“Melt and Pour Soap” is the name given to soap bases that have already undergone the usual soap-making process – in which particular oils are combined with an alkaline solution to create a reaction known as saponification. Melt and Pour soaps are ready to use; simply melt the base, then pour into a mold, and allow it to set. In other words, Melt and Pour soap is pre-saponified soap that can be used with or without further chemical processing or customization.
The specific type of fat that was used to create the soap is the fat after which that particular Melt and Pour soap base will be named. To illustrate, a soap base that is produced with a substantial quantity of Shea Butter or Goat’s Milk will be named Shea Butter Melt and Pour Soap and Goat’s Milk Melt and Pour Soap, respectively. Likewise, any other distinctive constituent incorporated into the soap will be the ingredient after which the base is named.
IS MELT AND POUR TRUE SOAP?Like “true” soap, Melt and Pour soap has been made through sweet blush soap the saponification process with a combination of ingredients that are also used in traditional soaps – which might be considered to be more “true” – and these include natural oils as well as lye, thus Melt and Pour soap does not need to have lye added to it, as doing so would be an unnecessary extra step that would cause the soap base to potentially burn the skin.
Additional Glycerin is added to the Melt and Pour soaps, offering more soothing and hydrating properties to the skin. It also helps produce clear soaps that can be easily colored and shaped and that are gentle on the skin, making Melt and Pour soap ideal for use on sensitive skin types. In summary, Melt and Pour soap is also considered to be “true” soap.
BENEFITS OF USING MELT AND POUR SOAP BASESAlthough Melt and Pour soap incorporates synthetic substances, which may range from foaming agents and alcohol-based emulsifiers to solvents, these chemical elements enable Melt and Pour soap to liquefy in order that it may be formed into the preferred design. Cold process soaps usually contain less Glycerin than Melt and Pour soaps, thus they are more likely to be drying on the skin.
The foremost benefit of using Melt and Pour soap bases is that the user does not have to deal with the caustic substance known as Lye, as it has already been incorporated into the soap base in advance. The user-friendly nature of Melt and Pour soap is another benefit of these bases, as this method makes it uncomplicated to quickly achieve professional-quality soap bars with luxurious appearances, scents, and textures, all of which can be customized with a wide variety of artistic possibilities.
Another key benefit of Melt and Pour soap bases is that, unlike cold-processed soaps, the final product does not require a curing period, that is to say there is no days- or weeks-long stretch of time during which the soap must be left untouched in order for the lye to be neutralized and for the saponification process to be completed; once Melt and Pour soaps have been removed from their molds, they are ready to use immediately. The longer the soap sits, the harder and milder it will become.
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