| Basic Melt & Pour Soap Base Equipment needed: * Pot with lid placed over saucepan with water. (Double Boiler!) *Soap molds (plastic or metal, tupperware, pvc pipe, drawer organizers, jello molds, candy molds, etc.) Rubbing alcohol in a sprintz bottle (removes excess air bubbles and works as an adhesive for embedding objects or layers.) Instructions: Melt the soap block in a double boiler keeping it covered with a alid to prevent moisture loss. It can also be melted in the microwave on low or defrost setting. Avoid hot temperatures! (see tips below) Adding scent: You can scent this soap with anything you like such as fragrance or esential oils or even perfume youmight already have. Rule of thumb: roughly up to 10 ml per pound of soap. This is personal and depends on how strong you like your scent. Try starting with 5 mls per 1 lb. block of Melt & Pour soap. The scent wil not change as it does with cold process soap. Note: If the essential oil or fragrance oil has a colour to it - may give a slight colour or hue to the soap. Adding Options: Colour selection (clays, pigments, coffees, cinnamon, milk, etc.) toys for embedding, superfatting oil, honey, oatmeal, etc. Up to 2 tablespoons of liquid/dry ingredients. Note: dried or fresh flowers/herbs are not recommended. Fresh will turn rancid and dried turn brown. Embedding Objects in a Slab Tray: Once your block is melted, pour a thin layer of melted soap into a mold and allow it to become firm (5-10 minutes). This will allow the object to sit on top. Place object on top and lightly sprints with alcohol. Pour remaining soap on top. Replace any "swimming" objects back to desired position and allow to set. Once you've added your optional ingredients if any, pour into molds. Sprintz with rubbing alcohol to avoid air bubbles. Allow to set. Ready to use once it is hard (about a couple of hours). The melt and pour soaps are high in glycerin which evaporates if not wrapped in plastic wrap. Have fun and enjoy! TIPS: *Ensure that the vegetable glycerine base is not "cooked" or allowed to become too hot. *Keep temperatures below 160 degrees F. * Remove from heat as soon as it has melted and "do your stuff". *If the soap base is allowed to become too hot, the finished product may "sweat" or form beads of glycerine. *Soap base that has been "cooked" for more than an hour loses some of the glycerine. *For those concerned with the look of their finished product, pay close attention to temperatures! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Recipes: Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Soap Antiseptic Soap Problem Skin Soap Healing Soap Shea Butter Soap Dry Skin Soap Ageing Skin Soap Calamine Soap (For Poison Ivy) Oatmeal Soap Colored Soap Extra Gentle Soap |
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