Blue Flower

    1. buy a melt and pour soap base of your choice (I personally love Stephenson African Black Soap Base and Forbury Shea Butter Soap Base).
    2. cut into cubes and melt in microwave or double boiler.
    3. add color (liquid or mica or color block system) and scent oil if you wish.
    4.  add calendula leaves, cornflower leaves, coffee grounds, activated charcoal, classic oatmeal or others from the small(!) list of known-to-work additives if you want.

Various tips that helped me when I was starting out, in no particular order:

  • only use a scent oil containing vanilla if you also use a vanilla stabiliser, otherwise the soap will turn brown.
  • don't use anything cinnamon as that is an irritant.
  • don't use any fresh or dried ingredients like flowers or herbs before checking here as most will mold/go bad in your soap!
  • only use liquid colors for 1 color soaps. If you want multiple colors always use mica, as liquid colors will bleed.

Liquid dye

There are various liquid dyes you can buy. Not all of them are suitable, make sure you buy soap safe and skin safe liquid colors.

You will only need a few drops, so color your soap drop by drop.

A large benefit of liquid dyes is that they are very easy to work with, no mess.

They will leave the soap translucent unless you use a lot.

Almost all of these liquid dyes will bleed when used in a multi color soap,

Not safe to use additives for melt and pour:

Almost all biologicals, as they will rehydrate in melt and pour and thus spoil. This is a health hazard, whether you can see it or not. This is different when making cold or hot process soap, as then the fresh or dried ingredients go through the saponification process.

Essential oils:

  • Plant based.
  • Not so much variety.
  • Expensive.
  • Essential oils can have effects on a person, intended or unintended.
  • Scents in soap do not last as long as fragrance oils. Citrus EO seem to fade especially fast.

What you'll need to start making melt and pour:

  • One or more types of the soap base of your choice. A good brand base is preferred over 'hobby type' bases.
  • A flexible mold (silicon is preferred over plastic, for easy removal).
  • Either a microwave and a microwave proof container, or a double boiler.
  • A large kitchen knife.

If your soap sweats (also known as glycerin dew):

 
Reasons for sweating include: