Melt and Pour Soap Making for Beginners

What You Need to Get Started

This is just a simple list, as you get more advanced you may want to experienced you may want to move away from using the microwave to using a double boiler, try some different kinds of molds, and embedding soap inside soap. Most of these supplies can be found at a local craft store such as Michael's or Jo-Anns Fabrics. Many of the soap supplies found at these stores are made by Life-of-the-Party. You can also buy on eBay, but for glycerin soap base the cost of shipping makes it unreasonable in most cases.

Glycerin Soap Base: You probably want to start out with a 2lb brick, which you can usually find in opaque or clear. Some stores also carry soap base in 10lb bricks, but often they only carry clear.

Soap Coloring: Most stores will just carry liquid soap coloring, which is actually my favorite way of coloring soap. Some stores carry powder coloring. Concentrate colored soap bricks can also be found, but usually only online unless you have a supplier in your area.

Soap Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil: Local craft stores tend to carry small 0.25 ounce bottles, which are perfect for beginners. If you find you life making soaps you should move away from these often low quality small bottles of fragrance oils and instead look for good quality ones on eBay or other online stores. Make sure when purchasing fragrance or essential oils that they say melt and pour soap safe because some are made only for candles and can cause skin reactions.

Mold: Plastic molds can be found in the soap making section of craft stores. There are a variety of shapes to choose from massage bars to flowers to animals. Also, check the chocolate making section for small shape molds for making single use hand soaps or embeds. Flexible rubber like ice cube molds, such as the ones made by IKEA, are also great to use.

Glass Measuring Cup: A pour able Pyrex like one works best for melting, mixing in dye and oil, and pouring into mold.

Table Knife: Glycerin soap is rather easy to cut through, so a regular table knife will do. It also works well for stirring the soap.

Basic Melt and Pour Soap Making Method