Q. What soap making supplies do I need to get started?

A. Melt and pour soap bases are reasonably simple to make. Most equipment you need is already in your home. What you’ll need:

● melt and pour soap base. Shop our range.

● Fragrance oil or essential oils

● Mould, soap cutter, spatula, pouring pitch / microwavable container, cutting surface.

● Microwave

● Isopropyl alcohol: in a spray bottle

● Optional: mica powder and botanicals

Q. How do I make melt and pour soap?

A. Melt and pour soaps are a great activity to keep the kids entertained because they’re so easy to make! Simply cut up the soap base into small pieces then microwave in small increments to melt (alternatively melt on low heat on the stove). Once the soap has melted, stir through fragrance and any additives (mica powder, dyes or botanicals). Pour melted soap into your soap mould, then spray with isopropyl alcohol. Leave in mould to set.

Q. Do your soap bases lather?

A. Yes! Our soap bases are 100% natural, so they naturally produce a lather when in water. Please expect less lather compared to a synthetic soap base. Adding additional oils into the mixture can cause less lathering to occur. We recommend not adding more than 2% extra oils into the melted soap mixture.

Q. How should the melt and pour soap be melted?

A. We find that the easiest way to melt these soap bases is in the microwave. It's recommended that you melt in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in-between these intervals. Alternatively, the soap can be melted on the stove-top on a low-medium heat, stirring regularly. Be careful not to overheat in both methods.

Q. How many soap bars do your soap mould make?

A. Our soap bases come in 900gm blocks. This fills our rectangle silicone soap mould being 6 x 150gm bars of soaps. Purchase our soap making kits here. Bulk buying our soap blocks is also available in 4.5kg blocks.

Q. Which melt and pour soap bases should I use?

A. We have three soap bases available including goats’ milk, crystal clear and white. All our soap bases have different properties, it all comes down to preference. The properties are as followed:

● Goats milk base: This soap base is known for its added moisturising benefit. The base is smooth and silky for skin softening qualities. Our soap base is a creamy colour and sets a creamy colour.

● White base: Our white soap base has moisturising properties. It is a good option to use when you start out making soaps and trying different techniques. The white soap base is a creamy colour, like the goat's milk soap base.

● Crystal clear: the clear soap base has a different aesthetic to the other options. It is a good base to use when adding botanicals and mica powders as it is clear.

Q. How do I clean my soap pitcher and moulds?

A. Before you start making melt and pour soaps, ensure all equipment is cleaned with warm soapy water and spray isopropyl alcohol to sanitise.

Once it comes to clean up, it is easiest to wait until the remaining soap in the pouring pitcher is cooled to a warm temperature. At this point, the leftover soap can be mostly peeled off. This can be used as a tester if required. Warm water can be used to rinse away the remaining soap. Use a brush to wash away the leftover soap pieces, these need to be dissolved to avoid the drain being temporarily blocked.

Any leftover fragrance cannot be directly poured into the sink. This could damage the pipes. Start by wiping as much fragrance oil out with a paper towel then wipe down with isopropyl alcohol. Wash out with warm soapy water to remove the smell of the fragrance.

The soap moulds can be cleaned in the dishwasher or hand washed with warm soapy water. Make sure you dry the moulds straight after to extend the lifetime of the silicone.

Q. What dyes can I use with melt and pour soaps?

A. We don’t recommend adding any of our candle dyes into the soap base mixture due to it potentially dying your skin. Small amounts of mica powder can be added to the mixture to colour and shimmer added. To avoid the powder from clumping in the soap, a small amount of isopropyl can be used to combine nicely.

Q. Can I add dried flowers to my soap?

A. Yes, botanicals are a great addition, they can add an exfoliant and luxury to your soaps. It is recommended to do plenty of testing before adding botanicals into big batches to ensure you achieve the aesthetic you’d like. Over time many botanicals can turn brown in the soaps. One flower that holds its colour is the calendula flower. There is a very minimal chance that mould will develop in the soap.

Q. Can I mix more oils into my soap?

A. Yes, additives like almond oil or shea butter are good options to add. Be sure to not add any extra than 2% of the total weight as the excess oil can cause the soap bar to soften and not last as long. It can also decrease the amount of lather that the soap can produce.

Q. What’s the benefit of massage soap bars?

A. Massage soap bars have large round nodules that stick out from the bar that can be used to relieve tension and achy muscles. By rubbing the soap over your skin, the nodules help lift pore clogging oils and can stimulate circulation to tighten skin. As well as this our soap bases are highly moisturising that lathers onto the skin leaving you feeling smooth and clean.

Q. What’s the shelf life of melt and pour soap base?

A. Our melt and pour soap bases will not go bad if stored correctly. Over time the base may dry out slightly which will not affect the usage of the soap. If you’d like to fix that, glycerine can be used to replace the moisture.

Q. Are your soaps vegan and cruelty free?

A. All three of our soap bases are cruelty free. Our white and crystal-clear soaps are vegan however our goats milk soap base is not suitable for vegans due to the inclusion of animal derived products.

Q. Why did my soap turn brown?

A. Our melt and pour soap bases will not turn brown on their own without the addition of fragrances or colouring. The bases left alone won’t go bad if they are stored properly. Fragrances, particularly ones with natural colouring can alter the appearance of the soap when combined with other colours. Flavours such as citrus, floral and vanilla have the tendency to alter the soap's colour. We recommend making small practice soaps before committing to large scale soap making when trying new fragrances or colour additives.

Q. Why isn’t my soap coming out of the mould?

A. Our massage soap bar mould has an intricate shape and therefore you may struggle to get the soap out of the mould. Here’s some tips on how to get the soap out without anything breaking or cracking:

● The worst thing to do if you are struggling to get the soap out is to force it out. Make sure you wait at least 24 hours before trying to get the soap out. Start putting slight pressure on the sides of the mould, slightly pulling away at the sides.

● The soap may still be stuck after a 24 hour wait. If this happens, place the soap moulds in the freezer for 30 minutes then remove and let thaw for a few minutes before trying to remove the soap from the mould.

● Another option is to spray the mould with cooking spray before putting the soap into the mould. This option will not work for cold process soaps, the oil will cause the soap to stick more.

Q. How do I prevent bubbles forming on the surface of my soap bars?

A. Bubbles are formed when the additives are being stirred into the melted soap mixture. To ensure that your soap has a smooth surface is by spraying the soap with isopropyl alcohol from a spray bottle when the soap has just been poured. This should settle the bubbles. If you don’t have the alcohol available, mixing the additives slowly, less vigorously should settle the soap mixture as well as pouring the mixture slowly will cause less bubbles created.