The Soap Making Made Simple Mini Course Lesson 2...

Melt and Pour Method of
Making Handmade Soap

Welcome To Lesson 2 of the Soap Making Made Simple Mini Course!

Today you'll learn "The Melt and Pour Method of Making Handmade Soap."

In Lesson #1, we briefly talked about some of the methods of making soap at home.

Today, I'm excited for you.

I'm excited because I'm going to share with you just how easy it is to make your own soap.

Today we're going to examine the simplest way to make soap... using the melt and pour process. This is truly the fastest and easiest way to get started in your soap making craft (or business).

We will discuss easy melt and pour techniques, perfect for the novice or skilled soap maker!

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First, keep in mind that most handmade soap is made from glycerin. When you purchase store-bought soap, the majority of the glycerin has been processed out. Therefore, when you make your own soap, you have a great opportunity to create something that is glycerin rich and soft.

Although "glycerin" is usually clear, with today’s colors and fragrances, you can create beautiful soaps that not only make your skin soft but also look great. With glycerin, because it is a humectant, moisture is drawn out of itself. That means when you use glycerin soap while bathing, a very fine layer will stay on the skin, adding moisture.

Buying Soap

To go through the easy melt and pour method, you want to stop by your soap-making supply store or hobby store. There, you will find large blocks of clear soap. These vary in size and type, as you will see below. Remember, the prices will vary depending on where you live and the store or business where you buy but this will give you a good idea of what you could expect to pay.

For discount pricing and the convenience of ordering your soap ingredients from home, see below.

Clear Glycerin Soap

This type of soap is transparent and has low shrinkage qualities. In addition, clear glycerin soap has very little problem with discoloration. This soap is vegetable derived and an excellent choice for "melt and pour" soap bars. You can add color or fragrance easily and the soap will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth.

Clear glycerin soap is also a great choice for making soap with multiple layers, novelty soaps (those with toys, flowers, or other objects inside), and yet the clarity is exactly what you would buy from your favorite boutique.

If you want a good daily soap, one that is fun for the kids, and makes an excellent gift, clear glycerin is it.

That's just one of the types of soap we talk about in "Soap Making Made Simple!".

Melt and Pour Equipment and Ingredients

The great thing about using melt and pour is that you can use equipment you typically have on hand. With this method, you can use the base of a double boiler or your microwave oven.

Keep in mind that if you choose the microwave, the bowl with the soap substance will need to be covered with plastic wrap to keep it from splattering but more importantly, to help keep the excess moisture from evaporating. For the microwave method, you would melt the base soap on high for about one minute, stirring in the remaining pieces not yet melted.

For the double boiler option, bring the water to a boil. Then, add your melt and pour soap of choice, cover, and heave on low. This will take quite some time to melt so about every 10 minutes, check the base to see if it is melted. If you like, you can stir occasionally to ensure an even melt.

Then, if you would like to add a fragrance or some coloring, you would now do so.

After the fragrance and color have been added to the soap base, you would then pour the melted base into the mold of your choice. Again, if you want to remove any bubbles that will settle on top, spray them with rubbing alcohol.

After the soap has hardened, generally a few hours, you can use it and enjoy!

That should give you a good perspective of how easy it is to make soap using the melt and pour method.

Hey! Where Do I Buy My Supplies?

Now that you're into soap making (or even if you are still thinking about it) let's take a quick look at where you can get your soap supplies.

One option is to go to a local craft or hobby store. The local stores will generally have the basic materials you need like glycerin soap bases for the melt and pour process and dyes, oils, and some molds.

However, you will likely find their inventory of supplies quite limited. It just isn't worth it to them to stock too many items.

And, of course, you need to be fortunate to have such a craft store near where you live.

Your second choice is to order from one of the soap supply websites. As you get more into making soap, you will find this to be your best option.

Here are the advantages in ordering online from these specialized websites:

1. Online stores have a very large inventory. Since they specialize in soap (and frequently candle making) supplies, they will have many more items than a general craft shop.
2. Soap supply websites are experts in making soap and can help you tremendously with their knowledge and product/supply recommendations. You won't get that from the local clerk.
3. They have very low prices.
4. They will ship right to your door. Order from the comfort of your home and save on gas for your car.
5. You may not even have to pay sales tax.

Now, to save you the time, we have found three very good websites for you to check out. 

For more information on melt and pour, see our new book, "Soap Making Made Simple!"

And keep an eye out for the next lesson in the series, Melt and Pour Soap Making Recipes.

Regards,

Dave Cushion