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.