This is a guest post from Otion, our a retail store in downtown Bellingham, Wash. This tutorial is similar to our Intergalactic Planetary Melt and Pour, but with a twist; the planets are leftover shreds of cold process soap, making this project a great way to give new life to old soaps.
What you’ll need:
16 oz. leftover cold process soap (or rebatch!)
24 oz Clear Melt & Pour base
1 mL sodium lactate
4 mini scoops Luster Black Mica
.5 oz. Black Tea Fragrance Oil
3 mini scoops Silver Glitter
Mini Temperature Gun
Mini Scoops
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: If you have some in-the-pot-swirl soap laying around, shred the bars using a cheese grater. If not, you can color some rebatch soap using either the double-boiler or plastic baggie technique. I used about 16 oz. of cold process soap.
TWO: Once your cold process is grated, roll the shreds into 15 – 20 balls ranging from 1/2 inch in diameter to 1 1/2 inches. Keep CP shreds separate so colors will be more defined. This process works best with freshly grated soap.
THREE: Once soap balls are rolled, it is time to make your universe. Start by melting 24 oz of clear melt & pour. Add the Luster Black mica, Black Tea Fragrance Oil and Glitter. Stir well!
FOUR: Once soap has reached 130 degrees, add sodium lactate, this will thicken your soap and allow your planets to float! Spray about 10-14 of your planets with rubbing alcohol and place them into your mold.
FIVE: Pour the melt & pour base over the planets and begin to add more sprayed planets. Repeat in a quick fashion until the mold is full.
SIX: Spray once more with rubbing alcohol and let sit.
Your soap will be ready to cut with a sharp knife in approximately 2 hours. There is no cure time needed if you used fully cured cold process soap to make your shreds with.
So cool! I saw someone else said they were going to do this with just CP soap. Can you do that? I figured the CP soap would be opaque and not show up as well, but would it work? Thanks!!!
Hi Robin!
You could definitely do this with a cold process base! Because the base is opaque, it may help to have more planet embeds. That way, you’ll have some in each bar. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi I am new to soaping. Can I use glycerin shavings(melt & pour) in my cold process soaps? almost like this but in the reverse 🙂
Hi Valda!
While I have never tried it, I don’t see any major issues. The only thing I can see happening is that the cold process may become hot and slightly melt the melt and pour. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it works for you!
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
This is awesome! I love the look of the glitter. What does glitter look like in CP soap?
Hi Tiffany!
I’m glad you enjoyed this tutorial :). Because cold process is opaque, glitter usually works best on top of the soap 🙂 One of my favorite glittery CP recipes is the Cherry Blossom Glitter Cold Process!
Cherry Blossom Glitter Cold Process:
https://soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/cherry-blossom-glitter-cold-process/
I hope that gives you some inspiration! 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
WHOA, impressive soap! How cool to combine CP and M&P! Would making the planets from melt and pour base would work equally well, for those M&P only soapers?
Hi Liv!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this tutorial, isn’t it fun? You could definitely use melt and pour for the planets! The Medium or Small Silicone Ball Molds would be perfect 🙂
Small Ball Silicone Mold:
https://www.brambleberry.com/Small-9-Ball-Silicone-Mold-P5472.aspx
Medium Ball Silicone Mold:
https://www.brambleberry.com/Medium-9-Ball-Silicone-Mold-P5532.aspx
If you give this project a try, I’d love to see photos on our Facebook page! 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
I love this one! I am planning on trying it just with CP for my daughter who is having a lot of fun learning about astronomy. I can’t quite decide what my galaxy should smell like though. I might just use me lemon cake sample since my kids seem to love it and it would be for them.
Hi Margaret!
I’m so glad you’re going to give this soap a try! It’s a lot of fun to make, I bet your daughter would love it :). You could definitely use the lemon cake fragrance! We really liked the Black Tea Fragrance Oil for this recipe, but because galaxy doesn’t really smell (that I know of!) the sky is the limit 😉
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
Whoa, so sodium lactate can be used in M&P to make a DIY suspension base? Hot dog!
Hi Hayley!
Isn’t it a neat trick? I hope you give this project a try, it’s a lot of fun! 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
This is so cool! I know several kids (and adults) that would love some soap like this.
Hi Madea!
I’m so glad you liked this tutorial! You’re right, it would be a great project for kids 🙂 I hope you give it a try!
-Amanda with Bramble Berry