Reviews for Old Bexley Soap Co.

Paula has been absolutely fantastic as a teacher and has a wealth of both practical and business knowledge. Her personalised approach to teaching has meant I feel very confident to start my candle business despite all of the current global challenges. Her openness and approachable nature have enabled me to develop an excellent understanding of how to not only make luxury candles but how to also succeed with a business in the long run. Initially, we have carried out zoom lessons with the practical day yet to come and so far I have been beyond pleased with her adaptable teaching style and well-paced lessons. She makes you feel very at ease and that the questions you have are valued, leaving you feeling confident in your newly learnt skills. She has helped me step by step including replying to my questions via email, helping me to navigate the supplier websites and giving amazing marketing/ selling advice.

I highly recommended her course and will be looking to book through Old Bexley Soap Co again soon with plans on expanding to soaps next year.

From receiving the soap making kit to the end of the online zoom course was amazing. The kit had more than expected and needed. The course started with the basics of soap making going through everything from oils and what they produce as an end product to formulas and even a lye calculator, which makes everything so much easier. Then comes the exciting part with gloves and goggles we started the process of making the soap adding clays powders and Ess Oils. I wasn’t actually looking forward to mixing the caustic soda with the water as I was expecting a different reaction but it was so easy and Paula took us through it step-by-step. Still waiting to unmould and see the final product. I can’t recommend Paula enough, she is so thorough and the class was fun. Such an insight into not only making soaps but also selling and starting your own business. 5*

Five stars rating!

This is the best soap making class ever. I highly recommend this course for those who either want to use this as a kickstart to a viable business opportunity, or for those who simply want to create their own organic soap products, which are suitable for their own skin type.

Paula is such an amazing instructor. She is really passionate to share everything that she knows including her formulation and how to vary it, the use of the lye calculator, business tips, and many more. She told us that she could not cover everything, but to be honest, she had covered practically everything that we needed to know.

After the theoretical aspect (i.e. chemistry of soap making) and the practical session of making 8x bars of soap (approximately 100g each), Paula gave us some business tips and tricks over a sumptuous Afternoon Tea. Paula said that she took the longer route by self teaching herself when she was starting to make soaps few years ago. She is really keen to share and pass on her knowledge to help us to experiment safely and not to make the same mistakes that she had experienced before whilst learning how to make soaps initially.

Again, this is the best soap making class ever. The good news is that the course does not actually end on the day, as Paula reassured us that should we have any queries and concerns, she is just an email away.

Well done and keep up the good work! Happy soaping!

I did the soap making workshop yesterday with Paula, she is really nice and explained very well the process of soap making. The workshop was divided in 3 parts: the first part was more theoretical we learnt about the different types of oil that we can use and mix, the importance of the percentage when creating the recipe.
The second part we started to formulate the soap with the artificial fragrance and essential oils etc.. and the last one was an afternoon tea and Q&A. I really enjoyed this experience that was new to me and made me want to learn more about this.

Because of current restrictions, the course was online which had the advantages of not having to travel and my daughter could join in too! It was really good value for money with a detailed information booklet and video from which we were able to make our first basic batch of soap, followed up with a one to one online tutorial. Making our first batch from the instructions and video was great fun and gave me a good understanding of the process before my online tutorial with Paula. She took me through the factors involved in varying recipes and I planned a couple of recipes with Paula's help based on my personal preferences. The tutorial was scheduled to suit me and lasted as long as I needed (two and a half hours) which enabled me to ask questions and ensure that I understood everything clearly to make more soap variations. Paula is so passionate about what she does and she has really inspired me to experiment with soap making further. I can't wait to get started!

Spent a fabulous day in Bexley being taught how to make candles with Paula from
Old Bexley Soap Co. Paula is very knowledgeable and a great teacher too. The Freemantle Hall is a magnificent place and so easy to get to from London by train.
As well as being able to make your own candles, you also enjoy a delicious afternoon tea. I'm not an "arty" person by any stretch of the imagination but due to Paula’s ability to teach, my candles looked perfect.
Wonderful experience and thoroughly recommended.

Hands-on, informative, and enjoyable beginners class for quality candle making!

I booked the course several months ago.  The classes are continually booked months in advance, which speaks volumes about how good they are.

Paula is a wonderful host and teacher.  The venue is beautifully presented, and arranged safely in these COVID times, for a 10 am start on the day.  A comprehensive handbook is provided, and Paula talks through the process of candle making and legislation (if you wish to turn this into a small business). You then make two amazing smelling candles after the process is explained.  

It is fun choosing the signature scent and understanding how wick and glass size, scent or colour, as well as the type of wax used, can all affect the outcome of the candle.  Paula is clearly an expert, as she runs her own business selling candles, soaps etc., and she imparted clearly and honestly that it does take time to test candles until you find your perfect one.  For the class, though, you are supplied with a tried and tested mix for the wax, so the end product is perfect.  I am hugely excited to start experimenting making my own candles in the coming months, and not spending a fortune on shop-bought ones as I previously was!!

The day is topped off with a tasty afternoon tea (inclusive of the most divine scones), and she kindly caters for dietary requirements.  So not only did I come away with a recipe of how to make candles but also one for vegan scones - thank you, Paula!!

I thoroughly enjoyed, the Beginners Candle Making Course. The couese takes place in an accessible venue a few minutes walk from Bexley Train Station, and upon arrival I was impressed with the time and preparation that Paula had taken to create a welcoming environment.
Paula' passion and dedication about candlemaking really makes this course an invaluable learning experience for anyone who wants to learn how to make quality candles for fun. for family and friends, or as a business.
This course is excellent value for money. You are provided with comprehensive handouts and a wonderful lunch.
I would like to express my appreciation to Paula, for creating a quality course, that is insightful and inspirational.

What a fantastic course! Cannot recommend this enough as an introduction to soap making. The course covers all the legislation and information if you wish to turn this into a small business. Paula is engaging, enthusiastic, and highly knowledgable. The location is super accessible from London if coming by train (the course location is five minutes walk from the mainline train station in Bexley - Oyster Zone 6, and only 21 minutes on the fast train from London Bridge), or if driving there is plenty of available parking. It was fantastic to see the various creations other participants made, and a lovely afternoon tea topped off the day. Paula very kindly caters for dietary requirements - the vegan scones were wonderful!

Had a lovely few hours learning about making soap from Paula. Everything was explained very clearly with a set of notes you can take away, and it was great fun. Learned so much . A few people were going to take things further and sell their soaps (after getting the correct certification of course which was explained) and some were like myself, a complete beginner, just happy to know how to make some fab smelling soap for gifts and presents. Had a lovely cream tea to finish . Everyones soap looked good enough to eat and smelt gorgeous. Highly recommended for anyone .