You’re about to find out how simple it is to make soap in your own
kitchen. Supervised children can make it and certainly anyone can and
will use it. Soap Making is an inexpensive hobby. It also allows you to
make the scents and or colors of soap that you prefer. Melt and Pour
soap, is what you’ll be working with. You buy it in blocks or tubs and
all you do is melt it in either your microwave oven or a double boiler,
add some color and/or scent, pour it into a mold and in less than one
hour you have a batch of new soap that’s ready to use.
Melt and Pour soap is glycerin soap which is made from vegetable oils
and is safer for your skin than most commercial brands found in your
drug store or supermarket. You can obtain melt and pour soap over the
Internet. Keywords are: ‘melt and pour soap making’ or ‘glycerin soap’.
You’ll pay around $3 per pound. Translucent glycerin and opaque are the
most common types sold. Opaque glycerin is white as it is colored with
the mineral titanium dioxide. Also, you will be able to buy soap making
kits that contain all the needed ingredients.
Once you’ve made your first batch, you can get more creative when
choosing colors, scents, and additives such as dried flowers, herbs or
soothing oils. You’ll discover the ideal way to make useful gifts for
family, friends and co-workers. Your newfound hobby may even turn into a
new work-at-home business!
Equipment:
Double boiler OR microwave
Flexible plastic containers for molds OR soap molds Kitchen scale
Measuring spoons
Cutting board
Large knife
Paring knife
Plastic bowls or
containers [for storage]
Wax paper
Cling wrap
Wooden spoon
Paper towels
Toothpicks
Soap Supplies:
Glycerin melt & pour soap -- 2 pounds [32
ounces]
Coloring
cosmetic grade color nuggets
Fragrances [cosmetic
grade only]
Molds:
These will come in various sizes and shapes but
plastic is recommended. You can order soap molds online or find them at
a crafts shop or candle supply store. You can use microwavable
containers, food containers, candle molds or even drawer organizers. At
many discount stores you can find the perfect mold, and for less than $2
in many cases. Using plastic means that you can reuse it and that it
will make getting the soap out so much easier than a glass mold.
Warning: Don’t use aluminum or metal.
Step 1: On the cutting board you’
ll slice up the soap into cubes, approximately one to two inches. You’ll
then put these into a plastic container, first weighing the container
and noting the weight, and putting the filled container onto the scale.
Step 2: Using your double boiler, fill the bottom part with water a few
inches deep. For microwave users only:when you melt the soap, don’t use
the highest heat, watch the soap carefully and don’t melt it all the
way, allow a few chunks to remain. They’ll melt quickly.
Step 3: For the
double boiler method, put the soap in the top level and melt, stirring
occasionally. Add a piece of color if using Color Nuggets, from the
prepackaged colors you’ve bought. Powdered colors aren’t highly
recommended for glycerin soap, as they’re more difficult to mix.
Cosmetic grade liquid colors can be used.
Step 4: Once the color is
melted it’s time to add the fragrance. Use 1 teaspoon and let your nose
be your guide. Underscenting will cause your soap to be less aromatic
after a few months. Adding a little more scent is okay. Citrus scents
such as orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit are lighter scents and don’t
last as long as a heavier scent such as sandalwood or lavender or tea
tree essential oils.
Step 5: Pour your soap into the mold. For this
recipe you need a 4.5-cup capacity mold. A rectangular shape is
preferred. When you pour the soap into the mold you’ll get bubbles. Pop
these with a toothpick.
Step 6: You can let your soap harden at room
temperature, or you can put it into the freezer for about 30-60 minutes.
Freezing the soap speeds up the process and allows the soap to pop out
of the mold easier.
Step 7: It’s time to see your first successful chunk
of handmade Melt and Pour glycerin soap. You can tell it’s ready when:
the mold is cool and it easily pulls away from the soap. Release it onto
a wax paper-covered surface. Cover it with more wax paper and a paper
towel. You should allow it to return to room temperature before using
it. It’s advised to let it sit for 24 hours for the fragrance oil to
settle.
Step 8: Cutting the soap can be done with a large knife. This
recipe yields approximately 6 bars, depending on the thickness. Plane
the rough edges and traces of white filmy popped bubbles with a paring
knife. These will be more noticeable on darker colored soap.
Step 9:
Wrap the pieces with a cling wrap. The generic cling wrap is better.
Pricier cling wraps don’t allow the aroma to be smelled, as they’re too
thick.
Step 10: Make a label for your soap if you’ll be giving it to
someone for a special occasion like Christmas, birthdays, a wedding or
anniversary, a promotion, etc. You should list the ingredients.
Should you want to continue making soap in the future, it’s advised that
you keep notes of what you put in your soaps, how much, the date, etc.
Remember to store your new soap out of direct sunlight and put the bars
in a ridged soap dish so it makes no contact with water.
To read the e-book "The Joy of Melt & Pour Soap Making" which contains
several unique recipes with accompanying photographs, please go to
http://www.rjs-ebooks.com/lisa_maliga.htm
