Melt and pour soap is a great way to get exactly what you are looking for in your soap without having to work with lye. Melt and pour soap is already made soap that you can customize with color and scent to make it your own. There are so many different variations of melt and pour soap, we will get into more detail on that later.
Ways to Melt Soap Base:
- Microwave oven (50% power)
- A water jacketed melter.
- For Simplicity you can use a double boiler pan with hot water in between.
- Instructions for double boiler are similar to microwave.
Instructions:
- Thinly slice, chunk or grate the soap base for ease of melting.
- Place the soap in a Pyrex cup and microwave it for 30 seconds (for half a pound).
- Remove and stir slightly.
- Continue to microwave for another 30 seconds (times may vary depending on the microwave).
- Add soap colorant and stir until blended (soap colorant should be minimal).
- Add soap fragrance (1 ounce of fragrance per 2 pounds of soap) and stir gently and thoroughly.
- Pour soap into soap molds. Let cool and harden before popping out of molds.
- For fast set, allow the soap to cool for 10 minutes and place in refrigerator (not the freezer) until set.
Tips and Tricks:
- Never allow the soap to boil. Boiling might denature the color and cause a yellowish hue. A small drop of violet color will restore your soap to white or clear color.
- Children require adult supervision and should not handle the hot and molten soap.
- Ideally the soap temperature prior to pouring should be about 120 degrees. In other works you can put your finger in the soap and it shouldn’t hurt.
- Do not over stir when mixing colors and fragrances. But if this happens allow 10 minutes of settling for the release of air bubbles. Air bubbles if trapped in the mold will spoil the transparency.
- Always pour on a leveled surface.
- When placing an insert or an object in the soap, pour the first layer and let cool, insert the object, and when pouring the second layer it has to be higher in temperature up to 150 degrees. Otherwise separation of the two layers might occur.
- Avoid diluting the soap with water or any other chemical. The only exception to this is to add a maximum of 5% glycerin should you need a softer or more transparent soap.
- Avoid contact of soap with eyes.
- To eliminate air bubbles once poured, spray alcohol on the surface.
- Be conscience of where you purchase melt and pour bases from and their ingredients. We have a great selection with high quality ingredients here.
Types of Melt and Pour Soap:
- Aloe Vera Soap – Vegetable based, sulfate free, Crystal Aloe Vera melt and pour soap base contains all the natural amino acids, vitamins and minerals found in aloe vera which can help moisturize dry skin. Well known for its soothing, emollient properties, Aloe Vera is increasingly popular as an ingredient owing to its superior skincare properties.
- Argan Oil Soap – Vegetable based, Sulfate Free, Argan Oil melt and pour soap base. Commonly known as ‘Liquid Gold’, Argan oil provides fantastic skin feel from high vitamin E and fatty acid content . Used for manufacture of high quality golden Argan oil transparent soap bars.
- Detergent Free Baby Buttermilk Soap – Baby Buttermilk Melt and Pour Soap Base is a white, detergent free base that contains buttermilk, oatmeal, calendula extract, and real natural honey for exemplary moisturizing benefits.
- Carrot, Cucumber and Aloe Vera Soap – Vegetable derived melt and pour soap base, made using Carrot Oil, Cucumber Seed Oil, and Aloe Vera. Crystal CCA contains all the vitamins and nutrients found in these oils, such as Omega-6 from cold pressed cucumber seed oil. Crystal CCA is PEG free, Paraben free, contains no SLS or SLES and provides excellent skin feel, combining antioxidant properties with soothing Aloe Vera.
- Green Tea Soap – Green tea has been used since ancient times for the medicinal treatment of everything from headaches to depression. Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols which are powerful anti-oxidants. Besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. While using green tea in your soap will probably not cure all of your problems, it certainly has benefits that we can all enjoy.
- Hemp Seed Oil Soap – Hemp seed oil contains high levels of essential fatty acids, including linolenic acid which help stimulate cell growth. It is absorbed quickly and excellent for dry skin which makes it a perfect additive for soap. You will be moisturizing and washing at the same time!
- Honey Soap – Vegetable based, sulfate free, Honey melt and pour soap base. Made using real honey, this rich soap base contains natural antioxidants ideal for soothing the skin.
- Crystal White Soap – Vegetable based melt and pour soap base, used for the manufacture of opaque soap bars. Functions well under a wide temperature range (from 140F to 180F). Good foam, good moisturizing from a very high glycerin content which provides a pleasant skin feel. Superior color stability even if kept at a high temperature for extended periods.
Neutral odor provides excellent fragrance lift. - SLES/SLS Free Soap – Vegetable based, melt and pour soap base, free from the surfactants Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Sold in both crystal white and clear bases.
- HCVS (High Clarity Vanilla Stable) Soap – HCVS (High Clarity Vanilla Stable) all natural vegetable-based Melt and Pour soap base is used for manufacture of transparent soap bars. It will not discolor using vanilla fragrance or vanilla fragrance blends. Testing in small trial batches is still highly recommended. Crystal HCVS is stable with up to 2% of most vanilla or vanillin containing fragrances.
- Clear Suspension Soap – Vegetable based melt and pour soap base, used for the manufacture of semi transparent bars with suspended exfoliating particles, objects or decoration. Suspending base can be used to create a decorative soap bar by adding a fine glitter or a functional exfoliating bar by using finely ground cranberry seed, apricot meal, jojoba spheres, herbs, etc. Creative possibilities are endless.
- Goat’s Milk Soap – Vegetable based, melt and pour soap base containing english goats milk, used for manufacture of opaque soap bars. Goats milk is naturally high in vitamins and minerals and rich in butterfat’s which makes it the perfect moisturizer. Vitamin E, which is the skin’s best friend, is found in abundance. A creamy smooth texture that is a fabulous moisturizer and nourishing for the skin.
- Soy Milk Soap – The proteins, amino acids and lipids found in this high-powered bean will moisturize your skin quickly and provide rapid cell regeneration.
- Cocoa Butter Soap – Cocoa butter is best known as a skin lubricant and this soap will moisturize as it cleans.
- Mango Butter Soap – Mango butter is a great source of essential fatty acids.
- Shea Butter Soap – Shea butter is milder, creamier and more emollient than cocoa butter. This soap will leave your skin feeling clean and silky smooth!
- Oatmeal Shea Soap – Crystal Oatmeal Shea is a vegetable derived, made using Natural Oatmeal and Shea Butter, gives fantastic skin feel and combines exfoliating oatmeal with enriching Shea butter.
- Crystal Triple Butter Soap – A vegetable based melt and pour soap base made using premium, luxurious butters blend of Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, and Mango Butter. These butters nourish and cleanse the skin to soften and restore skin to its natural health.
- Olive Oil Soap – Vegetable based, made with pure virgin olive oil, this soap base has a rich lather with excellent moisturizing benefits. It has a very slight green hue to it due to the natural olive oil added, all the while remaining highly translucent and very rich looking.
- Crystal Organic Oils Soap – Vegetable based with 100% of the oils being certified Organic. As a result of using organic oils, the color is light butterscotch and is not transparent, yet it lathers very nicely and has a neutral smell.
- Crystal LS Low Sweat Soap – Crystal LS (Low Sweat) is a vegetable derived melt and pour soap base. It is designed with a lower glycerin content to reduce sweating. Crystal LS is perfect for humid areas where soap typically sweats.