Can You Melt Soap And Pour It Into A Mold?

Melt and pour soap is a type of soapmaking where premade glycerin soap base is melted down and custom poured into molds. The melted soap can be colored, scented, and filled with additives before being hardened again in creative shapes. Melt and pour soap crafting has become popular for beginner soapmakers because it skips the complex saponification process of making soap completely from scratch. With melt and pour, you simply melt, customize, and reshape the soap base. It’s an accessible craft that allows for creative flexibility in color, scent, and design.

The main appeal of melt and pour soapmaking is the ability to pour liquid soap into shaped molds, embed decorative items, swirl creative patterns and colors, and produce completed soaps with far less time and effort compared to cold process soapmaking. It provides much of the creative satisfaction of soapmaking without handling lye or mastering saponification chemistry. The finished soaps also cure faster compared to cold process methods. Overall, melt and pour soap crafting allows beginners to safely make custom soaps with their own personal flair.

What Kind of Soap Can Be Melted?

The best kinds of soap to melt and pour into molds are melt and pour soap bases, glycerin soap, and transparent soap. These are formulated to melt cleanly and evenly at relatively low temperatures (140°F to 160°F) so they can be easily poured into molds and customized.

Melt and pour soap bases are designed specifically for melting and molding. They come ready-made in a variety of options like shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, and more. Glycerin soap and transparent soap also melt beautifully because of their high glycerin content. Glycerin prevents soda ash and helps the melted soap flow smoothly.

Regular bar soap is not recommended for melting and molding. The extra additives and higher
melting point of bar soap can make it difficult to melt smoothly or pour cleanly into molds.

Melting the Soap

To melt soap for molding, you’ll need to heat it slowly and carefully to avoid burning. The most common methods are using a double boiler, slow cooker, or microwave.

With a double boiler, place the soap base in the top pot and heat the water in the bottom pot to a simmer. The steam will slowly melt the soap. Stir regularly and remove once fully melted. Avoid allowing the water to boil and splash into the soap, which can cause it to overheat.

For a slow cooker, add chopped soap to the ceramic inner pot on low heat. Cover and check frequently, stirring once melted. This gradual indirect heating prevents scorching.

In the microwave, heat soap in 30 second bursts, stirring between each one. Microwave slowly to give the heat time to distribute evenly. Watch closely to stop it overheating. Large amounts may take 2-3 minutes total. Let it rest after removing as the center may still be hot and continue melting.[1]

Melting too fast can discolor or scorch the soap. Melt it slowly and stir frequently for smooth, consistent texture and color.

Choosing a Mold

When choosing a mold for melted soap, opt for flexible materials like silicone, plastic, or cardboard. Avoid using materials like glass that could crack when removing the cooled soap.

Silicone molds are a popular choice as they are very flexible, making it easy to pop the finished soaps out of the molds. Silicone comes in many fun shapes like flowers, seashells, and more. These molds hold details nicely resulting in intricately designed soaps (Source: https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-craft/soap-making/melt-and-pour/molds).

Plastic containers like tupperware or yogurt cups make excellent impromptu molds. Avoid thin plastic like water bottles as they may warp with the hot soap. Sturdy plastic works well and releases the soap easily (Source: https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/blog/best-soap-molds-to-use).

Cardboard, like empty cereal boxes, is another common material for homemade molds. The cardboard absorbs moisture easily so line it with plastic wrap first. Cut cardboard to shape or make simple rectangular bars (Source: https://www.crafters-choice.com/soap-molds-clamshells/molds-by-theme.aspx).

Adding Color and Scent

One of the great things about melt and pour soap is that you can easily add color and scent to customize it. To add color, you can use liquid soap dyes, mica powder pigments, or other natural colorants like herbs, spices, or clays. According to this source, a good starting amount is 1⁄4 teaspoon of dye per pound of melted soap base. You can experiment adding more or less to achieve your desired color intensity.

For scent, the two most common options are essential oils and fragrance oils. Essential oils are derived from plants and provide natural fragrance, while fragrance oils are synthetic scents. A typical usage rate is 0.5-1 ounce of fragrance oil per pound of soap base. Be careful not to add too much fragrance oil as it can accelerate trace. When adding essential oils, a good guideline is 3% of the soap weight. Make sure to research if an essential oil is skin-safe at higher concentrations before using. Some essential oils may also accelerate trace or seize the soap. Always add the fragrance or essential oils after the soap base is completely melted and mixed well. Stir thoroughly to evenly distribute the color and scent through your custom soap.

Pouring the Soap

For best results when pouring melt and pour soap into molds, it’s important to first spray the mold with rubbing alcohol. This will help the soap release from the mold. According to The Spruce Crafts, “Spray the mold with rubbing alcohol. This helps release air bubbles and allows for easy release of the finished soap from the mold.”

When pouring the melted soap into the mold, go slowly and steadily to avoid creating bubbles in the soap. If bubbles do form, gently tap the mold on the counter to help release the air pockets before the soap sets up completely. The Candle Science article recommends pouring in a “thin stream from high above the mold.” This breaks the fall of the soap and minimizes bubbles.

It’s also important not to overfill the molds. Leave a little room at the top for the melted soap to settle into all the crevices and corners of the mold as it cools. Any excess can be poured into a secondary mold or set aside to remelt later.

With care taken during pouring, you can achieve beautifully smooth melt and pour soaps from your homemade molds.

Removing from the Mold

Once your soap has fully set up and hardened, it’s time to remove it from the mold. It’s important not to try to unmold the soap too soon, as it can break or warp if not fully solidified. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 12-24 hours before attempting to remove melt and pour soap from the mold, especially if you used a basic plastic soap mold. Silicone molds allow you to unmold slightly sooner than rigid plastic.

“Allow soap to fully set before attempting to remove it from the mold,” advises one soaping expert from GloryBee in a blog post (https://glorybee.com/blog/tips-for-removing-soap-from-plastic-molds). Letting it sit gives the melt and pour soap time to completely harden. Trying to rush the process can cause crumbling, cracks, and dents.

If you want to speed up the set time, you can place filled soap molds in the refrigerator or freezer for 1-2 hours. The cold temperatures will accelerate the solidifying process. Just don’t forget and leave them too long! Once your soap has set up, carefully peel or pop the mold away. Silicone molds will flex and release easier than rigid plastic.

Tips for Smooth, Bubble-Free Soap

One of the biggest frustrations when making melt and pour soap can be pesky air bubbles that form in the soap. Luckily, there are some easy tips to help avoid bubbles:

Pour the melted soap at the proper temperature. Letting it cool too much before pouring can introduce air and create bubbles. The ideal temperature is around 110-115°F. Check with a thermometer to be sure you’re in the right range. [1]

After pouring into the mold, gently tap the mold on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles. Do this a few times right after pouring to help bubbles rise to the top before the soap starts to harden.

Use rubbing alcohol to get rid of bubbles. Simply spray a light mist over the surface of the soap once it’s poured and bubbles will magically disappear. The alcohol helps break the surface tension. Be careful not to overdo it.

Allow the soap to set up slowly. Avoid putting it in the freezer or fridge. Cooling too quickly can cause bubbles to form. Let it sit at room temperature overnight for best results.

Decorating and Using

Once the soap has been removed from the molds and has fully hardened, there are many creative ways to decorate melt and pour soaps before using them. You can carve or embed items into the bars for interest and texture. Some ideas are:

• Pressing dried flowers, herbs, or botanicals into the surface
• Rolling the shaped soap in coarse sea salt, coffee grounds, oats, seeds, or dried lavender
• Drizzling, brushing, or spraying the soap with mica color dusts
• Attaching charms, beads, or objects with wire or hot glue
• Carving simple shapes or letters into the bars with a knife or cookie cutters
• Adding ridges, swirls, or other patterns with silicone molds

You can also coat the soap in a light misting of oils like coconut, olive, or apricot kernel to help retain moisture before use. Letting the soap bars cure and harden completely for at least 4-6 weeks is recommended before decorating and using them. This helps ensure they last as long as possible. With so many possibilities, homemade melt and pour soap makes wonderful gifts!

Creative Ideas and Variations

Melt and pour soap offers endless possibilities for creativity. You can use all kinds of unique molds like fun shapes, holiday themes, or embed objects. Some creative mold ideas include:

• Geometric shapes like hearts, stars, or cubes
• Novelty molds like seashells, flowers, or fruit
• Holiday themes like Christmas trees, snowmen, or pumpkins
• Embedding toys, confetti, dried flowers, or other objects

Colorants allow you to create an infinite spectrum of soap colors. Try swirling two colors together for a marbleized look. Some suggestions for color themes include:

• Single bright colors like red, orange, or neon blue
• Natural earth tones like brown, tan, and green
• Pastel rainbow shades
• Metallic colors like gold, silver, copper, or bronze

Mix in creative ingredients to make your soaps unique. Some add-in ideas include:

• Dried flowers or flower petals
• Herbs like lavender buds or rosemary
• Spices like cinnamon sticks or coffee grounds
• Fruit purees for natural color and scent
• Essential oils for fragrance

For inspiration, check out this collection of over 900 melt and pour soap recipes. You’ll find ideas for designs like ocean waves, fruit slices, and more.