Basic Melt and Pour soapmaking

The Scent Shack
Melt & Pour Basic Instructions

1. Place desired amount of melt & pour soap in a double boiler or microwave-safe
bowl. Cutting the soap into small pieces will help it melt faster.

2. Heat on medium heat (50% power in microwave) until fully melted. Stir
occasionally and do not overheat. If using a thermometer, around 140 F is
good.

3. Add 2 teaspoons of scent for each pound of soap base. This amount can be
adjusted according to your preference and the strength of the scent you are
using. Use only soap-safe fragrance or essential oils.

4. Optional: Add 1/4 teaspoon of powdered colorant per pound of soap base,
and mix well. We recommend micas for melt & pour soap. Oxides & ultramarines
can also be used, but are a little harder to work with for beginners. You
can also use food coloring or FD&C colors in liquid form - just add a couple
drops at a time until desired color strength is reached.

5. Carefully pour soap into molds. Spritz the soap with alcohol to remove any
little bubbles that may form at the edges.

6. Let soap cool for several hours or overnight.

7. Gently flex mold to release soap, or pop mold into freezer for 20 minutes
if the soap is hard to get out. Don't force the mold.

8. Soap is now ready to use!
Advanced Techniques

Additives

When adding 'extras' to your soap base, such as butters, botanicals,
etc., keep the temperature of the base as cool as possible (while still hot
enough to stay liquid). If your base is too hot, items will either float to
the top or sink to the bottom. Keep stirring the base until the items start
to suspend. A film may start to appear on top of the soap, just stir it back
in or remove it if it becomes too thick.


We recommend adding small amounts of butters such as shea, cocoa, or mango
butter if you so desire. Five to 10 percent is a good limit on these, or again you may get
an oily feel, and the oils will interfere with the lather. Just melt the butter in the microwave, and stir well with your
melted soap base.

Layering

Allow layers to cool slightly between pouring - about 10-15 minutes. If the
hardened soap layer is too thin the next layer will melt through it. When
the first layer is firm, score the top with a knife, not too deep, just
enough to scratch the surface. Spritz with alcohol and pour the second layer.
Repeat steps for as many layers as you want. Let the whole block sit overnight,
then slice into bars.

Using Dyes, Ultramarines, Oxides and Micas

Cold Process:

Micas: For CP soap, using the micas is easy (make sure they are the cp safe ones)! Just add directly to your base oils, blend thoroughly with a stick blender (or by hand) to incorporate. Make sure they are thoroughly blended or you will get clumps in your soap. Or, you can add the colorant at thin trace if desired.
We recommend about a tsp per pound of soap to start, then work from there.
Another method is to mix some mica in a tablespoon of oil and drizzle in the color to acheive the color that you desire.

Ultramarines and Oxides: These can be dissolved into water or oil. The yellow, chromium green and red oxides work much better when dissolved in oil. Start with about 1/2 teaspoon per pound. Mix with 1/2 tsp of hot water or room temp oil. Blend into your base oils, or add at trace. Lori prefers adding colorants (mixed in water) directly to her base oils for single color soaps to insure complete blending of colors.

Peacock Dyes: These concentrated dyes are in a liquid form. You may add the dyes at trace by drop to get the color you desire.
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Melt & Pour:

Micas: Micas can be added directly to the melted glycerin soap. Start with 1/4 tsp per pound. You may also mix the colorants with some liquid glycerin if you prefer working with a liquid colorant.

Ultramarines and Oxides: These need to be mixed with oil or glycerin prior to adding to your base.

Peacock Dyes: These concentrated dyes are in a liquid form. We recommend 1 drop of Peacock dyes for every 4 ounces of base to start.

Welcome to The Scent Shack

Welcome! Here you will find information and tips on soapmaking and candlemaking with The Scent Shack Supplies.