How to Melt Glycerin Soap Bars to Make New Soap
The best way to melt glycerin soap and make new bars of soap is to use melt-and-pour soap bars. Melt-and-pour base is made from glycerin and comes in a variety of flavors, including plain, goat's milk and shea butter. Melt-and-pour soap bars are versatile and easy to work with--you can use them plain or add fragrances and dyes. You can find melt-and-pour soap bars, fragrances and dyes at craft stores and online retailers.
Things You'll Need
- 2 lbs. of melt-and-pour soap base
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Two-cup microwave-safe, glass measuring cup
- Plastic wrap
- Rubber or silicone spatula
- Spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
- Fragrance oil
- Soap-safe dye
- Soap molds
- Paring knife or damp cloth
- Wax paper
Instructions
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Cut the soap base into small, uniform pieces with the chef's knife and cutting board--the smaller the pieces, the better. Put the pieces into the two-cup measuring cup.
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2
Melt the soap base. Cover the measuring cup with plastic wrap and microwave it on high in 20-second increments. Use the silicone spatula to stir the soap and help it melt better. Do not let the soap bubble.
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3
Add fragrance to the soap base. Add one-quarter ounce of fragrance for each pound of soap base. In this case, you would add one-half ounce of fragrance. Stir the soap to disperse the scent and spray the surface, with alcohol, if bubbles form.
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4
Dye the soap base. Add drops of color directly to the soap base until you reach your desired color. Spray the soap if bubbles form.
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5
Pour the soap into the molds. Pour carefully and spray the surface if bubbles form. Two pounds of soap makes roughly six five-ounce bars.
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Let the bars set. The molds may take two to four hours to set at room temperature. You can also refrigerate them, which will help them set faster.
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Release the bars. If the bars stick, you can run warm water on the back of the mold to release them. Be careful not to allow the bars to fall into the wet sink.
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Use the paring knife or a damp towel to trim any rough edges. Store the bars in wax paper and use them as you would any other soap.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also melt pre-made commercial glycerin soaps, but these products already have fragrance and dyes added. When melting these types of soaps, add a tablespoon of distilled water to the diced soap.
Use soap-safe dyes only. Avoid food and candle dyes.
