How to Make Melt and Pour Soap

Pop the soap base out of its tray and cut the 2 lb block in half. Set one half aside for the second layer. Cut the other half into cubes about 1 inch across. Small, even pieces melt faster and more evenly, so the base is less likely to scorch. A straight soap cutter makes clean cuts, but a sharp kitchen knife works too. Work on a sturdy cutting board.

Set the empty pouring pitcher on your digital scale and press tare so it reads zero. Now add soap cubes until the scale shows 1 lb. Weighing matters here. Your fragrance amount is based on the weight of the base, so a guess throws off the scent. One pound fills the slab mold halfway, which is one layer.

Measure the scent now, before any heat. Once the base melts you only have a few minutes to add everything before it starts to set. Put a small glass jar on the scale, tare it, and pour in 0.5 oz of fragrance oil. Rose uses Blood Orange. Set the jar off to the side where it will not get knocked over.

Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and microwave it for 45 seconds. Take it out and stir well with a silicone spatula. If chunks remain, heat again for 20 seconds and stir. Repeat until it is liquid. Stay close by. Melt and pour base can overheat in a hurry, and overheated soap turns thick and rubbery. A couple of small chunks will melt as you stir.

Squeeze in your color a drop at a time and stir. Rose only needs about 2 drops of coral dye for a bright orange. Stir until the color is even, with no streaks. Then pour in the fragrance you measured and stir slowly for 20 to 30 seconds. Slow stirring keeps you from whipping air bubbles into the soap.

Hold the pitcher low and pour slowly into the mold. Let the soap find its own level and fill every cavity. This coral layer is the bottom half of each bar. Rose uses an 8-bar slab mold. Individual cavity molds work the same way and save you the cutting step at the end. Fill each cavity about halfway.

Mist rubbing alcohol over the top of the fresh layer. The bubbles on the surface vanish almost right away. Spray again if more pop up. Then wait 5 to 10 minutes. Touch the surface lightly. When it holds without breaking or rippling, the layer is ready for the next pour. Too soft and the colors blend. Too hard and the layers may not stick.

Melt the rest of the base the same way, this time with red dye and fragrance. Mist the coral layer with alcohol first. That light coat helps the two layers bond. Pour the red soap slowly and evenly across the whole surface. Then spray the top again to clear any bubbles. Let it sit 30 minutes, cover the mold with plastic wrap, and leave it for 24 hours.

After a full day the soap is firm. Give each side of the mold a gentle tug. That lets air slip down the sides and breaks the seal. Turn the mold over onto a clean surface and press lightly on the bottom. The square slab of soap will drop out in one piece. If it sticks, pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes and try again.

Line the soap cutter up with the grooves in the slab and press straight down. Cut along every groove to get eight even bars. Your soap is ready to use right away. Wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap and store them somewhere cool and dry. For gifts, add an ingredients label and a pretty bag or box.