Crafting Melt & Pour Soap

Basic Glycerin Melt and Pour Soap Making 1.

Cut base soap into 1 inch squares. Place soap on the stovetop in a double boiler. Heat slowly and do not allow to boil. Or place in a measuring cup and melt in a microwave. Heat for no more than 30 seconds on high. Stir and then continue to heat in short 10 second intervals until melted. Heat soap to 140° - 150° F. Once soap is liquid proceed to the next step. – Always melt a little more soap than is needed to make up for soap that sticks to cup sides. – To find out how much is needed, fill mold with water, pour into measuring cup and measure amount. – Each 1 inch cube is equivalent to .8 ounces. Six ounces = 7 ½ cubes.

2. As a general rule, use 1 tsp up to 1 Tbsp of fragrance per pound of soap. LESS IS BETTER. (Only use fragrances safe for soap and skincare products). 3. Add cosmetic coloring. Do not use food coloring as it will fade over time. Add slowly and do not over color. To prevent bubbles, stir slowly with craft stick. 4. Add additives if desired. When cooling your base to suspend herbs, gently keep stirring just enough to keep a skin from forming. •

Add any additives such as herbs when your base has cooled and started to thicken to help suspend them in the base. You can also add other ingredients at this time such as aloe vera gel, vitamin E, beeswax, cocoa butter, etc. Melt your solids such as cocoa butter and beeswax before adding to the base. You can use 1 Tablespoon per pound of base. 5. The mold can be lightly coated with cooking spray to make unmolding easier. Pour into soap mold making sure it is not too hot as it may warp the mold. Spritz soap lightly with alcohol to eliminate any bubbles. • You can use just about anything as a mold. Some ideas are candy molds, pringles cans, pvc pipe, rubbermaid containers, yogurt containers, cat food cans (washed and dried, of course) be careful of any sharp edges.

•

You can use just about anything as a mold. Some ideas are candy molds, pringles cans, pvc pipe, rubbermaid containers, yogurt containers, cat food cans (washed and dried, of course) be careful of any sharp edges.

6. Allow to naturally re-harden. 7. To un-mold, place mold (with soap in it) in freezer for 15 - 20 minutes. When the mold returns to room air, it will expand as it warms and the soap will drop out. For really hard to un-mold soap, run warm water over the back of the mold. 8. Wipe soap bars/slices with damp washcloth to smooth edges and remove small imperfections. 9. Wrap in air tight cello or shrink wrap. 10. When cleaning up, don’t put your measuring cups or spoons in the dishwasher. The melt and pour soap base is designed to make lots of luxurious bubbles, and the soap left on the equipment could foam and cause the dishwasher to leak.

Melt and Pour Soaps • Tools – Glass measuring cup/double boiler, microwave oven/stovetop, molds, blender or food processor, wire rack, measuring spoons, washcloth, craft stick/s, and knife for slicing

• Supplies – Base soap, dyes, scents, spices, herbs, cooking oil spray, Fresh Fruit – 70% rubbing alcohol sprayed on for bubble reduction. – Witch hazel sprayed for soap layer adhesion.

Decoupage Bar • Personalize soaps with quick and easy decoupage. The embedded sticker or design will last for the life of the soap. – Mold soap. When cool, remove from mold and press sticker or adhere image with white glue to soap. – Melt paraffin in a double boiler. Carefully dip sticker side of soap in paraffin. Cool and rub paraffin to a shine with a nylon stocking.

Marbled Soap • Start with simple soap bars and swirl colors for a marbled effect. – Pour opaque white soap into mold. – Immediately add 2-3 drops of dye to the soap. – Swirl dye with toothpick and allow to cool. – Alternately, prepare two contrasting colors of soap. Pour lighter color into mold, then add the darker color/s and swirl with popsicle stick.

Embedded Object Soap •

Natural elements such as dried flowers or fruits, leaves, seeds, nuts; silk flowers or children’s toys add special touches to the soap bar. – Fill the mold about a quarter of the way full and allow to cool until skin forms on soap. – Place item to be embedded face down in mold. – Spritz lightly with witch hazel to help hold the bar together. Fill the mold the rest of the way and allow to cool. – Alternately, fill with clear soap to within 1/4/” of top edge of mold. Allow skin to form then spritz with witch hazel and fill top ¼” with opaque white soap and allow to cool.

Layered Bar • Using multiple pours of different colored soap for visual effect – Prepare soaps – one opaque and one clear. For layers of equal height, use the same amount of soap base for each layer. – Fill the mold about a quarter of the way full with clear soap and allow to cool until skin forms on soap. – Spritz lightly with witch hazel to help hold the bar together. – Then add the second layer using the opaque soap. – Repeat, alternating colors, until the mold is full. Allow to cool.

Confetti (Mosaic) Soap •

Using premade chunks of soap within the new soap for visual effect – To make embedded shapes, start by making a bar of colored or white soap (if using opaque shapes, then use clear soap base and vice versa). – Cut into jewel or stone shapes, or to make curls, use a cheese plane to cut a thin slice from the top of the longer edge of the bar. Wind length into a curl. Once curls are made, cut the remaining soap into shapes (small, thin rectangles, squares, etc.) sized to fit into the soap mold. – Arrange shapes in soap mold. Place mold in freezer and chill for 8 10 minutes (this prevents the shapes from melting when the surrounding soap is added).

To finish bar, melt enough soap to fill mold; add several drops of desired fragrance and coloring. Remove mold from freezer and pour colored base around the embedded shapes. Let stand until firm and release.

Botanical Bar • Using additives likes herbs to change the texture and feel of the soap – Herbal Soap Recipes – Spice Soap Recipes – Fruit & Vegetable Soap Recipes – Complexion Soap Recipes – Medicinal Soap Recipes – Special Soap Recipes

Recipes • Herbal Soaps – Sage Soap (Antibacterial and astringent bath soap): 6 oz white glycerin base, ½ tsp powdered sage, 1 tsp sunflower oil, Sage EO, mold. – Peppermint Bar (Refreshing bath bar): 6 oz white glycerin base, 1 tsp peppermint tea, ¼ tsp ground rosemary, pink soap dye, peppermint EO, mold.

• Spice Soap – Nutmeg soap (Complexion bar that tightens pores): 6 oz clear glycerin base, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp grated lemon rind, 3 capsules Vitamin E oil, ¼ tsp Fruit Fresh, Lemon EO, mold.

• Medicinal Soaps – Oatmeal bar (Soothes irritated skin): 6 oz clear glycerin base, ¼ cup ground old fashioned oatmeal, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, 4 capsules Vitamin E oil, mold. – Vitamin E bar (Emollient soap to soothe skin and prevent wrinkles): 4 capsules Vitamin E oil, mold – Citronella bar (Insect repellant): 6 oz clear glycerin base, 1/8 tsp citronella EO, 1 tsp lavender infusion, 1 tsp lemon peel, 1 tsp peppermint tea, mold

• Vegetable Soap – Carrot soap (Promotes soft, healthy skin): 6 oz white glycerin base, 2 Tbsp liquefied carrot, 3 capsules Vitamin E oil, ¼ tsp Fruit Fresh, mold.

Herbs in soap making: •

The best way to use herbs in soap is to add dry, finely powdered herbs . – Use anywhere from 1 Tbsp to 1/4 cup dried herbs to 1 lb soap.

•

The nicest way to add properties of herbs to soap is the addition of pure essential oils. – Use anywhere from 1 tsp to 2 Tbsp essential oil per lb soap.

•

Color is an illusive thing as far as soap is concerned. – Natural colors can be obtained by adding 2 Tbsp ground Calendula petals - yellow, or adding milk(goats or cow's) - tan to brown, depending upon sugar and fat content. – http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soap makingbasics/a/natcolors.htm

Additional Information • Honey: – Honey is also a wonderful additive to soaps. It can impart a light, warm, sweet scent, the added sugar content helps increase the lather, and acts as a humectant. Use about 1 Tbsp per pound. • Beeswax: – Beeswax is good for the skin. It will make your soap a little harder and it will reach trace quicker . Use about 1 oz per pound.

•

Packaging • Good packaging will give your soaps the professional look they deserve. – M & P soaps need to be placed in plastic wrap first to prevent drying out – Cigar Band: Belt-like wrap around the middle of the bar made of paper or material – Gift wrap with paper or material (use pinking shears to cut). Secure ends with fabric glue or tacky glue.

• Labeling – Use a stick-on label – Describe the “Soap” identifying any scent and some of the ingredients, net weight of product, name and place of business

Web Resources • http://www.teachsoap.com/mp.html • http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapma kingbasics/ss/basicmeltpour.htm • http://www.chasenfratz.com/soaprecipes/ • http://www.soap-body-andspa.com/index.html

Questions? Yvonne Von Der Ahe [email protected] "The secret of my health is applying honey inside and oil outside." - Democritus (460-370 BC), Greek philosopher and physician who lived to be 109.