As the world-wide demand for homemade cosmetics and soap is booming, more and more crafts lovers are seeking guidance, tips and tricks to jump-start their very own business.

In terms of processes, making your own soap and/or other cosmetics can range from relatively easy to quite difficult depending on the product. Therefore, as a beginner, it’s important for you to start with the right foot by choosing a relatively basic yet entertaining formula.

That is why as the first video of our brand new “How To” YouTube series (entirely dedicated to soap and cosmetics) we have chosen a fun and easy recipe for making your very own melt and pour soap bar at home. For this series, we are very proud to launch our collaboration with the exceptional taste and expertise of Michelle at Ascent Bath & Body. So without further ado, let’s follow this thorough and fun tutorial.

 

Ingredients

 

Step 1 – Measure Up Your Soap Base

First and foremost, please prepare a pot of boiling water for your bain marie, you can either use a professional convection oven or simply use your kitchen stove. Also remember to always wear protective gloves in order to handle your material in safety. 

Now that you are ready, please remove your soap base from its packaging by pressing down the base with your thumbs and place it onto your chopping board. It’s better to break the cut down the base into smaller pieces, this way you’ll make it easier to handle and facilitate the melting process.

Our chosen mould has six cavities with a 100 grams capacity each, therefore, onto your weighing scale, measure up 600 grams of soap base.

Step 2 – Melt Your Soap Base

Pop your leftover soap base into the original packaging and place the 600 grams for your melt & pour into the double- boiler.

We suggest keeping your temperature around 80 – 100 degrees (low to medium heat on a gas hob), but this can change depending on the size of the jug and the amount of base to melt.

Once the base starts melting, check that it doesn’t stick to the base of your jug, in which case, grab your rubber spatula and use it to break apart the pieces. Check your temperature and make sure it doesn’t go beyond the 75 degree-mark, after which it can scorch or burn.

Top Tip: If using a microwave to melt your base, heat it in short bursts of 20 to 30 seconds and gently stir after each burst.

Step 3 – Check Your Temperature

Before adding your fragrance oil, please remember to check this guide on how to use fragrance oils, we also provide a chart that describes the flash point of each fragrance. The flashpoint is the temperature at which your fragrance will start to dissolve.

In terms of amount to add, a good rule of thumb is to use 2% of fragrance oil per amount of soap, however, if you mean to commercialise your soap, please make sure that you check our CLP labelling documents, IFRA statement, and all other health and safety data sheets beforehand. 

Step 4 – Add Your Fragrance Oil

Now that your base has fully melted, make sure the temperature is below the flashpoint, then give it a gentle stir with your spatula, pop it onto your scale and add 12 grams of  fragrance oil. Now stir thoroughly for 30 seconds.

Step 5 – Fill Up Your Soap Mould

Onto your weighing scale, measure out 400g of wax into the pouring jug and Because we’ve chosen a detailed mould, it’s better to start the pour off quite gently and slowly just to make sure the mould is all filled up to the top nice and evenly.

Step 6 – Spray Rubbing Alcohol On The Soap

For this step, remember to use a spray bottle of 99% alcohol, this is important because it will allow the alcohol to evaporate almost immediately without leaving any smell or residue behind on your finished soap.

Spray an even layer of alcohol all across the mould, you should immediately see that any bubbles that previously formed on the top will dissolve. 

Leave the mould to set for at least 45 minutes.

Step 7 – Pop Out Soap Bars From The Mould

Now that the soap has fully settled and has hardened properly, gently pull the silicone mould away from the side of the soap and press underneath to pop out the bars.

Congratulations, now you can enjoy the gorgeous details of your very first melt and pour soap bars!

Step 8 – Pat Yourself On The Back & Enjoy!

Congratulations! You are a soap-maker now! And you can finally enjoy the gorgeous details and fragrance of your very first melt and pour soap bars!