Melt and pour soap is a great way to learn about the craft before you commit to tackling more involved processes and long curing times if you've always wanted to try soap making but didn't want to deal with mixing tallow and lye. Soap making supplies are as close as your local craft store and with several pre-made soap bases to choose from, melt and pour soaps can be made in as little as a few hours and be ready to use the following day.
Choosing a Base
Just like with cooking, when you make melt and pour soap your final product will only be as good as your ingredients. The most important ingredient is your soap base. You can find pre-made blocks of colorless, unscented soap at your local craft store or online from a variety of soap suppliers. When it comes to choosing your base, the general rule is that you get way you pay for.
If you're only looking to make decorative, scented soaps you may be fine with the soap bases you find at craft stores. However, if you're interested in making soap for your own use that's also going to be gentle on your skin, take the time to research soap making supply vendors on the Internet that carry a wide variety of higher-quality bases.
Be sure to read the soap base product descriptions and ingredients lists carefully and buy the purest base you can afford. Some manufacturers use additives and other chemicals to speed the melting process or increase lather.
Prepping and Melting the Base
Before you begin, you'll need to think about how much soap you want to make and the size of your molds, in ounces. If you have four, 6-oz molds you'll want to be sure you cut at least 24oz from your block of base to make the desired amount.
Once you've got your base cut, chop it into very fine pieces or better still, grate your base. Grated soap base tends to melt more evenly, which means less stirring. That, in turn, helps minimize the amount of air that gets stirred into your soap, making for a better final product.
Although it's possible to melt your base in the microwave, the preferred method is using a double boiler to which you can attach a thermometer so you can monitor the temperature closely (soap tends to melt best at approximately 150 degrees Fahrenheit). Microwaving soap can cause it to burn rather quickly, and can also cause heat pockets that will burn off any scent you add later.
Melt your base slowly, over simmering water, stirring occasionally until it is almost completely melted. Remove the top pan from the heat and stir a few times to melt any remaining chunks. Now you're ready to add scent and color.
Selecting Scents
When it comes to adding scent to your soap, you have a variety of options: essential oils, perfumes, extracts, crushed herbs and commercially prepared soap scent formulas. Like soap bases, you get what you pay for when you choose commercially prepared scents, so buy the best quality you can afford.
Some scents are stronger than others-essential oils versus herbs, for example-so start with small amounts and continue to add slowly until you achieve your desired effect. You might also consider experimenting with different brands of your chosen form of scent-some brands have more staying power.
Always add your scent when your soap base after it's cooled a bit. If the base is too hot, it will burn off your scent and you'll have to add more. Some types of scents will add a slight color variation to your soap, especially vanilla. If your scent has a tendency to color soap, it's usually noted on the bottle.
Adding Color
Soap colorants come in solid, powder and liquid form. Whichever form you choose to work with, start with a small amount and add more after stirring, if necessary, to get the color you want. It's easier to add more color than it is to melt additional soap base to dilute it.
While it's possible to use food coloring, it tends to bleed if you use more than one shade in a single bar; it also fades over time. Clear soap bases will pick up color much more easily than white bases. As a general rule, the amount of color you use with a clear base needs to be doubled for white bases.
Add your color when your base is completely melted. Stir it gently to avoid creating too many air bubbles.
Molds
You can purchase soap molds at craft stores-everything from long troughs that you'll cut bars from later or decorative shapes. But don't let your imagination be limited by what you see at the store: almost any baking pan, muffin tin or heat-resistant container can be used as a mold. If you're using materials you already have on hand as a mold, just make sure it can withstand the heat and don't reuse any containers later for food.
Slowly pour the soap into the mold, being careful not to splash or cause bubbles to form. Cover the mold with plastic wrap and set aside. Your soap should be set and hard enough to remove within a few hours. If you need to speed the setting process, you can safely place the mold in your refrigerator, but avoid putting it in the freezer.
When your soap is fully hardened, remove it from the mold. If it doesn't release easily, try tapping the bottom firmly or turn the mold over and let hot water run over the bottom of the mold. Remove any imperfections or blemishes by trimming with a paring knife or wearing them away with a soft cloth.
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