Soap Making Supplies

  • Melt and pour glycerine soap base
  • Soap colorant (can also use Liquid glycerin dye)
  • Soap-safe fragrance oil

Get all your supplies with our easy to use Melt and Pour Soap Making Kit!.

Soap Making Equipment

    • Double boiler (or old pan with water and melting/pouring pot)
    • Soap Mold
    • Measuring spoons
    • Long handled spoon

How to Make Soap (for two 4-oz bars of soap)

Melting the soap: Cut 8 oz. of soap (½ of a 1 lb. block) into chunks, and place in a double boiler or microwave-safe container. Heat soap slowly until just melted. If using a microwave, heat for 15-20 seconds at a time. Soap melts at about 140°F and should not go over 160°F. If the soap gets too hot, it will smell bad and lose transparency and moisture. This is not what you want for your soap creation! Temperature control is one of the keys to making a good bar of soap. You can use a candle making or candy thermometer, but it's not usually necessary if you heat the soap carefully. Stir very gently to avoid adding air bubbles to the melted soap.


Adding color: Add your color, slowly dropwise. Remember to stir gently. For soft, pastel colors, start adding a very small amount of the colorant until it reaches the intensity you want. You can always add more, but you can't take it out! Too much color in your soap can end up rubbing off on your skin, or leaving color rings in the sink or tub. A little color will go a long way. A few drops are generally all that are necessary.

Adding scent: A little goes a long way! ½ oz. (1 tablespoon) of fragrance oil is the most you'll need for one pound of soap...so for 8 oz., add 1 - 1½ teaspoons of scent, stirring gently. Be sure the fragrance you are using is soap-safe so it won't irritate your skin. Also, keep in mind that the color of the fragrance oil will affect the final color of your soap. Vanilla based fragrances may also cause your soap to darken, or turn a grey to tan color. Use caution when choosing a fragrance. More is NOT better and can cause severe skin irritation, or burns.

Pour into mold: Pour the melted soap into two 4 oz. soap mold cavities. Any air bubbles in the liquid soap will rise to the top. To remove the bubbles, you can lightly spray with rubbing alcohol right after pouring, or smooth them off after the soap is finished. Let the soap completely harden before removing it from the mold.

Use and enjoy!

Unlike making soap from scratch, you do not have to wait for melt and pour soap to "cure". Your soap is ready to use as soon as it hardens. If you won't be using it right away, wrap the bar(s) in plastic wrap. Your soap is high in glycerine content which softens the skin. It also attracts moisture, especially in humid climates. If left out in the air, it will form beads of moisture on it, and will become unattractive and messy. You can prevent this by wrapping your soap in airtight plastic wrap.