Make 'Melt and Pour' Soap

'Melt and pour' is the easiest method of making homemade soap. It requires no special tools except for a soap base and a mold, and is easy and fun for kids and adults alike. This method is the way to go if you want to avoid the lengthy preparation time and serious risk of injury involved in making soap from scratch.

Steps

  1. Find a good melt and pour soap base. You can buy soap bases in craft stores or online. These are simply plain soaps, sometimes with one or two fragrant or coloring ingredients. You will be melting this down to add your own colors and/or fragrances, either by following a recipe book or simply inventing your own combination.
    • Some bases contain a chemical to make them white and opaque instead of clear. These are harmless and will work fine but are not all-natural, which is one reason people enjoy making their own soaps.
    • Goat milk, shea butter, hemp oil, aloe, and honey are all popular base ingredients or additions to soap bases. These do not change the process, but you should think about the effect of additional substances.[1] For instance, a dark green aloe soap base may produce an unpleasant color when mixed with other colorants.
  2. Prepare your workspace. You need a clean stretch of countertop or table, as well as all of your necessary tools.
  3. Cut the soap base into chunks and place it into a container. Weigh it until you think you've got the amount that your mold can hold - a few tenths of an ounce over or under won't matter. Make sure that your knife, cutting board, and container are free of dirt - soap picks it up easily, and it's difficult to get off.
    • You can skip this step if you have plenty of containers to use as molds. Any plastic container will do.
  4. Melt the soap base. There are two ways to return the soap to a liquid form. A microwave is the quickest and easiest, but will dry out the soap if overdone. A double boiler will take longer, but keep the soap moist.
    • Microwave method: Pour the chunks in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with Saran wrap.[2] Heat for 30–60 seconds or until melted. Take it out and stir every 30 seconds to make it smooth.
    • If you don't have a double boiler, you can create your own makeshift version by heating a saucepan half full of water until it boils. Place a second pan on top of the rim of the first, or put a smaller one directly in the water, preferably raised by a metal ring. Put the soap in this smaller pan and check on it periodically until it has melted.
    • Warning: The soap base will be very hot when fully melted.Do not overheat the soap. It will develop an unpleasant odor. The perfect pouring temperature is around 120-125 degrees Fahrenheit.
  5. Add the fragrance or essential oil. (It is best to wait until the soap has cooled a bit before adding fragrance, this will ensure that your finished soap has a strong smell, or you use less fragrance - using a thermometer cool the soap to between 55 and 60 degrees C) A good amount is probably .25 ounces (about 7 grams) per 5oz bar of soap. This step is optional - sometimes fragrance can irritate sensitive skin.
    • Find an online fragrance calculator for ideas of which fragrances to use and guidelines for how much to add to your soap. You can also find ideas and recipes on soap making website or in books.
  6. Add color to the soap base. This step is optional - some people prefer to have colored soap. Do not use food or candle specific coloring which might stain your skin. Use a soap safe dye, which can be purchased from your craft store. Remember that soap-safe dye is much weaker than candle dye, and you will need to put in more than you would in the same amount of candle wax.
    • "Liquid soap colorants", "micas", or "soap clays" are best for adding color, since other materials were likely not tested for use on skin.[1]
  7. Stir the melted soap - but don't stir too hard, otherwise bubbles will form in the soap. If bubbles form, simply spray rubbing alcohol onto the soap with a fine mist sprayer. The bubbles will disappear right away.
  8. Pour the soap into the mold. Pour slowly as to not get bubbles in the soap. After pouring, give it one final spritz with the rubbing alcohol, and your soap will be perfectly smooth. Once you do this, you can either cover with saran wrap and leave it on the counter or place it into the refrigerator. However, the soap will turn out much smoother if left uncovered. It will take approximately one hour in the refrigerator or several hours on the counter. Cooling in the refrigerator will reduce your finished soap fragrance.
  9. Release the soap from the mold. After it is hard, pop the soap out of the mold. Sometimes the soap will not come easily - try tapping the back with your hand or a large spoon if the soap is exceptionally stubborn.
  10. Enjoy your soap and experiment with new recipes. There is no need to cure melt and pour soap as the soap base was already cured. If you do not use your soap right away, wrap it in plastic wrap to prevent evaporation of water and deformation of the bars. Melt and pour soap tends to sweat sometimes, so avoid exposing it to humid conditions. This is caused by glycerin, which acts as a humectant (it attracts moisture from the air). Also, let the bars air dry between uses, so they will last longer. Enjoy!
    • Try making two or three simultaneous batches using different colors. Pour them into the mold in layers, spraying rubbing alcohol between each one to help them stick together.
    • Consider matching the fragrance with the color, such as a green aloe base soap with rosemary essential oils.
    • Combine two bases by melting them together. Milk & honey bases are a popular combination.



Tips

  • If you have sensitive skin, do not put fragrance or color in the soap. It will not irritate normal skin, but it will irritate sensitive skin.
  • If you do not have a soap mold, try using a plastic cup. Pour the soap into a plastic cup until it is filled about one inch.
  • If you use saran wrap or a plastic bag to line the mold, first let the plastic slide right out of the mold and then peel the plastic off the soap
  • If bubbles form in the soap while pouring it into the mold, lightly spray the tops with rubbing alcohol.
  • Rub your mold with a little bit of Vaseline so the soap is easier to get out when it is hard
  • You can also make molds out of pieces of foil
  • Experiment with different amounts of fragrance and color for different results.
  • Mix opaque and glycerine soap really hard and fast together with a stick and the soap will become fluffy. Then you can scoop the soap up and mold it into fluffy bug shapes. Add on little black eyes and a mouth cut out from soap. Wear plastic surgery gloves or you may get scalded.
  • You can put the soap in the freezer as long as you place it carefully so it doesn't spill or fall. It should be ready in 10-15 minutes depending on size.

Warnings

  • Remember that your soap is only as good as your soap base - buy a good quality soap base at your craft store!

Things You'll Need

  • Soap base (a plain or lightly altered soap)
  • Microwave, double boiler, or two saucepans
  • Any heat-safe stirring utensil
  • Scale
  • Cutting board
  • Measuring spoons
  • Fragrance or essential oil (optional)
  • Soap-safe dye (optional)
  • Large knife
  • Soap mold or plastic container

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/melt-and-pour-soap/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-melt-and-pour/
  2. ↑ http://teachsoap.com/2012/03/05/basic-melt-and-pour-soap
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