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Melt-and-pour soap is so easy to make. You simply cut off the amount of soap base — the big block or chunks of translucent melt-and-pour soap available at your local craft store —chop it into cubes, and melt them in the microwave. (You can even buy the base precut, if you want.)
You don't even need to measure how much soap your mold requires. Eyeball it and include a little extra soap. If you melt too much soap, no problem — you can reuse it next time.
The following sections offer basic melt-and-pour recipes; don't limit yourself to these options, though. Create your own recipes!
Going for clear: Translucent melt-and-pour soap
Melt-and-pour soap is naturally translucent, so you can easily create a clear bar of soap. Try this basic recipe:
1. Using a knife, cut 1 pound of melt-and-pour soap base into 1-inch cubes or smaller, place them in a microwave-safe bowl, and cover.
If your bowl doesn't hold that much soap, melt just half the base. Even doing the lesser amount, you still end up with several small bars of soap, depending on your mold's size.
 | If you don't want to cut your soap, then buy your soap precubed. (You can usually buy it precolored as well.) You can easily break it off with your hands. |
2. Place your soap in the microwave and heat for 45 seconds.
3. Stir.
4. Continue melting your soap in 15-second intervals, stirring in between each time, until your soap base is completely melted.
 | Keep an eye on your mixture. You don't want it to boil over or become frothy. Just like food, you can burn your soap. (It even looks burnt because it turns a brownish-yellow color.) |
5. Add in any other additives you want to use.
Keep in mind that solid additives may fall to the bottom of your mold unless you let the soap gel a bit before adding.
6. Pour your soap into your mold.
You don't have to, but you can lightly spray your mold with a releasing agent, such as vegetable oil, if you like, so that the soap is easier to remove. When you pour, try to aim for the middle of the mold so that the mold doesn't overflow before it's completely filled.
7. Lightly spray your soap with rubbing alcohol.
This step can help eliminate bubbles that form on the surface of your soap.
8. Remove your soap from the mold after it solidifies.
You usually need to keep your soap in the mold anywhere from one to three hours. The soap doesn't completely harden, but it does get hard enough to remove from the mold. If you're a patient person, you can leave the soaps in the mold overnight so they're totally firm before removal. This ensures that they keep a sharp outline if they have an intricate pattern.
| To remove your soap from the mold, invert it and press gently on the bottom of the mold. If your soap doesn't pop out, it may need to cool longer. If you're still having problems, you can pour some warm water on the bottom of the mold or freeze it for a few minutes. |
9. If you're not going to use your soap right away, wrap it in plastic to store.
Changing your look: Basic soaps
Glycerin soap, avocado cucumber soap, coconut soap — they all sound like a nice change of pace, don't they? Fortunately, you can make them all as easily as you do translucent soap.
Here's the secret. Follow the same steps, but just change your soap base. You don't even need to alter the recipe. Go to your local craft store aisle and buy some white glycerin soap base, avocado cucumber soap base, and clear glycerin soap base. And don't forget to explore precolored soap bases as well. Who would have thought so many different soaps could be obtained so easily?
Pouring it on: Layered soap
Layered soaps alternate colors and sometimes scent, all in the same bar. Although they look like you spent a lot of time making them, these visually appealing soaps are a snap! To make layered soap:
1. Melt your melt-and-pour soap base in a covered microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds; stir.
Don't forget to cut your soap into 1-inch cubes to make the melting go faster.
2. Continue melting your soap at 15-second intervals, stirring in between each time, until your soap base is completely melted.
3. Working quickly, divide your soap into bowls based on the number of colors you want.
For example, if you want a layered soap featuring three colors, you divide your melted soap base among three bowls.
4. Stir a different color into each bowl.
5. Add any scent; stir well.
| This soap is particularly nice when each layer features a scent that corresponds to the color. |
6. Pour your first layer of soap into the mold; let cool until it thickens.
Your soap usually takes five to ten minutes to cool. You're looking for a thin skin to form.
| Make sure that you keep an eye on your soap. If your soap isn't cool enough, the second layer of color will bleed through the first layer so that the colors run together. If you wait too long and allow the first layer to become too solid, the layers won't stick together. |
7. After your first layer cools, lightly spritz it with rubbing alcohol.
The alcohol helps the layers adhere to each other.
8. Pour your second layer of color.
| This layer should be no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit, or it may melt your first layer. |
9. Repeat Steps 6 through 8 as many times as necessary to complete your layers.
10. Remove your soap from the mold after it cools completely.
| Don't rush this step. If you remove the soap too soon, your layers may separate. |
11. If you're not going to use your soap right away, wrap it in plastic to store.
Mixing things up: Marbled soap
Marbled soap is just two or more colors mixed together to achieve a marbled effect. To make marbled soap:
1. Melt your soap base.
2. Separate a small amount of melted base into another bowl.
3. Add your main color to the bowl that contains the majority of the soap.
| Don't choose too dark of a base color because you want your contrasting swirl to be visible. |
4. Add a darker color to the small amount of base.
5. Pour your main color of soap into the mold.
6. Take the smaller portion of swirl color and pour it evenly over the top of your base soap in a zigzag fashion, trying to evenly pour over the top so all parts of the soap will have both colors.
Using a toothpick, knife, or other utensil, marble the combined soaps much like you would when making a marbled cake. Put your knife or toothpick down through the soap and gently drag it back and forth from side to side, from one end of the mold to the other. Some people like to repeat that step from the opposite direction, but if you're working with a small mold, this may overmix your two colors. Use your discretion. A bit of practice will help you know how much is enough.
7. Remove your soap from the mold after it hardens.
This step can take anywhere from one to three hours.
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