Instructions

Here's the six easy steps to making melt and pour glycerin soap. After much research, and lots of trial and error, here's the instructions that work best for me. Remember -- the most important thing is to have fun. If you find something that works for you, e-mail me, and I can add it to the page.

1. Melt Base. This can be done in two ways. In both cases, the melting is done away from direct heat. One way is via the microwave, the other is over a double boiler. The key to making good soap is to heat it just enough to melt it and no more. Scientifically, never let your base get higher in temperature than 140 degrees.

Microwave. The covenience of the microwave is that you can use any container which fits your base. The problem is that you must watch your base closely, zap it in short spurts, and make sure to take it out as soon as it is melted. Never let your base boil.

Double Boiler. This is the easiest way to melt the base. If you don't have a double boiler, it's easy to create a makeshift one by nesting a smaller pot in a larger one. To do so, you could rest the smaller pot on forks, or some people even cut rings out of coffee cans for that purpose. Keep the pot which contains the base covered to avoid loss of moisture. Again, don't let the soap get too hot. One trick -- set the larger pot with water on the stove, and bring water to a rolling boil. At that point, turn the stove off, and set the smaller pot in the boiling water. This is almost a surefire way of making sure the base does not get too hot.

2. Add Color. You can add almost anything to color your soap. Food coloring works but tends to fade over time. There are a variety of colorants. Check the supply page for nuggets and gels. One hint, add color a little at a time. You can always add more, but too much color, and you either use up all your base to fix it, you get colored bubbles or worse, when the soap is used, the color can stain your hands and washcloth.

3. Add Scents. Again, you can use anything to scent your soap. Your favorite perfume, a fragrance oil, or an essential oil. There's no real formula here. Basically, scent till it smells good. Check the supply page for fragrance oils. With these, the formula is from one teaspoon to one tablespoon per pound of soap.

4. Other additives. You can add extra oils for a more moisturizing bar. Some oils and butters which work are almond oil, vitamin E, shea butter, and in a shampoo bar, castor oil. Too much and you lose some lather, so keep it under a tablespoon per pound.

5. Pour into a mold. You can use anything for a mold. Plastic cups, disposable cookie trays, disposable cupcake trays, cookie cutters, candy molds -- ANYTHING! Once you pour the soap into the mold, air bubbles may form on the top. Keep a mister bottle filled with alcohol on hand. One spritz, and the bubbles magically disapper. The trouble most people have with this craft is getting their soap out of the mold. Remember -- it goes in liquid and turns solid. Therefore, the soap is vacuum sealed to the mold. Your best bet is to get an air pocket started in one area, and then following the air pocket until the seal is undone.

6. Take a bath. Use your soap for one of the most fragrant and luxurious bath you could experience. Your soap is ready as soon as it hardens. One tip is to completely wrap it in saran wrap if not immediately used to avoid having the bar dry out.