Melt-and-pour soap

Pre-made glycerin soap base melted, scented and poured into molds. No lye handling, so it's ready the same day.

Melted base is hot enough to burn. Heat it in short bursts and pour carefully.
Isopropyl alcohol is flammable. Spritz it away from open flames or hot burners, and let it evaporate.
Use only fragrances and colorants rated skin-safe for soap, at or under the supplier's limit.
Label bars with ingredients, especially for gifts, and keep bars that look like food (fruit, cupcakes) away from small children.

Steps

Cut the base into 1 in (2.5 cm) cubes so it melts evenly.
Melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, or in a double boiler. Don't boil it or heat it above about 160°F (71°C). Overheated base turns rubbery and cloudy.
Let it cool to about 130–140°F (54–60°C). Stir in the fragrance at 1–3% of the base weight, then the color. Stir gently to avoid bubbles.
Vanilla note: fragrances containing vanillin turn the soap tan to dark brown over days or weeks. Use a vanilla stabilizer, choose a non-discoloring fragrance, or plan for a brown bar.
Pour into the molds, then immediately spritz the surface with alcohol to pop the bubbles.
For layers, let each one form a skin, spritz it with alcohol so the next layer sticks, and pour the next at about 130°F (54°C).
Let the bars set at room temperature for 1–2 hours (longer for large molds), then unmold.
Wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap or shrink wrap straight away. Glycerin pulls moisture from the air and forms beads of 'glycerin dew' on unwrapped bars.

Glycerin dew (sweating beads on the bars): Humid air. Wipe dry, then wrap tightly. A low-sweat base helps in humid climates.
Layers separate: The lower layer was too cool or wasn't spritzed. Spritz with alcohol and pour the next layer while the first is still warm.
Bubbles on the surface: Spritz with alcohol right after pouring, and stir gently instead of whisking.
Bars turned brown: Vanillin in the fragrance. Use a vanilla stabilizer or a fragrance listed as 0% vanillin.
Rubbery or cloudy texture: The base overheated or boiled. Melt in short bursts and keep it under about 160°F (71°C).

Melt-and-pour soap base (clear glycerin, goat milk or shea)1 lb (454 g) makes about 4 bars
Skin-safe fragrance oil or essential oil1–3% of the base weight (4.5–13.5 g per lb)
Soap-safe colorant (mica or liquid soap dye)a pinch or a few drops
Isopropyl alcohol, 91–99%, in a spray bottlefor spritzing
Additives (optional): dried oatmeal, clays, exfoliantsup to 1 tsp per lb

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