Admit it, if you can get past the ick factor, snakeskin soap does sound rather fascinating, doesn't it? But why would anyone want to add snake shed to their soap batch? Because it's loaded with Keratin! Keratin adds a silky smooth glide and sheen to your soap and is a great alternative to silk. Snakes shed their skin one to four times a year. This process, called molting, removes the old, worn skin to reveal fresh skin underneath. The old skin is left behind and discarded. Snakeskin is mainly composed of a fibrous structural protein called keratin, which provides structure to hair, nails, feathers, claws, scales, and hooves, and horns. The silk fibers that are produced by insects and spiders are also composed of keratin. Keratin is insoluble in water. So what does this have to do with soap making? Many soap makers, including myself, add snakeskin to the lye water when making soap. The fibers are dissolved in the extremely hot lye water, but the keratin protein remains, and this protein adds a lovely silky feel to the lather of the soap bar. Snakeskin in soap is also a luxury ingredient, with similar properties to silk. Still interested to learn more? Here's how to add snakeskin to handmade soap. 1. Tear off a piece, or use the whole snakeskin. I used a 12-inch segment. 2. Add the snakeskin to the amount of water needed to make the batch of soap. 3. Stir the measured lye into the water. Best to do this in a well-ventilated area because melting snakeskin stinks. (But it's no more stinky than when using goat milk.) 4. When cooled to an appropriate temperature, pour the lye water through a strainer into the oils. This catches any visible dark bits of material that might show in the finished soap. 5. Stir the soap batter to trace and pour into a mold. Easy peasy! That wasn't scary at all now, was it? And the results will have a definite high-end appeal! Still not convinced? Not to worry this class is being offered with or without the addition of snakeskin to your soap batch the choice is yours. Message for available dates and pricing. Pricing is based on number of participants, location and amount of soap per person requested total. This class is taught as a private event. Must meet minimum size for class to run. Class organizer is responsible for recruiting participants. Can be taught on farm or at the site of your choosing.