Melt & Pour Base is a specially formulated Glycerin Soap. Most Melt & Pour Soap Bases are made from Coconut Oil, but there are many varieties of specialty bases on the market that include such additives as Shea Butter, Olive Oil, Seaweed or Herbal Extracts. Bases also come in a variety of colors. You can choose a pre-colored base or you can color the base yourself using the directions in Step 4 of this lesson.

Most melt and pour bases will come in 1 - 2 pound blocks or bars. Using a kitchen knife, cut the bars or blocks into 1 to 2 inch chunks.

Next, you'll need to melt the base. The best way to do this is in a double boiler. Melt & Pour Soap Base can be microwaved, but the high temperatures can damage some bases, decreasing their lather.

Melt your base continually over medium to high heat until it is completely melted. Try not to over-stir the base or it can become bubbly.

There are many ways to color your melt and pour soaps. I've provided some information on some basic colorants, and how to use them.

Colorants
-FD&C Liquid Dyes: Food coloring type dyes can de added drop by drop to your soap base to create bold, brilliant colors. Mix dyes as much as you like to create your own unique colors. These dyes work especially well in transparent soap, as they will not cause any additional opacity. The only drawback to these dyes is that they do tend to bleed into other colors if you are layering soap.

-Micas: Micas can add sparkle and brilliant color to your soap, but they must be incorporated the right way to avoid clumping. Mix the colorant with a small amount of vegetable oil in a small cup or dish. Stir this mixture until it is totally smooth, then add it to your soap base. When you work with clear soaps, you will need very little mica. However, opaque soaps will require considerably more mica to be colored effectively. Most micas will not bleed into other layers, but some micas do contain dyes that bleed. If you plan to make a mulit colored soap, you may want to experiment before making a large batch.

-Ultramarines and Oxides: These colorants are similar in nature to Micas. They should also be premixed with a small amount of vegetable oil before being added to your base. Ultramarines and Oxides yield bold, matte colors that do not bleed.

-Natural Tinting Herbs: There are several varieties of herbs and spices that will color oil and soap base. Some herbs, such as Parsley Powder, will color the soap base very well when added directly to the melted base. Other herbs, such as Annato Seed, must be steeped in hot oil for 20 to 60 minutes before yielding any color. Natural tinting herbs yield very earthy, and sometimes unpredictable colors. They are worth experimentation!

The variety of additives that can be used in melt and pour soap making is probably endless. This is one of the more complex steps in this process, but also one of the funnest. I've provided some information on some of the most common additives used in melt and pour soap making.

Herbs: Herbs can be used to add color, texture, or beneficial properties to a bar soap. Most herbs can be stirred directly into the melted base. It is worth noting though, that many herbs will change color, shape, and even aroma when added to a melt and pour soap. In fact, there are very few herbs that remain the same color after being added to soap. Some herbs that remain nicely colored are Calendula, Safflower, and Parsley. Some notorious changers are Lavender Buds and Rose Petals.

Grains: Oatmeal can be purchased as whole oats, or as powder. Either way, it makes a great addition to soap. Rice bran and Adzuki Bean Powder are two other great examples of grain products that work well in melt and pour soap. Grain products can be stirred directly into melted base, but it is often helpful to run the powders through a flour sifter before stirring them in. If a grain is especially hard to incorporate, you can mix it with a little water to form a paste before adding it to the melted base.

Exfoliants: Fruit Seeds, Nut Meals, dried loofah, and Jojoba Wax Beads are just a few of the many exfoliants commonly used in melt and pour soap. Most exfoliants can be stirred directly into a base, but bear in mind, without using a special "suspension" type base, your exfoliants will sink! This often creates a nice scrubby texture on one side of the bar, and a smoother, creamier surface on the other side.

Embeddables: Smaller pieces of soap, premade novelty soaps, or even small toys can be added to soap bars to add interest. While there are many methods out there, depending on what you are embedding, this is the simplest way to go about embedding an object in a soap bar. Fill your soap mold part to halfway with melted soap base. Spritz the surface with alcohol and allow the soap to cool for a few minutes. Once a skin of cool soap has formed at the top, gently place the object you would like to embed on the sruface. Now fill the mold the rest of the way up with melted soap. The object should now be completely encased in the soap bar. You can also add objects to the soap by simply filling the mold and dropping them in. These objects will sink, but in some cases it is a nice effect.

Milk Powders: Milk based Melt and Pour Base can be purchased ready-made, but some people choose to add milk powders to plain melted base. To do this, mix the milk powder with a very small amount of water to form a paste. Add this paste to the melted base and mix it in. If you add the milk powder directly to the base, it will clump.

Powdered Herbal Extracts: Like milk powder, powdered herbal extracts tend to be water soluble. The easiest way to incorporate them into your soap is to mix the powder with a very small amount of water to form a paste. Add this paste to the melted base and mix it in.

You'll have to experiment to find the perfect amount for each additive, but most additives can be added at 1 - 2 tablespoons per pound of soap. (Herbal Extracts excluded. These should be added at a much smaller percentage.)

Melt & Pour Base can be scented with either Cosmetic Grade Fragrance Oils or Essential Oils. These two ingredients are very different and each must be treated with care.

Essential Oils are natural products derived from botanicals such as fruits, herbs, and other plants. These oils can have very powerful properties and must be used with extreme care. It is important to research any Essential Oil well before adding it to a soap or any other cosmetic. While certain Essential Oils are relatively harmless, others can cause severe skin irritation, high blood pressure, or even miscarriage! Before adding an Essential Oil to a soap make sure to find out about any hazards it may cause and what percentage of the oil can safely be used in skin care products.

Cosmetic Grade Fragrance Oils are much easier to use, but unfortunately are not all natural. These oils are specially formulated for use in skin care. Do not substitute Home or Candle Fragrance Oils when making soap. Only Cosmetic Grade Fragrance Oils are safe to use in soap. These Fragrance Oils are available in a huge variety of scents. You can use one Fragrance or you can blend Fragrances to create your own unique scents. Most Fragrance Oils can be used at a rate of about 1/2 oz. per pound of Soap Base but this usage rate can vary depending on the manufacturer. Be sure to check with your supplier to find out exactly how much Fragrance Oil you should add to your soap.

Soap Molds can be purchased online or at most local craft stores. Melt & Pour Soap molds are generally made of thick plastic and come in a variety of fun shapes. You can also create your own soap molds by cleaning out old packaging such as Potato Chip Cans or Milk Cartons.

After you've finished adding color, additives, and scents to your soap it will be ready to pour in your mold. Carefully pour the liquid soap into the soap mold cavities. To help prevent the bottoms of the soaps from forming bubbles and suds spritz each soap with alcohol using a small spray bottle after it is poured. Allow the soap to cool for at least one hour before attempting to remove it from the molds. The soap must be cooled completely before it is removed or it will be damaged. If you cannot get the soap out of the mold, try putting the mold in the freezer for about five minutes.

Melt & Pour Soaps should be packaged in air tight packaging immediately after being cooled and un-molded. Because they contain a large amount of Glycerin the soaps can sweat if they are exposed to the moisture in the air for too long. Plastic wrap, plastic bags, and cellophane bags are some great ways to package Melt & Pour Soaps.

If you plan on sharing your soaps with others make sure that you include a complete ingredient list, including the Melt & Pour Base ingredients on the soap's label. Some people have serious allergies to certain ingredients. Labeling responsibly will help to avoid allergic reactions.

This sweet scented soap is an all time favorite!

Ingredients:
1 pound of Goat's Milk Melt & Pour Soap Base
1 pound Honey Melt & Pour Soap Base
2 Tablespoons Colloidal Oatmeal, Coarse
1 oz. Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Fragrance Oil

2 Pounds Opaque Melt & Pour Soap Base
1/2 Teaspoon Umber Oxide in 1/2 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Fine Rice Bran Powder
1 oz. Dark Chocolate Supreme Fragrance Oil

2 Pounds Clear Coconut Melt & Pour Soap
1/2 teaspoon Silver Sparkle Mica
1 oz. White Tea & Ginger Fragrance Oil