Soap Making Instructions
Melt & Pour Glycerin Soapcrafting: What You Need to Know
By Lisa Maliga
Crafting melt & pour glycerin soap looks effortless and is
the perfect gift to give any time of the year. Better yet, why not
just start making and selling it? Apparently, some over-enthusiastic
people think that because glycerin soap is so easy to craft; it
can be sold with little to no preliminary testing. After you’ve
made your first batch you might be just beginning your way to rivaling
Primal Elements, yet you’re nowhere near ready to sell.
Your Soap Base
Melt and pour soap base is premade. This means that you can buy
a small amount, cut off a piece, and use it to wash your hands.
However, most of us see this as just the first step into creating
wonderful looking bars, slabs, domes, rounds, squares or rectangles
of colorful and/or beautifully scented soap.
This can only be done if your soap base is well made. How can you
find out? First of all, stay away from soap base with a very long
list of ingredients. Don’t purchase soap base that doesn’t have
any ingredients listed. The manufacturer is required by law to list
what’s in that soap base. If you’re shopping online, make certain
that the ingredient list is posted on the web site. If not, go to
another site.
As with food, the ingredients listing on soap bases begin with the
most prominent component listed first. For melt & pour glycerin
soap base you’ll want to see the word GLYCERIN within the first
two or three ingredients. If not, you might just not have a great
product, or you may have a coconut soap base. There’s nothing wrong
with coconut soap, it’s just a bit heavier than glycerin soap, and
it’s not translucent.
Soapy Myths
The most common myth is that glycerin soap doesn’t contain lye.
Yes it does. ALL soap contains lye. Lye is mixed with fats and water
and in the case of melt & pour, other clarifying ingredients
such as sugar, alcohol, propylene glycol and sorbitol. The soapy
fact here is that once you purchase the glycerin soap base YOU don’t
have to use any lye. And that’s what’s so appealing to us.
Not 100% Glycerin Soap
Time and again I’ve read of people who claim they use 100% Glycerin
soap. That’s impossible as it would be a jar of a clear, sticky
plant-derived substance that’s devoid of lather and cleansing ability.
What melt & pour soap contains is 100% plant glycerin – and
usually at around a 20% rate. Some soap bases contain more, others
less. But even at about 20% that is what helps this soap achieve
its clarity and its softness – as well as its shorter lifespan in
the tub, sink or shower.
F.O. Versus E.O.
First off, learn what do these initials mean. F.O. = Fragrance Oil.
E.O. = Essential Oil. Now, what’s the difference?
A fragrance oil contains up to 200 components to make it smell like
a fresh-baked slice of chocolate fudge brownie, a luscious ripe
raspberry, or a just-picked jasmine flower. Fragrances often contain
natural ingredients, but also a lot of synthetic ones. They’re created
in a lab, and are less costly than essential oils. They are also
more plentiful. Another advantage is that you can obtain your favorite
perfume or cologne for just a few dollars an ounce!
Essential oils derive their substance directly from nature. Lemon
oil comes from the expressed rinds of the fruit, rose essential
oil is from the petals of this lovely flower, and sandalwood comes
from the wood of the Indian, Indonesian or Australian-grown tree.
Essential oils can be reasonably priced at only a few dollars per
ounce [citrus scents], to more than $350 for Bulgarian rose otto
from the Valley of the Roses or a ‘mere’ $197 for some skin healing
Immortelle from the island of Corsica. To use such expensive oils
in a bar of soap isn’t necessary. Pure essential oils are best used
in a lotion or cream – so they can be absorbed into the skin and
not washed away.
Don’t Add Fresh Fruit or Vegetables
Tempting as it may be, refrain from adding that pureed avocado.
Don’t put in those dewy lavender or rose buds unless you want to
see them turn brown before your eyes. A fresh slice of cucumber
would look gorgeous suspended in a translucent bar of soap – until
mold grows over it. Even if you sprinkle in Fruit Fresh or powdered
benzoin, even if a book or online article instructs you to do so
--- DON’T ADD FRESH FRUIT OR VEGETABLES. You can add dried herbs
such as peppermint or rosemary, but expect them to turn brown within
a few days or weeks. This is because glycerin soap contains up to
10% water. Water causes pretty dried lavender buds and green leaves
to turn that color also.
Test, Test, Test
No, you don’t have to take a test—not even a quiz! You just have
to be sure of what you’re doing in the kitchen or soap room. You
have to be comfortable making your soap before you sell even a single
bar. Don’t have your first batch be a complicated multi-color embed
project. Start with a simple soap shape and use one color and one
scent. You have to be certain that the colors won’t run or fade.
Will your fragrances hold up for more than a month? Does your soap
sweat? Will that lovely white vanilla or coconut soap remain that
color or will it turn chocolate brown in a matter of weeks?
You are the first person to test your soaps. Then your family. Let
a few friends, neighbors and coworkers in on your soaping hobby
that may just turn into quite the business. Anticipate questions
from testers/potential customers. Know the answers. Do this for
at least six months, but a year is even better. Remember, you need
to be happy with your products, as you’re now the soapcrafter.
The Business of Soap
When you plan to sell your handcrafted glycerin soap creations this
entails naming more than each type of soap you make; you’ll become
a business owner. For more information on this large and important
aspect, check out the book “Handmade for Profit!” by crafts industry
expert Barbara Brabec.
Lisa Maliga is the owner of www.everythingshea.com and has been handcrafting glycerin soap since 1998. Her company, Everything Shea Aromatic Creations, offers a fragrant selection of designer shea butter glycerin soaps, exclusive Whipped Shea Butter, & unique SoapCakes to personalize for gifts or promotions. Whipped Shea butter is custom made and preservative free!