Why Handcrafted Soap?

It depends on who you talk to as to what it's called. It's easiest to call it glycerin soap, but it's technically called Melt and Pour soap.

So what is it? It's basically a soap base that you cut into chunks, melt until it's liquid, add fragrance oil and colorants, pour into a mold, and wait until it hardens. Sounds easy, right? Yeah, it does, but it's not as easy or simple as it looks.

Stayed tuned for more information on various soap bases, the ingredients used to create them, and why I use the ones I do to create my glycerin soaps.

There are a great variety of melt and pour soap bases currently on the market. How do you know where to start? It is typically a personal preference when choosing the right soap base for you, and your customers if you'll be selling your soaps.

The more natural the soap base, the higher the glycerin content in the soap. One drawback to this is that the soap base will sweat, or appear wet, more than a non-natural base. The reason for this is that the glycerin in the soap base attracts moisture and small sweat beads form on the outside of the soap bar.

The more research you do into the art of soap making, the more aware you will become of different preferences among different people.

I personally prefer a more natural soap base. However, after working with glycerin soap for nearly 8 years I have found I can "manage" the non-natural bases better. What I'm trying to say is the non-natural bases lend themselves to a prettier bar of soap. This is only my opinion! I don't like to spend time making a pretty bar of soap only to have it start sweating. Many people like to use their glycerin soaps as bathroom decor. If the soap is sweating, it doesn't make for a pretty decoration!

Tune in tomorrow for information about some online stores where you can purchase high quality glycerin soap bases & the differences between natural and non-natural soap bases.

So you've decided to learn how to make melt and pour, or glycerin soap, and now you're trying to find the right soap base for you.

How do you know if a natural glycerin soap base is the right choice? This all depends on what you're going to be using the soap for. Is your soap going to be used as a bath bar or a decorative soap?

If you're interested in making a bath bar, to use in the shower, then natural is a better choice. Most natural bases contain a high level of glycerin and no detergents or chemicals. Natural soap bases are also made from vegetable oils.

Many people are allergic to some of the detergents used in some soap bases, and may be looking for a natural bath bar. It is very helpful to your customers if you know what the ingredients are in your soap base, and what they contribute to the soap.

Next I will give a break-down of the soap base I use, showing the ingredients and what they are used for.

The following ingredients are found in the Glycerin Soaps that Country Meadow Creations sells.

Glycerin: Is a vegetable based humectant which attracts moisture to your skin.

Sorbitol: A natural moisturizer derived from fruit and berries.

Titanium Dioxide: A mineral based addition that makes the soap base white.

Propylene Glycol: Solvent and preservative properties.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate: A detergent and surfactant used to boost foaming ability.

Sodium Stearate: An emulsifier.

Stearic Acid: Used to harden soaps.

Lauric Acid: Saturated fatty acid, contributes to lather.

Sodium Chloride: Salt, contributes to a hard bar of soap.

*Please Note* This information was provided to inform and educate our customers about the ingredients we use to make our handmade products. We make no claims as to the effectiveness of the ingredients. This information should not replace advice from your physician.

I've read some information on some sites that bothers me. There are some folks out there in cyberland that have suggested that craft store glycerin soap bases are good. This is an opinion of the individual soapmaker. If you are making soap for the first time, or just for fun, then by all means by the craft store brand soap base to see if you like making soap.

However, if you plan to start a business or to give/sell to friends and family, do yourself and them a favor and buy a good soap base. You may be asking yourself, "Well, what is a good base?"

I've already discussed glycerin soap ingredients below and the fact that some people prefer a natural soap base versus a soap base with chemicals or detergents.

So just where can you purchase the good stuff?

Well, you'll have to stay tuned for my list of websites I have personally used and would recommend!

1. Purchase high quality soap base, fragrance or essential oil, colorant, and soap mold.

2. You will need a good quality scale to measure your ingredients.

3. Know how much soap the mold holds. The supplier will typically list this on their website.

4. To make a basic bar of soap you will need to cut the soap base and measure it to the exact quantity the mold holds. (I use a Pyrex measuring cup to hold the soap while weighing.)

5. Using small intervals and watching carefully I melt the soap base in the Pyrex cup in the microwave. (Caution - You need to watch the soap to avoid boiling it. The soap base and/or cup will be hot when taking it out of the microwave.)

6. If the soap base is steaming when you take it out it is probably too hot to add your fragrance oil. The fragrance will dissipate if the base is too hot. Let the soap cool down as you gently stir it to prevent a "skin" forming on the top.

7. When the soap is cool I add the colorant, either liquid or powdered, and mix well. I then add the fragrance oil and stir gently to incorporate.

8. When it is all mixed, slowly pour the soap base into the mold.

9. If there are small bubbles on the top of the base you can spritz with rubbing alcohol and they disappear.

10. Let the soap air dry in the mold (times will vary depending on ingredients used, size of soap bar, and mold used). When it is hardened, gently release it from the mold.

And there you have it, your first bar of glycerin melt and pour soap!

*Please note that this is not the only way to make melt and pour soap and the above is the method I prefer to use. Other soapmakers may prefer other methods.*

The most common additives to melt and pour soap bases are colorants and fragrances.

You will need to make sure that the ingredients you are adding are cosmetic grade and skin safe. Good colorants are powdered mica, liquid colorants, and oxides. As stated in a previous entry, you can use synthetic fragrance oils or natural essential oils.

Above all else, it is the soapmaker's responsibility to make sure the additives you are using are skin safe!

Cosmetic grade glitter is a great additive to glycerin soaps for added sparkle. Kids enjoy using soap with glitter. Depending on how much glitter is used and the size of the glitter, it may stick to the skin and give you a bit of added sparkle after use!

Some soap recipes use pureed fruits or vegetables for the various properties they contribute to skin care. The soapmaker should fully research the benefits of using these items to determine whether or not they are truly beneficial and if they need to use a preservative.

Ground oatmeal can be added for a gentle exfoliation and can be used by people with sensitive skin. Other popular exfoliants are ground pumice for hand soaps, peppermint or spearmint leaves, raspberry seeds, apricot kernal meal, sea salt, and poppy seeds. When adding any type of exfoliant it is best to make a test batch to determine how much of the additive to use. You do not want a bar a soap that scratches the skin off your body!

It is typically not necessary to add any liquid ingredients to a melt and pour soap base. These include water or any type of milk. The more liquid added to this soap base, the softer the end bar will be. If you have a soft soap it will not last long in the shower or soap dish. Your goal should be to produce a hard, long-lasting bar of soap.

If you want a milk-based soap base and have a plain base you can add a powdered milk to it. However, most soap base manufacturers now offer a large variety of bases, one of which is goat's milk soap. Therefore, there is no reason to add the liquid to your soap base.

The most important thing to remember is that the soapmaker needs to research all of the ingredients/additives they are using in their soaps. It does not matter if you are a hobbyist or a professional, you still have a responsibility to ensure you are creating the best product you can and that you are doing so in an informed manner. The key is to research everything you can before attempting to create soap.

Making layered soap is much easier than you may think. It does require a lot of patience as you wait for layers to harden. For some soapmakers, patience isn't easy when creating!

1. Decide whether you will be using a single cavity mold or a loaf mold.

2. How many layers do you want to make? If you are making a single 4 ounce bar of soap with two layers, you will need to make 2-2ounce layers.

3. Once you have determined what mold to use and how many layers you'll have, make your first layer following the instructions above. You'll need very little colorant and fragrance because you're making such a small amount.

4. Put the melted soap in the mold and let it cool and form a hard "skin" on the top. Times will vary due to the soap base used, mold, and temperature.

5. When the first layer is hard, spritz lightly with rubbing alcohol and pour your second layer. Make sure the soap base for the second layer is not too hot or you will run the risk of melting the first layer.

6. Let the second layer harden, unmold, and package!

You can use a number of layers, tip the mold to create different effects, and use different fragrances to create a unique soap!

The following directions are the easiest way to accomplish a two-color swirl in melt and pour soap bars. Swirling is not an easy thing to do with this type of soap, so you don't usually see it done often. The reason being - The soap is hot and the colors tend to blend together.

Here are your simple 2-Swirl directions (using a single cavity, 4oz. mold):
1. Melt 4oz. of soap base in two separate containers with 2oz. each. I use glass Pyrex measuring cups for this. Remember to melt at low temps so the soap base does not get too hot.

2. Add your liquid or powdered colorant to the melted soap base and stir gently.

3. Add the fragrance oil or essential oil to each colored base.

4. From opposite sides of the mold, slowly pour each soap. At this point you will see the colors coming together in the middle of the mold. The slower you pour, the more separate the colors will remain. If you pour one color faster than the other, or change the location of the pour, you will achieve a different look.

This technique works best when using the same type of base for both colors. If you use an opaque and a transparent base, you will find you typically achieve a layered look instead of swirls because the opaque base will sink to the bottom of the mold.

The picture shown was achieved by the method described above.

Making a soap bar or loaf with embedded soap is very similar to making layered melt and pour soap.

1. Decide whether you will use a single cavity soap mold or a loaf mold and what type of embeds you want to add.

2. The easiest thing to do is to start with a layer of soap. Melt your soap, adding colorant and fragrance as instructed above. Put the melted soap in the mold and let it cool and form a hard "skin" on the top. Times will vary due to the soap base used, mold, and temperature.

3. Lightly spritz your pre-made soap embeds with rubbing alcohol and gently set on top of the hardened soap layer.

4. Melt enough soap to fill the mold. Make sure not to melt at too high a temperature or the melted soap will melt the soap embeds. Color and fragrance if desired.

5. Carefully pour the remaining melted soap into the mold. Do this slowly to ensure you do not move the soap embeds with the pressure from the flow of the melted soap.

6. Spritz the top of the soap with rubbing alcohol if you have bubbles. Let the soap harden, unmold, and package!

The Baby Powder soap pictured was done using this method.

"The soap is too pretty to use. I'll just put it in the soap dish in my bathroom."

Those are two of the top statements many handcrafted soap makers hear when potential customers see their decorative soaps. Soap is a consumable product. The soap maker can always make more. This is something others don't seem to understand. Handcrafted soap makers enjoy creating their products and love to see the look on others faces when they see the uniqueness of handmade soap.

What is the greatest compliment you can give to a soap maker? Use their soap and order more!

Here are some great uses for hand made soap:
1. Hostess gift
2. Travel soap
3. Leave small bars wrapped and put in drawers like a sachet
4. Gift sets
5. Wedding/Baby gifts
6. Put it in the guest bath with a cute note that guests can & should use it
7. Soap favors for parties
8. Seasonal decor
9. Fun baby/kids soap
10. Take it in the bath or shower!
11. Gift wrap the soap in a way that it doesn't have to be unwrapped, just admired!
12. Add a note that the soap is to be used & the soap maker gladly accepts re-orders.