Soap Moulding Instructions

Melting your soap:

Gently melt in a pot directly on the stove on the lowest heat. Leave to melt slowly till the soap runs like water. Then pour into a plastic jug and leave the soap to cool till it forms a skin on top, then you know it is a good pouring temperature.
      OR
Gently melt in a plastic jug in the microwave on defrost for two minutes at a time. Pour the melted soap into a second jug next to the microwave. This way you don’t keep reheating the soap that is already melted. When all the soap is melted and poured into the second jug leave the soap to cool till a skin forms on top, then you know it is a good pouring temperature. DO NOT overheat and burn your soap. Burning changes the smell, colour, transparency and texture of the soap. You can reheat and melt your soap as many times as you like providing you do not burn it. If you melt it exactly as I have described in this info sheet you will not burn it.

Pouring your soap:

Once a skin has formed on the soap it is ready to pour. Move the skin aside (I use a kebab stick) and pour your soap into a mould. Pour as close to the mould as you can to prevent bubbles. If you see steam forming on the sides of your mould then your soap is still too hot to pour and it will damage your mould. Stop pouring and wait for the soap to cool down further.

Un-moulding your soap:

Leave your soap on the counter to set for two hours or until it feels cold against your skin. Put gentle pressure all around the mould to release the soap from the mould. When the soap has separated from the mould you can tap it gently in your hand till the soap falls out. If you treat your moulds with care and respect they will have a long and productive lifespan. The general rule is that if the soap does not want to come out of the mould, it is not yet ready. Leave it longer to set and then try again.

Packaging your soap:

As soon as your soaps are un-moulded you should wrap them. Remember that glycerine is hydroscopic, which means that it is always going to be looking for extra water to absorb. If you wrap your soaps as soon as they are made you will protect them from any extra moisture that may be in the air – humidity, steam from a kettle or cooking, rain. (In fact I recommend you do not make soaps on rainy days because they tend to sweat). I prefer to wrap my soaps in cellophane, cellophane bags or PVC boxes. I find that cling wrap looks good for one day only. After that is starts looking tatty and unprofessional. Try and avoid using cling wrap to wrap your soaps.

REMEMBER:

The soaps are smooth and shiny when un-moulded. That is the way you want them to stay. They should be handled as little as possible. I hold them lightly on the undersides to prevent fingerprints and ugly marks. Soaps need to look immaculate. Nobody wants to buy or use a soap that appears handled. We all like to know that the soap we use is fresh, clean and hygienic. Finally before we move onto some soap ideas and recipes I would like to tell you that after many years of trying, working with, teaching and selling glycerine soap, the soap at The Soap Barn (in my opinion) is the very best on the market. It is beautifully transparent, the colours are bright and the fragrances strong and very long lasting. The soap itself has a wonderful working texture and is gentle and wonderful on the skin. The following recipes and ideas are recommended for this soap only. Other soaps do not the same workability and will not give the same results.