It’s time to talk about melt and pour soap again! For any new soap makers out there, like me, do you wonder about what some of the problems are? Recently, I have been getting a lot more involved in the soap making process, and even I have had some questions! There are many things that can go wrong, but there are so many ways to easily avoid these problems! For example, did you know that reheating your soap too many times can actually eventually cause the soap to break down?
Have you ever warped a mold? Molds can actually be warped by pouring soap that is too hot. Warping will ruin your mold and you will not be able to use it correctly anymore. When adding fragrance to your soap, first check the recommended usage chart to make sure that it is body safe. The easiest way to figure out how much to add is by checking the maximum usage rate on our website. For example, our Best Friends scent has a maximum usage rate of 5% for soaps. Now when making your soap, take the weight of soap you’re using overall and multiply it by the 5%, or .05. Now, when mixing in the amount of fragrance, you need to make sure you have mixed it thoroughly. When the scent is not mixed in completely, this can cause your soap to have pockets of pure fragrance or separation. When adding colorant or dye to your soap, always make sure to completely mix them in as well! If not fully mixed, the color will not fully incorporate into your soap, and if using a white base melt and pour soap, you will possibly see streaks of white throughout the color in the finished product. Not fully mixing your color can also cause possible speckles throughout your soap instead of a smooth all-over color.
When making layered melt and pour soaps, the layers need to properly adhere to each other. This can be achieved simply by using rubbing alcohol. After you have poured one layer, make sure to allow it enough time to set up enough that it has cooled down and will not mix into the next layer. To get the layers to adhere, just make sure to spray the first layer with the rubbing alcohol! Make sure to spray each layer with rubbing alcohol right after pouring it as well, so as to get rid of any air bubbles. Once your soap is completely finished, make sure not to remove it from your mold too soon, give it enough time to completely set up and harden! If you remove it too soon, some of the soap may stick in your mold and break apart! Or if you remove it when it is too soft, you can get fingerprints or indents in your soap!
There are many other melt and pour soap problems as well! Once your melt and pour soap is fully set up, make sure to wrap your soap. If a soap is not wrapped, it can absorb any moisture that is in the air, which will cause the soap to sweat. It’s like what happens to a pop can when it sits outside, the condensation builds on the outside, making it sweat! So make sure to wrap your soap right away so that no moisture or air can get to it. Do you know how to properly cut a loaf of soap? To keep your soap from streaking, make sure to turn it on your side and slice it! Do not cut it from the top down! If you have any other questions about melt and pour soap problems, please contact us! And keep watching for more Enlightened by Layla!