Soap Making for Beginners -- Melt and Pour
By Susan
Jan
Soap making has been around for ages. The process of making
soaps can either be simple or complex, depending on what you want
to make. You can make soaps as a way to make money or you can make
soaps for personal use or as gifts.
Keep in mind that soap making can be dangerous, as soaps become
very hot when melted during the melt and pour soap making process.
Soap making should be fun and entertaining, but it is also
important to practice all necessary safety precautions when making
soaps.
Always wear rubber gloves and eye protection. It is also a good
idea to keep your safety equipment on at all times even after you
have removed the soap from the mold. This is because melted soap
takes a long time to cool.
To start making soaps, you have to get to know the basic
ingredients in handmade soaps. Handmade soaps are generally made
from glycerin. You can buy glycerin soap at your local hobby store.
There are many types of glycerin soaps that you can melt and pour
into your own handmade soaps. They also have different properties
and benefits for your skin.
Here are some examples of glycerin soap:
* Hemp Glycerin Soap
* Olive Oil Soap
* Clear Glycerin Soap
* Goat Milk Glycerin Soap
The good thing about the melt and pour soap making method is
that all the equipments you need can be found in your own house.
You can use either your double broiler or your microwave oven for
melting soaps.
It is important to remember to keep the bowl containing the soap
base covered when using the microwave. This is to prevent the
melted soap base from splattering out of the bowl in the microwave
oven and to keep the excess moisture from evaporating.
When using the microwave, melt the soap base for one minute in
high temperature, stirring in the remaining unmelted soap pieces
until those have melted too.
If you prefer to use the double broiler, you should first bring
the water to a boil then add your soap base of choice to the
boiling water, cover the pot and set the fire on low. Keep in mind
that this method will take some time. The soap base may take as
long as 10 minutes to melt. Stirring occasionally will also ensure
an even melt.
You can also add some optional ingredients:
* You can add fragrance to your soaps. You can buy your choice
of fragrance oil in your local hobby store. Keep in mind that the
fragrance oil should be completely mixed in so that the soap will
not have a cloudy appearance.
* You can also add your color preference when making soaps. You
can use mica or food coloring for it. When using food coloring, you
should start by adding one drop at a time and mixing it thoroughly
until you reach your color preference.
After the soap base has melted, pour it into individual molds,
tray molds, or blocks, which can then be sliced. You can also be
creative and design your own soap mold to create soaps of various
shapes and sizes.
Creating your own handmade soap by the melt and pour soap making
process can be fun and an inexpensive process. It also makes great
gifts for family and friends.
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