Paula, the award-winning founder of Old Bexley Soap Company, is a member of the UK Guild of Craft Soap and Toiletry Makers, has years of experience making the finest of soaps, and you will be in expert hands. She will take you through the traditional cold process soap, step by step, and you’ll leave with 8 luxury palm-oil free soaps you have made from scratch.

You’ll be in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. 

Beginners Soap Making Workshop with Afternoon Tea in Bexley (Kent) - Easy access from London

Yan Alade

It was so fun and relaxing to learn how to make soaps from scratch. Paula is a excellent teacher. The hardest part of the course is to now wait 6 weeks so I can use my handmade soaps. Thank you Paula

Fabiola  Fernandez

Amazing experience, very good curse to learn how to make soaps or to get expand your knowledge.Paula is very passionate about soaps making and she really have a lot to share and explain, I really recommend this curse 

Eva Rose

I absolutely loved the course Paula taught. she is very knowledgeable, and friendly. I came to the course not knowing anything about soap making, and left with lots of ideas and full of inspiration.! Iwould 100% recommend this course to anyone who wants to venture down the path of soap making.. thank you again for a great day!!

Lilly  Mandarano

Had a great day soap making. Paula is very professional, warm and knowledgeable. The handout and information is really thorough and we feel very ready to try it on our own.  She's and her assistant were really approachable and accommodating. Everyone got plenty of support and attention. There were loads of ingredient choices to make our soaps and we are so excited to try our soap once it's cured. The afternoon tea was a really nice tough and gave us a chance to ask questions in a relaxed environment. Top notch course.

Esme  Vincent

Enjoyable day with a friendly and knowledgeable teacher.  Everything well set up and organised.  Made some lovely soap.  My only comment would be; if someone has stated vegan on their form, to ensure that vegan food options are available.  There was nothing clearly labelled and the scones were served with cream.  It felt like my preference had not been noted or considered.  Otherwise, a good day.

Debbie Butler

Really enjoyable course very informative just right amount of time, inspired me to order some soap making ingredients and get going at home 

Ksenija Laskova

Informative and positive learning experience with theory and practical components. The day ended with delicious, tailored to all, afternoon tea. Thank you to Paula and the team! 

Tracey  Kinsley

Brilliant one day soap course.
Well organised, friendly and professional.
Lots of choices to customise our own soaps.
The day flew by and I already feel confident to try at home.
Thank you so much for such a great day.

Sue  Ulay

I throughly enjoyed my soap course with Paula. She extremely helpful and explained whole thing with lots of useful information. If was a great experience and the day was fun. 
Thank you Paula. 

tejinder  virdhee

I attended the candle workshop with Paula and it was amazing, well organised and well explained. I had been on 2 other workshops  elsewhere as I wanted to learn candle making for business. This course was by far the best with instructions on where to source your supplies and what makes a good candle versus a bad candle.  The afternoon tea with home baked scones was just a lovely treat to the session. Thanks so much 💕

Emma McRae

An excellent class for all budding soap makers.
Paula is one of the best teachers I have come across and she extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of soap making and the beauty business.
She challenged me to create my own recipes instead of following the  trends and helped me to have a greater understanding of soap making as an art.

I highly recommend this course, as its not only very fun and informative but the cream tea after is delicious! 

This course is worth every penny and I will be coming back for more at some point. 

Florence Ngoma

Absolutely enjoyed the course. 
Paula is very lovely person and teacher, good listener and very understanding. 

I learnt alot un 5hrs it was so worthy and I met lovely people on the course. 
Highly recommend whether you want it for business or pleasure, you'll never be disappointed. 

Penny Docheva

Paola is an angel! I loved the course and really enjoyed making soap, I did not expect it will so much fun! Thank you for looking after me xx

Elisaveta Kaneva 

Another fabulous day at the Old Bexley Soap Co!
Thank you for a fun but hard working day! Thank yon for the lovely lunch and amazing home-made scones! Loved the soap making course! 

Christine De Ionno

This is the third of Paula’s wonderful workshops that I have attended; she takes a lot of care to create a great learning experience and is generous with her information, encouragement and support.  The soap-making process was a bit like baking and we were taught how to make and handle lye safely.  It was a real treat to be helped to mix aromatherapy oils to make the beautiful fragrances that went into our soaps and to have a range of botanicals with which to garnish them.  We all went home with 8 soaps which showed everyone’s creativity with the fragrance and appearance – it was a treat to see and smell everyone’s finished soaps.  This is a process which can be replicated at home as long as care is taken with making lye and waiting a good number of weeks for the soap to be used safely.

Daniel  Wright

I had a great time learning how to make soap and took home a set of delicious smelling and attractive looking soap bars. I now feel confident enough to make my own soap in future. I would highly recommend you this course to anyone looking to build experience or confidence. 

Sandy Ryan

Wow so impressed by Paula and The beginners soapmaking course. I loved every second. Paula is so thorough in her teaching, so friendly and approachable. I came away with so much information and also soaps that I made as well. We all had a lovely afternoon tea, and Paula looked after us all so much, going above and beyond. Paula thank you, Don't waste time thinking about whether to book yourself in, just do it, you won't regret it x

Nadiya  Tawfik

Wow what can I say, I had the most wonderful time at Paula’s soap making course. I learnt an incredible amount of information through Paula’s detailed and friendly teaching and enjoyed the soap making with such a large variety of ingredients to choose from. All of this finished by a delicious afternoon tea and homemade scones - a dream come true! Thank you 

Delphine Sawyer

Paula is a great teacher, and I was lucky to be surrounded by a lovely bunch of people.  The course was well structured and organised. 

Having made some beautiful soap, we were treated to a fabulous cream tea with sandwiches and scones.

I would highly recommend this course!

Stephen  Radley

This is a really good introduction to soap making.  Paula explained the soap making process clearly and it was a really good fun making the soap.  There was was lot of choice to make whatever soap you liked and Paula and her colleague Rosa made sure you did things correctly and safely. Every thing was very well organised and Paula is a very engaging teacher. The afternoon tea ,sandwiches and scones were good too. I would definitely recommend this course .

Ali Findlay

To say I had a wonderful day is an understatement. It was marvellous. My excitement and desire for soap making was definitely satisfied and now I have the bug. As a science lover, I geeked out when the soap making process was explained by the lovely Paula. Paula made it so easy to understand and modelled the process like a pro. We then had the opportunity to make our own soap. I loved the fact that there were so many ingredients to choose from, we were really spoilt for choice. The session ended with a very delicious tea party with some of the most yummiest of sandwiches. It was indeed a beautiful day, spent with lovely people and have acquired a wealth of knowledge that I will definitely be using to change my life. Thank you Paula. 

Clare Cook

Fantastic class run by the brilliant Paula. A hands on session, with lots of tips and experience shared plus a lovely lunch provided.

patrick weber

I really had a fantastic day making soap for the first time. Paula is fantastic in explaining all processes involved. Thank you very much! 

Erica Fernando

An enjoyable day at a comfortable pace. The morning was theory followed by putting it into practise, then afternoon tea. The rest of the attendees were friendly and all made beautiful soaps. Paula was easy to talk to and informative. I chose to attend a course as I didn’t fancy experimenting with caustic soda at home, and am now confident I can handle and store it safely. Can’t wait to try my soaps once they’ve cured in 2 months! Then I will be making some more. Venue was great for me as I live locally.

Carla Elliot

I had a very wonderful experience on my beginners soap course Paula was very lovely woth lots of wisdom and experience to help guid me on my new adventure, I will definitely be returning for more courses had so much fun and the complimentary home made scones were fabulous Thankyou! 

Hannah  Tengbe

The course content was beautifully presented. The environment was amiable because I felt at my ease to ask as many questions as possible. Will definitely recommend to friends. 

Oluchi Iheanachor

Give this course a try and you won't regret it. I got so much information and made some soaps following the demonstration of Paula. Excellent course to learn how to make soap from home, in your own time.  Thank you 😊 



Kate Fletcher

Had such a lovely day learning how to make soap with Paula. She has a wealth of knowledge and was very happy to share her experience. I’d highly recommend attending one of her courses.

Loraine Williamson

Patricia  Caro

Very informative, clear, detailed course taught by the charismatic and knowledgeable Paula.  I highly recommend this course for anyone that wants to find a new hobby or starting a new business! Highly enjoyable.

Sandra Goode

another brilliant course, time was taken to explain everything with ample opportunity to ask questions before we made our own soap.  Help was readily available as we made our soaps a very good way to learn.

Jon Dewhurst

Great afternoon learning a new skill. Paula was a great teacher

Chinwe Osaghae

This was the best workshop I have attended! ...very engaging,  interactive and interesting! Paula has a great talent for passing on knowledge.  I went away from the workshop buzzing with excitement wnd so many ideas.

I look forward to doing another workshop with Paula in January 2023😊

Sue Webster

Lovely day. Would definitely go to another class. Candles maybe next time. Very relaxed atmosphere with everything supplied and loads of info and guidance

Nasreen Noor

It was indeed a fantastic workshop with Paula.. I totally enjoyed those 5 hours of learning when she made us comfortable through her insightful and supportive teachings.. The group size and mix of energy was perfect as well.. I would highly recommend this soap making course to anyone interested in getting their basic right, either for personal satisfaction or for business ideas...!!

Amanda Tata

There is nothing that Paula doesn't know about soap making.  I'd do another class with her any day.  I came home with 8 delicious soaps, all given as Christmas presents to very delighted family members and I can't wait to get started on my new hobby.

Louise Frost

Cheryl Huggins

Wow I have always been interested in natural soaps, and grew up using them, so I was keen to join the class, after a good friend recommended it to me. 

I was not disappointed, an amazing class, structure, information was simply perfect! 
The group was really diverse, we had so much fun, my soaps I made were much better than I could have imagined. 

To follow all of this, the day was complimented  with a beautiful afternoon tea with handmade scones, PERFECT.. 

Looking to book another class 10/10 


Vanessa Inwood

A fabulous day.  Paula delivered the class perfectly. Thoroughly enjoyable and informative.  Would highly recommend.

Patrizia Pessenda-Garcia

Thank you Paula for such an amazing workshop.
It was very good, we learn so many facts and took home 8 lovely soaps.
Paula is extremely knowledgeable and very friendly, making the whole day an amazing experience.
We had lots  of fun learning and making  the soaps.
I highly recommend Paula's workshops.
Can't wait to do another one :)


Lisa Corti

Enjoyable course, very knowledgeable teacher and some lovely soaps to take home at the end of it.

Bharti Nehra

Wonderful session of soap making with Paula and her lovely assistant Rosa. A Very relaxed and friendly atmosphere to learn something new. Delicious Lunch and scones to accompany too. Will definitely be going back for more. 

Anitha Samuel

Excellent course! Paula gave the right amount of theory  and took us through the steps of soap making..  It was a very useful learning experience especially for a beginner like me. We made a good amount of soap and I can’t wait to try them as well as experiment with my own recipes! Thank you Paula. 

Maryneidy Arocha-Santiago

I attended the beginner’s soap making course, which I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only did I get home with 8 beautiful soaps but also with good knowledge to get me started straight away.
The course was very practical and hands-on. In addition, Paula is very friendly and makes of the course such a nice experience.
I highly recommend Paula and her course.


Olga Hatton

Very informative and engaging! I've learnt so much! Highly recommended!

Genine  Price 

Paula’s Beginners soap making course was so enjoyable.  I went to learn something new and relax! This course delivered that and more.  Paula is a natural born teacher.  Would highly recommend. 

Anna Oxenden

I found Paula's beginners course very enjoyable and informative. It was pitched exactly right for novice soap makers and has given me the confidence to explore further. Highly recommended!

Arron Guy

I would highly recommend The Old Bexley Soap Co.  soap making course. Paula is obviously very passionate about all things related to soap making and a great teacher.   She creates a friendly atmosphere and is warm and welcoming. Even though the course is just one day long I learnt all I needed to know and felt proficient and confident enough to make my own cold processed soap the next day on my own at home, and my soap turned out beautifully!   Now I feel I can make loverly soap for my friends and clients confidently. Thank you Paula, you’re my soap guru! 

Patrick Murphy

The soap making course was fantastic. I had a thoroughly enjoyable day making my soap.   Paula’s enthusiasm for the craft was truly inspiring. She talked us through the process step by step, enabling us to confidently make our own first batch. I had a lot of fun blending the essential oils and adding various ingredients to my soap. The end result was very pleasing.  I would definitely recommend the course to friends and family.

Joanne Storey

Excellent soap making course run by the very friendly and knowledgeable Paula. Everything is provided in a safe comfortable and relaxed setting. Paula has a wealth of knowledge which she is keen to share and will answer any question you have. We came away with 8 large bars of beautifully smelling pretty soap.  Afternoon tea afterwards was delicious and also gave an opportunity for everyone to  discuss the process etc. I would highly recommend this course. You are not only learning to make soap but going deeper into the rules and regulations of selling if that is what you want to do. 

Tracy Coates

I have now attended the beginners candle making and soap making course and would thoroughly recommend them. Paula is very knowledgeable and you come away from the course confident to try yourself at home. Afternoon tea at the end of the day is delicious! 

Kay Verge

Excellent day.  Good venue, Paula was a great tutor and very knowledgeable. Lovely day to meet new people and learn a new skill. Would recommend.

Gizella Andrei

I  dis enjoy making soaps 🧼 and the end I liked the fantastic sandwiches.. ☺️ 
Thank you ! 

Katy Alldred

Fascinating class lead by someone who is passionate about the subject and incredibly knowledgeable.  You leave the class itching to get started with creating your own soaps.  Would highly recommend.

Seny Nas

I learned so much in this class and looking forward to have one to one for business class

Beverley Baxendine

A lovely day, fun, informative, well paced, and a good afternoon tea to follow

Kate James

Thanks so much Paula - I had the best day & learnt so much! The day flew by and was so much fun and genuinely useful. Looking forward to carrying on making more soaps at home with all the new knowledge and advice I now have to guide me!

Tracy Spree

I absolutely loved the course, the day was great  I felt I learned so much, Paula you are so helpful and explained things so well and I can’t wait to come on another of your courses, I’m so excited to be able to make my own soaps.  The afternoon tea was delicious.
I would recommend to  anyone if you are thinking of doing this course then do it you will have such a good day, 10/10 from me.

Gillian  Bunn

Excellent course with an excellent teacher Paula. She is very knowledgeable about her craft and is only too smart l asked to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with her students, past and present. A must have treat for business or pleasure. We will definitely be booking another course. A*

Rosaura Abdelkader

I am pleased to have attended this course, I learned a lot, and it was  a nice experience to meet new people with the same passion for making soaps. Thank you Paola and Rosa for such  wonderful experience.

Adam  Harper

This is a great introduction to soap making. Paula is super friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Would thoroughly recommend it for anyone wanting to learn the basics of soap making and the chemistry behind it. 

Heather Brown

The day was informative and fun.  Paula took us through all the steps, explaining everything thoroughly.  Her and her assistant made us a cream tea, which was the perfect end to a lovely day.  I would recommend this course .

Ann-Cherie Holgersson 

This was my second course with Paula and it was a fun and informative day!  I learned lots and will not hesitate to go back for more courses.  We made beautiful soap from scratch , with a generous choice of additives and fragrance. She explained the process of cold process soap in detail and all questions answered. Highly recommend the Old Bexley courses! 

Vanessa Bryant

A great day course and introduction to a new skill. Paula is informative, knowledgeable, helpful and very friendly, and the group size was just right. Enough practical work to gain confidence, and plenty of products to create our own recipes.  The day finishes with a great afternoon tea/lunch, fresh, tasty and plentiful. 

Emily Jazayeri

Absolutely loved the course,  can’t wait to sign up to some other ones.  ❤️

Joanne Cole

The soap making course was fabulous. Thoroughly enjoyed learning about the science behind the practical skills we were taught to make 8 super soaps to our own essential oils blend and design.  A friendly mixture of attendees and Paula was wonderfully warm and thorough.  Lovely homemade afternoon tea too. Would highly recommend and intend to sign up for more courses 👍

AGNIESZKA KOSACZ

What a fantastic workshop :) Paula is a very knowledgeable in the field and knows how to teach it in an easy way. We made 8 big bars of soap which we took home. We also had a nice home made lunch there too. Thank you for an unforgettable experience! 

Janet  Boots 

I had a fabulous day very interesting and enjoyable, Paula is such a lovely lady as all the others people who where at the course , nice lunch . I learnt a lot from the course 

Beginners Soap Making Course with Afternoon Tea in Bexley (Kent) - Easy access from London

Susan  Curry 

Fantastic day!
Paula and assistant were so informative and very helpful with all the process.
I would highly recommend this course.
Great presentation skills.
Extremely good value for money and lovely lunch included.
I will be back for another course.


Lorna  Chalk

I really enjoyed the beginners soap making course. I've been buying hand made soaps on my local farmers market for a while, but thought I'd like to try making them myself. Paula is a great teacher, she generously shares her knowledge and it's a very hands on course giving you the confidence to try it at home.  Her handouts are very comprehensive, and the afternoon tea was delicious!

Natasha Bramble

This course is incredible and covers everything you need to know about making cold process soap.  Paula is very generous with her skills and happy to share lots of information to help you make the best soaps possible.  As well as a great sandwich lunch with a creamy  scone, we came away with approx £80 worth of hand made soap.  I think this course is easily the best available and great value for money.

Katarzyna Sosnowy

Great atmosphere nice experience lovely people 

Laura  Fernández 

Paula is a passionate expert, very knowledgeable in the art of making soap. She could answer any question and offered advice and help to the different needs of the attendees. Paula is very friendly and generous with her time. She explained all the process step by step, informed us about the properties of the many essential oils, clays and the many different substances that she had available to make our personalised soap.  It was not only a very valuable training to start making my own soap at home but a really enjoyable day that included a lovely lunch. I will definitely try another workshop with Paula. 

Joan Wall

The beginners soap making day was a great event.
Although it is called a beginners course, it was aimed at both students who want to start a business as well as those there just for fun.
We learned the basic chemistry behind the soap making process as well as the practical skills needed to make bars of soap.  Each person left with six bars of soap, all of which were unique to the student, because the variety of colours and perfumes available to choose from was very varied.  There were nine students on the day that I attended and each was there for a different reason.  The way Laura led the class, each person was treated equally and all questions were answered regardless of whether they were asked by someone there just for fun, or someone thinking about a new career.
I really enjoyed my day and would highly recommend this course.
Tea, coffee and other drinks were readily available and the "Afternoon Tea" lunch was most enjoyable. 
Thank you Laura 

Denisa Kriskova

The soap course was fantastic! Expert instruction, comprehensive materials, and hands-on learning made it a rewarding experience. Highly recommend!

Darpan Mehta

excellent fun workshop...Paula is a pro, has in-depth knowledge and very experienced. Highly recommend it

Karnjit Jutlay

We had a wonderful day and learnt so much about soap making.
Paula explained in-depth the whole process.
I would definitely recommend this course !!!

Glaucy Morton

The class is fun! You will have a lot done. Paula is a fantastic teacher!

Minu Varkey

Soap making class with Paula was a useful, friendly and  informative experience in the beautiful old English Town of Bexley. Paula and Rosa helped throughout with useful tips, help and delicious food. 

Jo Chandler

This is the third course I've attended and will soon be booking my fourth!  Excellent teaching and hospitality and I would highly recommend.

Melissa  Hartley

Absolutely fantastic, lots of information and fab teacher.  Can’t wait to come back

Rosanna Fullerton

This was absolutely wonderful! Paula is informative and so enthusiastic about her products. A great teacher. Rosa provides all the background support, making refreshments and present all the equipment as and when it is needed. We come away with 8 bars of soap - having had to make almost impossible artistic choices on colour, style and perfumes. Thank goodness we see what others chose as it leaves us with great ideas. Thank You Paula & Rosa. I had a really great time and am still smiling, especially after the previous days news that I required a hip replaced. xx  

Sandra  Boateng 

I highly recommend the soap making for beginners course. It is excellent value for money. I learnt so much on the day and the course material has so much useful information. 

Beginners Soap Making Course 

Chinenyenwa Ogbogu

This course is really mind blowing, honestly I Paula is really incredible and extremely knowledgeable she took us one stage at a time and make sure we got every single step correctly, will surely recommend this over and over again… coming back for the business class am so excited already 🙌🏻

Eleonora Draganova

I had very nice day and learned a lot of new and good, useful staff.

Alison Smith

I had a great time learning the process of soap making and the practical art of soap making. The course was a joy to attend with Paula teaching and passing on her knowledge to us. I would highly recommend this course.

Fiona Starogardzki

We had a wonderful day making soap with Paula and her team. Paula was warm, friendly and very knowledgable, but had a way of explaining things that made understanding it all very easy and fun. Our soaps turned out wonderfully, and I can't wait to make more now. I highly recommend this course.

Susy

Paola was very  friendly  and a great teacher. She explained the process very well. I feel confident in my skills and will be continuing with further classes. 

Veron Grant

I thoroughly enjoyed our session on the beginners soap making  course.  Paolo is very experienced and it was great that she presented the information impeccably to produce a beautiful piece of soap.  I'm looking forward to repeating the recipe with the view of progressing it forward.   Well worth attending.  

Marina Alex

This was my very soap making experience and i certainly came away having learnt a lot. Paula and her lovely team ensured it was a great atmosphere making us feel welcomed too. Thank you x

Radhika Pillai

Excellent course. I thoroughly enjoyed the soap making course.  I stayed back to do the Reed diffuser and room spray as there were some students who had enrolled for this too. This was a bonus for me to be able to pick these skills along with the soap making course   Paula is absolutely fabulous with lots of expertise in this field.  It was so comfortable to be learning under her guidance. She was more than willing to answer all our queries and made the whole course really enjoyable.  
Very welcoming environment, great knowledge in soap making, excellent lunch especially the scones. Thank you , Paula for this wonderful experience. 

Abigail Olaniyan

Thank you for the facilitating workshop. The coordinator was engaging both at the theoretical and the practical aspects of the training. 
I  can't forget the accompanying free  "hand made" savoury lunch!
Thank you!

Sara Richmond 

Brilliant course, great instruction from Paula with no prior experience necessary. A very welcoming, friendly & fun environment. Tea & coffee on offer all day & delicious lunch & scones provided 😋
Practical  but also great scope for creativity with lots of choice of different colours & scents for your soap bars.
I loved every minute & I love my soaps!!
Will definitely be back to do another course.
Thanks Paula 😄

Joanna Pearce

A very informative  course that was a lot of fun :) Will return for another in the New Year

Graham Burch

I learned a lot about soap makong and made lots of notes which I will refer back to. I feel confident that I will be able to safely make soap. I felt that there were too many people for the small room, with lots of people asking questions about commercial soapmaking. I would have preferred a smaller group, maybe just for people interested in soapmaking for personal use. There is another course about the business aspect but too many attendees just wanted to hijack this course.

Learn all the essentials of how to make luxurious, fragrant soaps, for home, gifts to wow your friends and family, or as an aspiring entrepreneur. 

Old Bexley Soap & Candle Co.

The Strand, London

Standard Ticket

Private Booking

Make a reed diffuser to talke home with you and a handout to make more at home

Upgrade - Add a reed diffuser

Upgrade - All in!

Make both a reed diffuser and room spray, full instructions included to make more at home

Choose a date

July 2025

September 2025

October 2025

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