed of any poisonous substance, or if its purity or quality falls below claims made upon it.

Complaint File.

A record of a customer's complaint explaining the nature of the complaint, date of the complaint, and the action taken by the soapmaker.

Contaminate.

To make impure or unclean by contact or mixture. A contaminant may be biological (such as bacteria or ants), physical (such as a hair clip or dust), or chemical (such as detergent residue).

Filth.

Foul or dirty matter. An unwanted or undesired mixture of dust, soil, and other solids, such as on floors, carpets, or countertops.

Microbes.

Minute, simple, single-celled forms of life which are the cause of many infectious diseases.

Nonconforming Product.

When one or more characteristics of a product fail to meet specified requirements, it is referred to as a nonconforming product. When a product deviates from quality requirements, it fails to conform.

Quality Assurance.

A set of activities or techniques that’s purpose is to ensure that all quality requirements are being met. In order to achieve this purpose, processes are monitored and performance problems are solved.

Quality Requirement.

A mandatory characteristic a product must have. For example, quality requirements of soap could be defined as a soap that is free of excess alkali, has a stable shelf life, is free of common dermal irritants, and lathers to clean adequately.

Recipe.

A recipe provides measurements for each ingredient. These measurements are typically given as percentages of the total weight of the batch or weight of each ingredient for a given batch size.

Labeling

Cosmetic.

In the United States, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, Sec. 201 (j), defines a cosmetic as:

(a) Articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance, and

(b) Articles intended for use as a component of any such articles; except that such term shall not include soap.

In Canada, soap is considered a cosmetic. Cosmetics include any substance or mixture of substances manufactured, sold, or represented for use in cleansing, improving or altering the skin, hair or teeth and includes deodorants and perfumes. (Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association; Advertising Standards Canada; Health Canada June 1998, revised June 2003).

In the European Union (EU), soap is considered a cosmetic. A cosmetic product is any substance or preparation intended to be placed in contact with the various external parts of the human body or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance, and/or correcting body odors, and/or protecting them or keeping them in good condition. (Directive 76/768/EEC)

FTC.

Abbreviation for Federal Trade Commission. A US Government agency responsible for enforcing the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, including the “Made in the USA” slogan (amongst other things). The FTC is also responsible for preventing business practices that are anticompetitive, deceptive, or unfair to consumers. The FTC oversees the correct labeling of consumer products that are not under the jurisdiction of the FDA or some other agency. The agency also accepts and investigates complaints of fraud in commerce, including non-receipt of items purchased online.

INCI.

Acronym for International Nomenclature for Cosmetic Ingredients. It is a systematic, internationally agreed upon method for naming cosmetic ingredients for labeling purposes. The INCI naming standard is accepted in the European Union and Canada. In the US, the INCI standard is accepted except that the common English (not Latin) name is required for botanical ingredients.

Label.

Information placed or printed on the product which contains details about the product.

Labeling.

Materials and information that accompanies a product and provides information about the product, such as brochures, signage, website content, or social media posts about the product.

Order of Predominance.

Ingredients are listed in decreasing amount as measured by weight.

• In the European Union, Canada, and United States, ingredients that are less than 1% by weight and are not color additives can be listed in any order after the ingredients that are present at greater than 1% by weight. Color additives may be placed at the end, regardless of amount.
• If an ingredient is added to the product that is itself a blend of ingredients, then the label must list the individual ingredients of the blend along with the ingredients in order of decreasing predominance.

These reference provide the general information with which a person taking the HSCG Advanced Certification exam would be expected to be generally familiar. NOTE: Links generally open in a new window or tab.

CP/HP Soapmaking

Dunn, Kevin. Caveman Chemistry: 28 Projects, from the Creation of Fire to the Production of Plastics. Universal Publishers, 2003.

Garzena, Patrizia, and Marina Tadiello. Soap Naturally: Ingredients, Methods, and Recipes for Natural Handmade Soap. Programmer Publishing: Australia, 2004.

Chempro: Fatty Acid Composition of Fats and Oils.

Faiola, Ann Marie. Pure Soapmaking: How to Create Nourishing, Natural Skin Care Soaps. Storey Publishing: Vermont, 2016

Firestone, David. Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Oils, Fats, and Waxes. AOCS Press: Illinois, 2006 (2nd edition).

HSCG Learning Library: How to Make Soap.

Safety, Health, and Environmental

United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration OSHA Hazard Communication Guidelines for Compliance. (In Plain English) Washington, DC. 2000.

Labeling, Cosmetic Regulations

Cosmetic, Toiletry, & Fragrance Association. CTFA International Color Handbook. 2008 (4th Edition).

CTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook. 2008 (12th Edition) 4 volume set + CD-ROM

CTFA Labeling Manual. (9th Edition).

Personal Care Council. International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook. (Sixteenth Edition).

Good Manufacturing Practices

Gale, Marie. Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters. Cinnabar Press: Oregon, 2013.

Cosmetics Alliance Canada (formerly CCTFA) Cosmetics Alliance Canada Home Page .

Cosmetics Europe (formerly COLIPA) Cosmetics Europe Home Page.

Personal Care Products Council (formerly Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CFTA)) PCPC Home Page.

American Cleaning Institute (formerly the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA)) American Cleaning Institute Home Page.

Fragrance and Essential Oil

HSCG Learning Library: Beginner's Guide to Fragrance Blending.

International Fragrance Association. IFRA Home Page.

Research Institute for Fragrance Materials. RIFM Home Page.

Lawless, Julia. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism. Element Books: U.K., 1995.

Rose, Jeanne. 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols. Frog Books: California, 1999.

Additional Materials

More materials may be found on the Basic, Expert, and Master Certification References section that may also be pertinent to the test. More resources will be developed as time permits. Suggestions for additional certification study materials should be sent to the Certification Committee at