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This is a great way to make 'home made' soap as presents for friends and family. All the information you need to get started is around on the internet, but tends to be a little scattered. I taught myself to do this about a year ago when I wanted to make presents for Christmas rather than simply buying them. I enjoyed it so much I continued learning and experimenting, and decided to share my techniques and tips in an instructible.
I will start with the absolute basics, then include a few more ideas later on. If you already make soap and are just looking for new ideas, you might want to skim over the basics and head to the end!
Just a note: Melt and pour soap could be considered a 'cheat's' way of making soap, as you purchase pre-made soap base, melt it and add things to it. I like it because it is ideal for a small kitchen, very forgiving and easy to be creative with. It would be an ideal project for kids, though under supervision only - the molten soap can get very hot, and before melting it usually needs to be cut up with a knife, so please be careful!
An inventive example of what you could do with M&P soap can be found here.
I will start with the absolute basics, then include a few more ideas later on. If you already make soap and are just looking for new ideas, you might want to skim over the basics and head to the end!
Just a note: Melt and pour soap could be considered a 'cheat's' way of making soap, as you purchase pre-made soap base, melt it and add things to it. I like it because it is ideal for a small kitchen, very forgiving and easy to be creative with. It would be an ideal project for kids, though under supervision only - the molten soap can get very hot, and before melting it usually needs to be cut up with a knife, so please be careful!
An inventive example of what you could do with M&P soap can be found here.
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Signing UpStep 1Gather ingredients and equipment.
You will need:
Ingredients
Melt and pour soap base, either clear or opaque, or both - I tend to get mine in very big blocks on ebay. Beware, it must be M&P soap base, most ordinary soap won't melt. I learned this the hard way so you wouldn't have to!
Soap colouring - ebay again. Be sure to get the water soluble colours if you are using clear soap.
*There are several specialist soap making shops online - so far ebay has always been cheapest for the soap base and colouring. You might find things cheaper elsewhere if you are prepared to shop around a bit. *
Cosmetic grade scent or essential oils - I buy essential oils from places like health food shops. Soap making sites stock special scents but essential oils are cheaper and more natural!
Surgical spirits - try your pharmacy, I got mine from Superdrug. I believe it is known as rubbing alcohol in the US. I have also read that you could substitute witch hazel, though I haven't tried it.
Equipment
A microwave - You could do this in a double boiler on the stove if necessary, but that would be a nuisance!
Microwave safe container to melt the soap - I picked up a couple of microwave pots on sale in a local thrift store for about a pound. A microwaveable plastic or glass jug works well too. You really want that pouring spout!
Something to stir with - I used some pieces of dowel rod we had lying around.
A small spray bottle - try the travel section of your pharmacy. I got mine from Superdrug.
A mould - this needn't be a specialist soap mould, though there are plenty of them available on ebay and soap making sites. Any reasonably flexible container will do, as long as it won't melt too easily! Think cream cheese tubs, yoghurt containers, silicone ice cube trays etc.
Cling film - This soap does not like being exposed to the air, so wrap it fairly soon after it has set.
A chopping board and knife, or a grater - chopping or grating the soap base helps it melt .
A scale - this becomes less necessary as you learn to measure by eye.
If you buy the powdered colourant, you will also need some small dropper bottles (pharmacy again) and other small containers such as plastic shot glasses to mix it all up in.
Some people are fussy about not using the same piece of equipment for both craft and food, but this is soap for goodness sake! I am more concerned about getting a bit of old broccoli in my soap than having food taste funny. Just wash it well and you will be fine.
Optional - Things you might want to add to your soap to make it look pretty
Glass or plastic beads
Children's novelty pencil rubbers
Small soaps or pieces of commercially made soap
Buff Puff - Those scrubby things made of plastic-y netting.
Small plastic or rubber toys
Glitter
Gold or silver powder
Fake flowers
Any other non-organic, non-ferrous item you wish to embed in your soap. Don't be tempted to use anything that could react with water (e.g. dried flowers) as the soap has a high water content. It might look pretty now, but mould or rust in soap is not a nice idea!
This seems like a lot of stuff to buy, but really you can make do with the minimum to start with and add to your collection as you go along. The more expensive parts are the soap base, the colouring and special soap moulds. Everything else can be bought cheaply for a few pounds or less. If you keep your eyes open and shop around a bit you will find all sorts of things you can use, even if they are meant for something else entirely!
Ingredients
Melt and pour soap base, either clear or opaque, or both - I tend to get mine in very big blocks on ebay. Beware, it must be M&P soap base, most ordinary soap won't melt. I learned this the hard way so you wouldn't have to!
Soap colouring - ebay again. Be sure to get the water soluble colours if you are using clear soap.
*There are several specialist soap making shops online - so far ebay has always been cheapest for the soap base and colouring. You might find things cheaper elsewhere if you are prepared to shop around a bit. *
Cosmetic grade scent or essential oils - I buy essential oils from places like health food shops. Soap making sites stock special scents but essential oils are cheaper and more natural!
Surgical spirits - try your pharmacy, I got mine from Superdrug. I believe it is known as rubbing alcohol in the US. I have also read that you could substitute witch hazel, though I haven't tried it.
Equipment
A microwave - You could do this in a double boiler on the stove if necessary, but that would be a nuisance!
Microwave safe container to melt the soap - I picked up a couple of microwave pots on sale in a local thrift store for about a pound. A microwaveable plastic or glass jug works well too. You really want that pouring spout!
Something to stir with - I used some pieces of dowel rod we had lying around.
A small spray bottle - try the travel section of your pharmacy. I got mine from Superdrug.
A mould - this needn't be a specialist soap mould, though there are plenty of them available on ebay and soap making sites. Any reasonably flexible container will do, as long as it won't melt too easily! Think cream cheese tubs, yoghurt containers, silicone ice cube trays etc.
Cling film - This soap does not like being exposed to the air, so wrap it fairly soon after it has set.
A chopping board and knife, or a grater - chopping or grating the soap base helps it melt .
A scale - this becomes less necessary as you learn to measure by eye.
If you buy the powdered colourant, you will also need some small dropper bottles (pharmacy again) and other small containers such as plastic shot glasses to mix it all up in.
Some people are fussy about not using the same piece of equipment for both craft and food, but this is soap for goodness sake! I am more concerned about getting a bit of old broccoli in my soap than having food taste funny. Just wash it well and you will be fine.
Optional - Things you might want to add to your soap to make it look pretty
Glass or plastic beads
Children's novelty pencil rubbers
Small soaps or pieces of commercially made soap
Buff Puff - Those scrubby things made of plastic-y netting.
Small plastic or rubber toys
Glitter
Gold or silver powder
Fake flowers
Any other non-organic, non-ferrous item you wish to embed in your soap. Don't be tempted to use anything that could react with water (e.g. dried flowers) as the soap has a high water content. It might look pretty now, but mould or rust in soap is not a nice idea!
This seems like a lot of stuff to buy, but really you can make do with the minimum to start with and add to your collection as you go along. The more expensive parts are the soap base, the colouring and special soap moulds. Everything else can be bought cheaply for a few pounds or less. If you keep your eyes open and shop around a bit you will find all sorts of things you can use, even if they are meant for something else entirely!
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You use two flavours of soap you really like, or the slivers of old soap you don’t want to throw away and use the JoeSoap. It acts as a backbone to form a new re-usable bar of soap with the fragrances you chose on either side.
Here is one for £2.99 on ebay – bit.ly/g3va2S (copy this into address bar)