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9 Steps to Soapmaking Success
 
Once youve made your first batch, you can get more creative when choosing colors, scents, and additives such as dried flowers, herbs or soothing oils. Youll discover the ideal way to make useful gifts for family, friends and co-workers. Your newfound hobby may even turn into a new work-at-home business!
Soap Supplies:
Glycerin melt & pour soap -- 2 pounds [32 ounces]
Coloringcosmetic grade color nuggets
Fragrances [cosmetic grade only]
Molds:
These will come in various sizes and shapes but plastic is recommended. You can order soap molds online or find them at a crafts shop or candle supply store.
You can use microwavable containers, food containers, candle molds or even drawer organizers. At many discount stores you can find the perfect mold, and for less than $2 in many cases. Using plastic means that you can reuse it and that it will make getting the soap out so much easier than a glass mold.
Warning: Dont use aluminum or metal.
Step 1:
On the cutting board youll slice up the soap into cubes, approximately one to two inches. Youll then put these into a plastic container, first weighing the container and noting the weight, and putting the filled container onto the scale.
Step 2:
Using your double boiler, fill the bottom part with water a few inches deep.
For microwave users onlywhen you melt the soap, dont use the highest heat, watch the soap carefully and dont melt it all the way, allow a few chunks to remain. Theyll melt quickly.
Step 3:
For the double boiler method, put the soap in the top level and melt, stirring occasionally.
Add a piece of color if using Color Nuggets, from the


prepackaged colors youve bought. Powdered colors arent highly recommended for glycerin soap, as theyre more difficult to mix. Cosmetic grade liquid colors can be used.
Step 4:
Once the color is melted its time to add the fragrance. Use 1 teaspoon and let your nose be your guide. Underscenting will cause your soap to be less aromatic after a few months. Adding a little more scent is okay.
Step 5:
Pour your soap into the mold. For this recipe you need a 4.5-cup capacity mold. A rectangular shape is preferred.
Step 6:
You can let your soap harden at room temperature, or you can put it into the freezer for about 30-60 minutes. Freezing the soap speeds up the process and allows the soap to pop out of the mold easier.
Step 7:
Its time to see your first successful chunk of handmade Melt and Pour glycerin soap. You can tell its ready when: the mold is cool and it easily pulls away from the soap. Release it onto a wax paper-covered surface. Cover it with more wax paper and a paper towel. You should allow it to return to room temperature before using it. Its advised to let it sit for 24 hours for the fragrance oil to settle.
Step 8:
Cutting the soap can be done with a large knife. This recipe yields approximately 6 bars, depending on the thickness. Plane the rough edges and traces of white filmy popped bubbles with a paring knife. These will be more noticeable on darker colored soap.
Step 9:
Wrap the pieces with a cling wrap. The generic cling wrap is better. Pricier cling wraps dont allow the aroma to be smelled, as theyre too thick.
Make a label for your soap if youll be giving it to someone for a special occasion like Christmas, birthdays, a wedding or anniversary, a promotion, etc. You should list the ingredients.
Lisa Maliga writes articles, short stories, screenplays and novels. THE JOY OF MELT & POUR SOAP MAKING and BEAUTIFUL YOU! A GUIDE TO MAKING ORGANIC BATH & BODY PRODUCTS can be found at http://www.rjs-ebooks.com. A collection of short stories will be published this February.
Visit Lisas Library of Writing at http://www.lisamaliga.com.



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