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Free Beginner’s Guide to Soapmaking: Melt and Pour

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Free Beginner's Guide to Soapmaking - Melt and Pour

Melt and pour soap is a great option for beginners. All you have to do is melt the premade base, customize it with your favorite colors and scents, and pour into a mold. Once you get the hang of the process, you can experiment with advanced techniques like layers and swirls.

Cold process soap is made by combining oils and sodium hydroxide lye. That causes a chemical reaction called saponification – learn more here. Melt and pour soap has already gone through that process. That means you don’t have to handle lye, you can focus on the design, and you don’t have to cure the soap – it’s ready to use as soon as it’s cool and hard. It’s great for kids as well.

Below you’ll find melt and pour terms, tips, and tutorials.


Soap base: There are several options to choose from when selecting a base. Clear and White Melt and Pour is a good place to start. They’re simple, cleansing, and ready to customize. The clear base will have more bright colors, while the white will have more pastel colors. You can also try bases with additives like shea butter, goat milk, or aloe vera. Find all the bases here, and learn more about them in this blog post.

Melt and Pour Bases

Fragrance: You can scent your soap with fragrance oils or essential oils. A general usage rate is about 0.3 oz. of scent per pound of soap. Find light, medium, and strong recommendations with the Fragrance Calculator. It’s important to use skin-safe scents like the ones from Bramble Berry. Potpourri, craft, or candle fragrances may not be skin safe or tested in soap. Be sure to check with the manufacturer before use.

Glycerin: Glycerin is a natural byproduct of the saponification process. It’s one of the reasons handmade soap feels so amazing – it draws moisture to the skin and keeps it hydrated. Additional glycerin is added during the melt and pour manufacturing process to make it easy to work with. It can also cause the soap to sweat in humid climates, so make sure to wrap your bars and keep them in a cool, dry place. Learn more in the Explaining and Preventing Glycerin Dew post.

Molds: You need to use a mold that can withstand higher temperatures so it doesn’t melt when you pour in hot soap. You also want it to be flexible so it’s easy to unmold the bars. We love silicone and plastic molds for melt and pour, you can find those here. 

Colorants: There are plenty of options for coloring melt and pour soap. Micas and color blocks are easy to use and they look great in the finished bars. Learn more about how to work with our skin-safe soap colorants in this post. We don’t recommend options like food coloring or crayons because they haven’t been tested or approved for use in soap. They tend to morph, fade, or bleed.


Safety: Soap bases start to melt around 120F. Use heat-safe tools and handle with care – melted soap can hurt if dripped or splashed on skin. When crafting with children, they should be old enough to hold their own containers and an adult should be present at all times.

Beginner recipes:
Sea Sponge Soap
Garden Loofah Soap
Goat Milk and Alfalfa Soap
Rosehip Soap

Intermediate recipes:
Lily and Rain Soap
Blueberry Tart Soap
Honey Bee Soap
Fish-in-a-Bag Soap

Advanced recipes:
Neon Geometric Soap
Animal Soap
Seascape Soap
Caramel Apple Soap


This post was updated in August 2018. Find the layered soap recipe here.

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166 Comments

  1. If i found a recipe but it is with the cold process format how can I make that same soap using melt and pour? Do I just replace the lye and water with the melt and pour base?

    • Yes, though some recipes don’t translate well to melt and pour. Just cut the soap making with the lye, water and oils out and use melt and pour instead.

  2. Hello,
    I used the melt and pour shea butter soap base and I used the fragrance calculator and I go for the strong recommendation. I noticed that when I use the bar I hardly smell the scent. Is there something that I am doing wrong? Should the fragrance be added at a certain temperature? Or stirred for a certain period of time?

    • Depending on the fragrance you might need to use a bit more to get a really strong scent. My normal max usage in melt and pour is 3% or about half an ounce per pound

  3. Do i have to wrap M&P soap everytime after using them? And if i were to sell them Do i have to tell my customers to wrap them or keep in an airtight container away from moisture?I really want to do M&P soap making business from home.

    Thanks in advance.

    • Once your customers have purchased one of your MP soaps, they can leave it unwrapped at home for daily use. You can re-wrap your soaps after using them if you want to, but it’s not necessary.

  5. Love this informative soap making page. Can you tell me if I keep my M&P hand made soaps in a glass container will this be sufficient enough to stop the soap from sweating until I’m ready to use them or is shrink wrap the way to go? Thanks for your advice.

  6. I’m in India so my brand options are a little limited. I just got some clear melt and pour soap base that has bubbles embedded in it. When I melt it it tends to act like burnt soap, as I don’t even heat it past 140 and it immediately starts solidifying. Anything pourable sets quickly with bubbles that don’t pop with an alcohol spray. Is it possible that the base was burnt in the process of making it? Or what might be my issue? Thanks in advance for the help!

    • I’m sorry you’re having that trouble. It is possible that it was an already burned batch. Though I will say some bases behave differently and will always feel gloopier like that and immediately solidify. We found the Jelly Melt and Pour and other Stephenson bases are more quick to burn. It sounds like you’re using a different brand of base so you may want to try a bit lower temperatures in case they have a lower burn temp.

  7. Hi,
    I bought this pour and melt base, and added several oils following a recipe for a shampoo bar
    I used it twice and it seems ok, but I also read that the hair doesn’t look so good anymore after a few months because the soap PH is to high, what about the PH of pour and melt ? can it be used for shampoo bars ?

  8. Nice Article about the Melt and pour soap. This article is very helpful for the Beginners who are looking for the guidance that how to make the pour Soap. Looking forward to more updates.

  10. Hi
    I just did my first batch of melt and pour. I wasn’t paying attention and used an aluminium double boiler pot. I didn’t notice anything different from that batch compared to my second batch, done with a glass bowl. Do I need to through out my 1st batch, I have 3 kiddos that would be using it. Thank you

  12. I really need a guild on how to make my own soap. I have once tried making mine but the result wasn’t very OK.
    These are the ingredients I used:
    5 litres of palm kernel oil
    1kg of Caustic soda
    5 litres of water
    Kaolin
    Please guide me more on the right thing to do I want to learn

    • No, there’s not much you can do to improve hardness of MP soaps since they’re a finished product. You may consider creating CP soap yourself so you can control the ingredients and attributes of your soap. We’ve heard some customers have had success with adding Stearic Acid for extra hardness in MP, but we haven’t had any luck with it in our testing, it’s difficult to incorporate properly.

  14. Hello berry I m just starting to teach how to make a soap at home. And I want to make a buisiness of that so can u give me suggestions regarding the same how can I start it

  15. Hello,
    I have a question regarding the Melt and Pour Soap recipes. How soon can the soaps be removed from the molds. I do see that the soap sets up pretty quick, but I would not want to rush to remove it from the mold if it needs to completely set.

    Thank you,
    Tiz

    • Typically your soap will be hardened and ready to come out of the mold in 3 or 4 hours. Once it’s fully cooled and hardened they are ready for use.

  16. Hello. I have made a few batches of melt and pour soap with kaolin clay and charcoal as the only additives; no fragrance added so far. However, on several occasions, the melt and pour has set to become softer than the original base that it was made from. The texture of the final set soap becomes almost gummy-like. I had read in a few other posts that I should consider leaving the poured molds out for a few days to allow excess moisture in the soap to evaporate. I have also played around with the concentration of additives and noticed that adding more clay and charcoal actually helps to harden the soap, but not sure if that should be the final solution. I don’t believe that I am overheating or boiling the soap as I monitor the temperature pretty frequently throughout the process. The only thing that I can think of is that I am melting the melt and pour in a waxmelter with a lid, which doesn’t allow any vapor to escape. I think that maybe that vapor is being reincorporated into the base and impacting the final texture of the soap, but not sure if that’s right either. Any advice at this stage would be much appreciated. Thanks you!

    • It sounds like you are adding things other than the clay to the bars. How much fragrance are you adding and are you adding any 99% alcohol or liquid oils? Typically the soap bases can only accept 3-4% fragrance and less than 1% other liquid additives and still maintain the same texture. We do also recommend wrapping the soap base in shrink wrap as soon as they harden to prevent the soaps from sweating.

      • I didn’t add any fragrance to the batches that turned out soft/rubbery, but I did spray the tops with a good amount of 99% alcohol. Do you think excess alcohol could be the culprit? And yes, I definitely wrap right away, but I noticed that these felt gummier as soon as I unmolded them.

        • That is strange. A lot of factors can cause gummier soap but since you did not add anything it sounds like the soap may have been burned. When MP burns it become rubbery / gummy feeling. This can happen if the soap is overheated (above 140F) or reheated too many times.

  17. Hi, I use melt and pour soap for molds and would like to make larger batches for a side business as I have been asked to sell them. However, I live in Hawaii and it is cost prohibitive to buy MP in bulk, it seems (the shipping is more than the material!). I’m interested in making my own soap from scratch, but I really want to be able to make a thinner recipe like MP for my molds, but I can’t find one. Do you have any recommendations? Ideally, I’d like to make and cure my own soaps, then melt and pour later with added fragrance and color. Thanks for any info, great site!

  18. Hi SoapQueen
    Your blog is full of information thank you so much for all the hard work on it !
    quick question : Rubbing alcohol is very difficult to find where I live do you know any alternatives ?
    Thanks!

    • I’m not sure of an alternative for Isopropyl Alcohol. If you can’t find 99% Isopropyl Alcohol you can use a lower percent, it just won’t evaporate quite as fast.

  19. Hi

    I was using mp soap base to make charcoal soap yesterday, and i found out that my soap doesnt have any bubbles ( no lather) when i use it. But if i use the base without adding anything, the foam come out nicely
    My question is , can i adding something to that base so it has more foam? And do you have any idea why it happens? Do you think Is that because of the charcoal?
    I only use charcoal and fragrance oil…
    Thankyou btw. Love your blog so much :)) sorry for bad english. Hope you can understand what i mean.

    • Overusing additives in MP can definitely reduce lather. Try sticking to around 1tsp per pound of soap and continue using a skin-safe amount of fragrance oil and you shouldn’t encounter that problem again.

      • I’m sorry, Chloe, but you are incorrect, and flat wrong. {but said with a big smile and a hug!} Honey is anaerobic, meaning it does not exchange oxygen through molecules, and therefore DOES NOT SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF MICROBIAL LIFE. Ever. Honey _can_ ferment if enough water is not evaporated from it in the hive, or if added back after harvest. That extra water can support the growth of yeast fungi which leads to fermentation — and demonstrates how mead was discovered. Yum!

        Archaeologists have discovered honey in Egyptian tombs dated to 3000 years old that was safe to eat!

        “Sugared” honey, or honey that has turned solid, is NOT “spoiled”! It is a natural physical/chemical process based on the physics of sugar crystals. Pasteurized honey, honey “cut” with corn syrup, or otherwise altered won’t crystallize. If you’ve bought “whipped” honey, you’ve bought honey to which crystallized honey has been added, then beaten, to promote crystallization and change the texture.

        Honey that crystallizes quickly was probably made from nectar sources known to promote crystalline growth, like cotton, heather, and a few other crops.

        Honey is not pasteurized by most small scale beekeepers because: A. It is a hassle; and B. It destroys the natural enzymes and other good things that people want in their honey. Because it is not _pasteurized_, the FDA recommends to sellers who produce < $5000 yearly, and requires from producers who sell more than $5K, that a warning label be added to bottles recommending that infants under one year of age not be fed honey.

        However, I've studied this research extensively, going back to published FDA records, and found that in the 80 or so years the label has been around that NOT ONE INCIDENCE OF FOOD / BOTULISM POISONING DUE TO HONEY HAS EVER BEEN CONFIRMED. Not once, not ever. Often suspected, but always cleared.

        However, 5-10 incidences per year, and rising , since 1970, of food poisoning traceable to CORN SYRUP happen and have been documented. Corn syrup is not anaerobic.

        So, long story short, preservatives are NOT necessary for soap recipes containing honey. The honey is "consumed" during saponification. My results have been mixed adding honey to M&P formulas, resulting in cloudy soap, crystallization, and other odd results. I suspect it has something to do with the temperatures at which M&P ingredients and honey melt at, but have no proof. I don't believe the results are worth it. Besides there are some honey added formulas already out there, if M&P is your preference.

        Honey added, even in tiny amounts to scrubs, lotions, etc., require preservatives, but MOST LOTIONS AND SCRUBS NEED PRESERVATIVES ANYWAY!

        How do I know? I'm a beekeeper of 10 years in south central TX, married to a beekeeper of 60 years. I have always added beeswax and honey to my soap the last decade, just as my MIL did 60 years ago. I sell my honey locally, as well as soap and candles, and have never had negative feed back, honey returned for spoilage, fermentation, or other issues. And in humid south TX, molds are always present!

        Bee Sweet and best wishes!
        Honey Lady
        Texas

        • Honey Lady,
          Thank you, thank you and thank you for your response. Not necessarily for correcting Chloe, but for EDUCATING the readers about honey. I am from a tropical island, and honey is one item that we include in almost everything. I am never out of it, and I too live in Texas. I hope at least one reader will take the time to read about the healing properties of honey. Best regards

  21. I have a newbie question about melt and pour: Can I use a metal non-stick muffin pan for MP soaps. Will I need a coating first? I read where metal should not be used for CP, but I don’t see much about MP in metal molds.

    • We find the best way to melt your soap is by Microwave or by a double boiler method on a stovetop.

  23. Hi I’m now starting with MP soaps. Can I use biodegradable or compostable cellophane to wrap them instead of cling wrap.
    And will the cellophane affect the MP soap in any way?

    Thanks!

    • If the soaps are still kept airtight in the cellophane then that should be just fine and keep your soap from sweating. If you’re unsure you may want to try wrapping a test soap as a trial.

    • We haven’t tried adding baking soda to melt and pour soap so I’m not sure how well that would work or the benefits of it.

  25. Dear Queen,

    HELP! A year or so ago the soap shop Lush had a “Demon in the Dark” soap that was really minty. They stopped making it and as an anniversary gift I am trying to copy the soap or at least make a really minty soap. I went to an organic shop today and got Peppermint, Wintergreen, Cinnamon and Eucalyptus essential oils. I have tried making bars with only one oil and some playing around with a mix of oils. I just can’t seem to get the soap to be Minty enough. I am looking for something to open the pores and make you tingle. Any idea of how to get the really minty smell and tingle? I am using Glycerin melt and pour as well as Shea Butter and Goats Milk. Any ideas on what combo is best?

    Thanks
    Joe
    [email protected]

  26. Is it possible to get a very plain soap base? I mean the base that you would make yourself with the cold process.

  27. I made a layered loaf using five different colors (one with food coloring, two with your lab colors, and two with mica). I notice that after a few uses of the bar of soap, the layers got “used up” at different rates. The bar of soap is no longer a nice rectangle because the middle layer is much smaller than the outer layers. Why is this?

    • Hi Kim!

      Each colorant you use has different properties and will affect your soap in a different way. I would recommend using the same color for each layer so it soaps at the same rate. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  28. Hello :-). I bought some melt and pour. made some soaps but they all bled into each other. will this happen with all water based dye . should i use pigment or mica instead. Thank you

  29. Hello :-). I bought some melt and pour. made some soaps that i was happy with but they look awful as while waiting to go hard to demould they seem to attracted water/moisture droplets all over. did I do something wrong when heating? Thank you

  30. Hello :-). I bought some melt and pour. made some soaps that i was happy with but they look awful as while waiting to go hard to demoted they seem to attracted water/moisture droplets all over. did I do something wrong when heating? Thank you

  31. I follow these directions. However, when my soaps are being used. The layers always breaks apart eventually. Why is that? Is there something that can be done about that? Because I know some people would not like that…

    • Hi Aleah!

      The key to getting those layers to stick together is to spray them with 99% alcohol right before you pour your second layer. You want to spray enough so it coats the hardened layer, but not so much that it’s drenched.

      We’ve found about 3-6 sprays does the trick. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  32. Hi!

    I hope someone can help me with this one! After I have removed my melt and pour soap from their mould there always seems to be a glassy or over shiny streaky appearance on the back of the soap. At first I thought it was the alcohol I was spraying, however it occurs even when it is not used! I feel it spoils the appearance of my soap because it doesn’t look particularly natural.

    Regards,
    Jo
    (Australia)

  33. Can you make a M&P soap from a normal soap like NIVEA cucumber and youghurt soap, if yoy can,i wonder how because I want to do it and just don’t know how, and what scents are the best to add (natural)??????

    • Hi Maria!

      I’m actually not sure if that would work! Our bases are designed to be melted and poured multiple times, but I’m not sure about store-bought soap.

      You may want to try a small test batch to see if it works. 🙂

      -Kelsey with Bramble Berry

  34. What sort of antibacterial additives can be added to melt and pour? Can coconut oil be added for additional moisture? I’ve made some melt and pour bars using shea butter base and it seemed a little drying to the skin.

  35. Hi,

    I have been making M&P soaps for a while but always have the same problem. They “sweat”. Even inside cello bags!
    I live in Panama which is veeery humid.
    I purchased the LCP base and this still happened 🙁

    A few months ago I read somewhere that if you spritz your soap with alcohol after un-molding and put them in a plastic bag it will prevent sweating. Surprisingly this worked! But only for a few weeks. I was asked to make 12 soap bars, the person never showed up to get them so I stored them in my closet. When I checked on them about 2 weeks later there were crystals all over them!

    I really don’t know what else to do.

  36. Hi!
    I’m really interested on making M&P soap. I have actually “dreamed” about it a while now 🙂 I tought that im going to start with the M&P soap first (because i haven’t made soap before), when i’m more advanced i’m starting to do CP soap, is that good idea? I have been doing a loooot of research on soapmaking and i think i could give a try to finally actually do M&P soap. I have only one little problem: i live in northern europe and we use different measurment terms (and my english is terrible, so sorry) so we don’t use ounces or cups etc. The most hardest thing is the temperature because we use Celcius and you use Fahrenhaits. So im a little afraid that i’m going to fail because of wrong amount of fragrance or colorant. How can i get right measurments for my soap? Again i’m so sorry for my badbadbad english, but i hope that you guys understand what i’m trying to tell here 🙂

    -Veronica

    • Hi Veronica!

      Your English is great! 🙂 Many soapers begin with melt and pour soap, and move on to cold process once they feel a little bit more comfortable. Melt and pour techniques and cold process techniques are very different, so if you really want to start doing cold process, I would recommend trying a few really simple recipes first :). You may find the blog post below helpful, it has great resources for beginners for both melt and pour and cold process soap. Take a look at both, and decide which you’d like to do! 🙂

      Beginning Soaper Resouce Roundup:
      http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/beginning-soaper-resource-roundup/

      When soaping, most recipes are by weight because measuring by weight is more accurate. While it is an extra step, these measurements can easily be converted using resources online. Temperatures can also be converted fairly easily :).

      Let me know if you have any more questions, I’d be happy to help! 🙂

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  37. Is there a difference (from a natural standpoint) between the cold process soap I make and the MP bulk I purchase from Bramble berry. I read the ingredients in the MP and read sodium, lauric acid, EDTA etc. same stuff you read on the label of “Zest” or “Irish Spring” packaging. In my cold process I use only oils and lye. I would prefer to make my soap MP because it is so much easier but I want a soap as close to 100% natural as possible . I would love to hear some feedback.
    Thank
    Jon

    • Hi Jon!

      From a natural standpoint, the cold process soap you make would be more natural (in general) than the Melt and Pour Bulk Bases. While the bulk bases are great for the skin, they do contain less natural products than cold process soap, or the premium bases. The main difference between these two bases is the bulk bases use SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) which is a synthetic product to increase lather. The premium bases relay on natural oils to produce lather. If you are wanting to use melt and pour, I would recommend using a base in the category below 🙂

      Bramble Berry Premium Bases:
      https://www.brambleberry.com/Bramble-Berry-Bases-C11.aspx

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  38. Hi! I have been testing some different scents, colorants, techniques, etc. in small batches. I have been using about 4oz of base at any given time to test my ideas. What I’m finding is that my base is cooling way too quickly. For example, even just stirring in my extra oils, fragrances and colorants seems to cool the soap enough that I have to re-melt. Is this just because I’m using such small quantities, or am I not heating the base enough in the first place?

    • Hi Erin!

      Because you are working with such small quantities, that’s exactly why it is cooling quite quickly :). Melt and pour cools relatively quickly anyway, but when it’s in a small amount, this process speeds up. You may want to try heating up your additional oils as well, that way their temperatures do not cool the melt and pour 🙂 I hope this helps!

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  39. Hi Kirsten, thanks for the advice! I have a new melt and pour soap brick coming in the mail so we’ll see if that makes a difference. Thanks so much for helping and I love your site and tutorials! I just happened to stumble across it and now I’m hooked!

    • Hi Terah!

      Oh that’s awesome, definitely let me know how it goes with your new soap! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the blog 🙂

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  40. Hi! I had a quick question… Whenever I make clear glycerin soap (life of the party soap base)it always turns out cloudy. I’m very careful not to boil it or heat it up to the point of near-boiling. How did you guys get it so clear? I like to make it see through so that I can put things in the clear soap. Please help!

    • Hi Terah!

      Unfortunately, while there are a few small things you can do like watching temperatures closely, clear melt and pour is never totally clear. The cloudiness is the nature of the product :). But, there is a technique called “blueing” that you may find helpful!

      “Blueing” refers to adding blue liquid colorant to the soap base to take away some of the yellowness. You can see an example if this in our Emebedding Soap Queen TV video (around 2:40). It helps the soap to look more like water!

      Embedding Melt and Pour Soap:
      http://vimeo.com/4637102

      I hope this helps! 🙂

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

      • Hi! Thanks for your quick reply! What has me stumped is that when I have made my soap in the past it has been crystal-clear. Now, it is completely cloudy, much cloudier than the pink and orange soap you made in the tutorial. Could it be that my soap is old? It’s about 2 years old. Also, would it help if I put the microwave power level on low?
        I’ll definitely try the blueing technique though! Thanks!

        • Hi Terah,
          That is very possible! We generally recommend soaping with our melt & pour bases within 12 months of purchase. It would definitely help if you put it on a low heat too! It may not necessarily help with the clarity, but it will ensure your soap doesn’t burn!

  41. Hi Amanda, if I use a melt&pour base to make my soaps, can I still call them handmade? I am wondering if handmade is an appropriate term to put on the soap labels.

    Thanks!

    • Hi Andaluza!

      I think so! While the base is premade, you certainly put your own spin on it by adding color, fragrance and personality! 🙂

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  42. Still reading and studying soap making for personal use and started gathering my supplies.i grow papayas and would like to see a recipe with papaya oil or papaya juice. Thanks

    • Hi Rebecca!

      I’m so glad that you’re interested in making soap, it’s a lot of fun. If you’re interested in melt and pour specifically, I would not recommend adding juice, or additional oil to the base. The bases are already made with luxurious oils and butters. The more you add to the base, the more the consistency will change. The lather will start to decrease or you could end up with a softer bar of soap.

      If you are interested in making cold process soap, using juice could result in a soap volcano because of the additional sugar. You can see an example of a soap volcano here!

      Coconut Milk Soap Volcano:
      http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/coconut-milk-soap-volcano-2/

      If you have any more questions, we are happy to help 🙂

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  43. I have a question about weighing out bases…If I want to melt down a large quantity in a presto pot then measure it out for individual projects, will the weight still be accurate? For example, if I need 2oz of hardened melt and pour, will 2oz of melted liquid melt and pour base weigh the same?

    • Hi Rachel!

      You’re correct, if you melt down a certain amount, it will weight the same once it is melted, and will still weigh the same once it hardens again 🙂 I hope this helps!

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  44. Hi there!

    So quick question: I tried doing layers the other day and the soaps just mixed together. I know you say to wait till it’s at 120° but how hard should the first layer be before pouring the second layer? Or should letting the second layer cool help?

    Thanks!

    • Hi Carmen!

      Layers can be a little tricky sometimes :). I definitely recommend letting the first layer cool a bit, that way it can support the second layer without the layer breaking through. A few minutes should do the trick.

      You may find this Soap Queen Tv video helpful!

      Soap Queen Tv: Basic Layers:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oyh1Bf3Gxo

      I hope that helps!

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  46. I enjoyed this post on melt and pour. I was curious if anyone had information for combining melt and pour with cold process. I am new to cold process but have made several batches. Recently I purchased a couple of bars of soap- one had a line of glycerin soap in between 2 layers of cold process and the other the glycerin was swirled with the cold process. I have looked everywhere online and cannot find out how to do this. Does anyone have suggestions? Thank you!!

    • Hi Sue!

      There are definitely ways to combine melt and pour with cold process techniques. Melt and Pour is perfect for adding embeds into cold process, which you can see in these two projects!

      Cold Process Planets in a Melt and Pour Galaxy:
      http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/melt-and-pour-soap/otion-repost-planet-soap/

      Cold Process with a Twist:
      http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/cold-process-with-a-twist/

      If you are looking to add a line of melt and pour between two layers of cold process, while we have never tried it, it can certainly be done! I would make one layer of cold process, let it harden thoroughly in the mold, pour melt and pour on top, let it harden, and then pour another layer of cold process on top. In between the layers, I would recommend spraying with isopropyl alcohol, to help the layers stick to each other. Swirling the melt and pour would be a little trickier. Again this is something we haven’t tried (but maybe need to!) but I could see temperatures being an issue, and the rate at which they harden. If you try it, let us know how it goes 🙂

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  47. I made my first batch of melt snd pour soap recently. I notice that after a couple hours out of the mold, the soap became frosty with a coatingbof what looked like bubbles. Is this normal. If not, how do I prevent this?

    Marva

    • Hi Marva!

      It is normal to experience bubbles on the top of your melt and pour. To avoid this, after you have poured your soap into the mold, spray with a fine mist bottle of 99% isopropyl alcohol. This will break up any bubbles on top if the soap. We also recommend covering your melt and pour with plastic wrap to avoid the melt and pour from sweating due to the glycerin.

      I hope this helps! 🙂

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  48. Thanks for your recipes! We are experimenting on soaps and the layering process! We visit the website daily and watch the tutorials on how to perfect the soap recipes. We hope you can visit our website once the launch happens. Cheers!

    • Hi Diane!

      I’m so glad you enjoyed this blog post! If you give melt and pour a try, we would love to see it on our Facebook page! 🙂

      -Amanda with Bramble Berry

  52. Hi Becky,

    You gave me good advice before and now I’m back for more. I live on the coast so have to deal with a lot of humidity. I’ve been wrapping my M&P soap in shrink wrap leaving the ends open so you can smell the soap. Even with a small opening the soap is developing crystals. What do you recommend as the best way to wrap the soap to prevent the crystals from forming yet still allow the scent to come through?

    Thanks,
    Sally

  53. I have just completed my first loaf mold and love it. My biggest challenge was keeping the soap bases at the right temperature. It always seemed like when I needed to pour the next layer my colored soap had gotten too cold and started to harden or I had to reheat it and then it was too hot to pour… Any tips for that? Would it help to keep it on a hot plate?

    • Hi Mimi!

      We are so excited that you’ve started making handmade soap and can’t wait to hear more about your adventures. The best thing about melt and pour soap is that if your soap that is waiting to be pour gets hard or cooler, you can just pop it in the microwave to reheat it and pour when you are ready! It is totally okay to reheat it as many times as you would like to get it ready to pour, but just remember to put it on 30-second (or smaller) bursts in the microwave so it doesn’t get too hot! =)

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  56. I typically make cold process soap, but recently had an order for some soaps for wedding favors. I used fragrance oil at the same level I do for cold process.
    In other words, 1 oz per pound. I should have done my homework because that is way too much. The soaps are greasy feeling. Will this eventually absorb into the soap, or do I need to scrap this and start over?

    • Hi Mary!

      Could you tell me a little bit more about this greasy feeling? Sometimes, if you are in a humid area, your melt and pour soaps can begin to sweat and feel a bit greasy. When we make melt and pour soap, our general rule-of-thumb is .25 ounces of fragrance oil per pound of soap, and you can always use the Fragrance Calculator for a more precise measurement. If you are finding that your soaps are too ‘greasy’, I would try to dry them out either using a fan or dehumidifier. As soon as they are dry, wrap them up completely in plastic wrap to prevent any sweating or glycerin dew. I hope this helps! 🙂

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

      Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx

  57. This is such a pretty project. I would like to try it with my kids. I am confused about diluting the lab colors. How do I do this? Must distilled water be used? We have well water. How much water is used per ml?

    • Good morning, Sherrie!

      You will just love this project — especially using the bright and vibrant LabColors. To dilute your LabColors, you will need distilled water, your LabColor of choice, a preservative and an extra bottle. The best part (in my opinion), about LabColors is that you can get a full 8 ounces out of a 10 mL bottle!

      For detailed instructions on how to dilute your LabColors, here is a blog post that Anne-Marie wrote a few years ago that I think could really help out:

      Diluting Bramble Berry LabColors: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/diluting-bramble-berry-labcolors/

      We always suggest using distilled water, because if you use anything else, you do run the chance of microbes and bacteria being in your LabColor — and you wouldn’t want that!

      Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  58. Hi. I used the M & P clear base and something odd happened. All of the soap developed a crystal-like covering. The crystals wiped off but the soap is rather slimey feeling. Is it still ok to use? Can you tell me why it happened? I did leave the soap out uncovered – is this why it happened? Do I need to wrap the soap as soon as it comes out of the mold?

    Thanks so much for your help.
    Sally

    • Good morning, Sally!

      It sounds like you are experiencing what we call glycerin dew or sweating. This happens in Melt & Pour Bases that are exposed to the air. The glycerin in the soaps acts a humectant and actually draws moisture to the soap causing the crystal-like covering. You can check out more about this phenomenon in this blog post that Anne-Marie wrote a few years ago:

      Augh! What’s THAT All Over My Soap?!: http://www.soapqueen.com/personal-ramblings/augh-whats-that-all-over-my-soap-2/

      The best way to prevent your soaps from sweating or getting glycerin dew is to make sure you wrap them in an airtight packaging as soon as they have hardened. You can also try out our low-sweat M&P bases that act more like CP soaps and can be left out without getting glycerin dew or sweating. You can find them here:

      LCP Clear Melt And Pour Soap: https://www.brambleberry.com/LCP-Clear-Melt-And-Pour-Soap-P4383.aspx

      LCP White Melt And Pour Soap: https://www.brambleberry.com/LCP-White-Melt-And-Pour-Soap-P3190.aspx

      I hope this helps! Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you. =)

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

      • Thank you so much! That explains everything. I live in a humid area, put the soap in the freezer to harden and left it out on the counter unwrapped. I made all the mistakes! Now I understand how to do it properly,

        Thanks again,
        Sally

        • Hi Sally!

          I am so glad we were able to help you troubleshoot. Don’t ever hesitate to ask if you have any questions about soapmaking — we are here to help you out! =)

          -Becky with Bramble Berry

      • This crystallizing also happened to me after using the LCP White M&P soap and leaving the soap in the shower. Could I have gotten the wrong base or is there still a chance this could happen with the LCP base?

        • Hi Lin!

          While it’s unlikely that sweating will happen with LCP bases, it’s certainly still possible, especially when it is stored in a humid, hot area (like the shower). Luckily it does not effect the quality of the soap at all!

          -Amanda

  59. I have a question. I want to use a melt and pour soap and would like to come up with something for guys who have dirty greasy hands. I want to use pumice in it, but what would be good for grease? Thanks for your help. Karen

  60. I’m a super newbie M&P soap maker and want to thank you (all staff involved) for posting these tutorials as well as the YouTube videos. I’ve been ‘attending’ Soap Queen school the past week, lol. My supplies are coming in the mail all this week and I’m really excited to get started, but am also enjoying the learning process.

    • You are going to absolutely love learning how to M&P soap. Keep us updated on your progress, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. You can also join us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page to be kept up-to-date on our latest products, blog posts and fun soapy ideas.

      https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry

      Good luck and Happy Soaping! =)
      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  61. I’m sorry if this sounds like a really stupid question, but I live in a metric country, and so am not naturally fluent in your measurements… are these oz measurements volume (ie fluid ounces) or weight? Or is the base one and the fragrance oil another? Cheers,
    Jane

    • Hi Jane!

      Not a stupid question at all. I promise you that if you have a question, someone else has had the same one. =) All of the measurements that you will find on the Soap Queen blog (unless otherwise notated)are by weight. This includes the bases, the fragrance oils, the butters, the oils and anything else you could possibly think of. I hope this helps! And don’t hesitate to ask if you have any other questions.

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

      P.S. For up-to-the date news and questions answered, you can join us at Bramble Berry’s Facebook page.

      https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry

      We hope to see you there!

  62. I am using the melt and pour goats milk soap. I was wanting to know if I can add goats milk powdeer to the goats milk melt and pour soap base. If, so how much can I add per pound and can I mix it directly into the melted soap base. I don’t want to change the lathering or the hardness of the finished product as I know adding additives can change the product, but would like to have a more milk rich soap. Thanks for any help! Love your site! Karen

  63. Hi Becky- quick question…if the orange and pink-colored soap for the 2nd layers has started to set up before I’m ready to add it to the mold can I heat it up for a few more seconds in the microwave or will that distort the fragrance/color? I tried my first little melt & pour expirement today (just an easy 2-color bar w/ an embed) & noticed a thin “skin ” starting to form on my unpoured soap. I was able to just give it a stir, but wondered whether I could have zapped it in the microwave.

    Thanks!

    • Good morning, Teresa!

      What a great question! You can always remelt your soap before pouring it into the mold, just don’t overheat it or you can burn off the fragrance. I hope this helps! 🙂

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  64. I have a question for you. I recently started making soaps with the goats milk melt and pour and sell at craft shows. I personally like this soap, but need to find a way to address a few questions I get at shows. I have people wanting something for sensitive skin and for those who can’t tolerate ‘store bought soap” The soap I am using do you feel would be good for sensitive skin and how does it compare to “store bought” brands. I want people to try my soap but don’t know how they will react so I tell them each person is different , but I would like to beable to give a general idea for them about sensitivity. and ect. Thanks karen

  65. Well after watching some of her videos, I remembered that I had put that one in the fridge to get it to set up faster.. lesson learned. Plus, I didn’t know to use the same brand for each project.
    It’s usually crafter’s choice clear.
    Today, I had the same problem when trying to make a jelly roll. Will I always see layers peeling apart if the first layer is cooled?

  66. Love the look of layered m&p, but some of my layers always want to peel apart. What am I doing wrong? I always spritz with alcohol between layers.

    • Good morning, Meagan!

      I know how frustrating that can be. Typically we like to pour our layers at 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit and spray liberally between our layers. Could you tell me a little bit more about your recipe and I can defintley help you troubleshoot. =)

      -Becky with Bramble Berry

  67. I am sorry I didnt make my self clear on what goatmilk. I use melt and pour soap. I have a special needs child and I am scared about using lye in the house and in the grauge because of my cats and my dog, but I meant melt and pour goatmilk.
    Thank you.

  68. The soap looks awesome,I like the colors It makes me feel like I should take a vacation.

    I was woundering about use goat milk for layers, has anyone tryed goatmilk.
    I love the goatmilk, if any one has any ideas?

  69. I am so new in Soaping and I love your site,blog and youtube etc. So inspirational and wonderful.
    I only wish i was in the US so i can just order my supplies as soon as I’ve seen your project to order.

  70. Hi! I just wanted to say I love the new features on the Brambleberry shop side bar (paypal and shipping estimator). Or at least I think they are new! I just now saw them and thought sweetttttttttt.

    Thank you for the awesome tutorial as well!!

    Tracy/Aiya

  71. I really like this, plumeria is one of my favorites! The colors go well w/ the fragrance & add the mica to it…WOW, a shimmery flower lol
    I cant wait to hear the bramblebump news!!! 🙂

    ~Nickie~

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  1. […] Melt and Pour: Melting premade blocks of soap and adding your own fragrance is a simple and safe process that many people are happy with but, for some, is just a stepping stone before moving on to more complicated soap-making methods. […]