Cold Process Archives - Page 2 of 2

"Is melt and pour better than cold process soap?" It really depends. Instead consider, "Which process is best for my immediate needs?" Melt and pour soap base is made via cold process, just like the soap you might make at home. The big difference, however, is that additional ingredients, such as glycerin, are often added. This makes the soap more manageable to work with. Now you can make beautiful bars of soap ready for use in hours, instead of weeks. All of that said, I don't see one type of soap making process as superior or inferior to another. What matters is which method is best for the situation at hand. You can achieve beautiful soap using melt and pour or cold process. Either can meet the definition of "true soap" as outlined by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. A Quick Melt and Pour Video Tutorial This three minute video shows the basics of using glycerin soap. Better still, how you can easily customize it to make your own soap-based works or art. https://youtu.be/FTcnD1etGKs Advantages of Melt and Pour Over Cold Process Melt and pour soap, by its very nature, has several advantages over cold process soap. Here they are in no particular order: Melt and Pour Offers Instant Gratification with Less Risk The use of melt and pour eliminates the need for the soap maker to work directly with lye. Lye is a potentially dangerous substance some folks like to avoid.Melt and pour base, a.k.a. "glycerin soap," does not require any cure time before it is ready to use. Once the soap has fully hardened within the mold, it is ready for use. This is not the case with soap made via the cold process. For cold process soap, it typically takes 24 to 48 hours for the batch to saponify and become usable soap. From there, it takes an additional four to six weeks to cure. That is; to harden enough to become a long-lasting bar of soap.With MP you can turn a project around and virtually no time. You can have 100 bars ready for sale in a couple of hours using the Melt and pour method. This includes color, fragrance, essential oils, exfoliates, or other items that you wish to add. Attention to Detail Glycerin soap is very fluid when fully melted. This means that it can pick up the tiniest details in any mold that you put it in. MP's fluidity makes it possible for it the soap maker to create incredible works of soap art with minimal effort. Cold process soap can also be very fluid when it is ready for pour. CP, however, tends to cure at slightly different rates. This depends on the thickness of individual pieces and any level of detail from the mold. Melt and Pour is Simple to Use Another advantage of melt and pour soap is that it is extremely quick and easy to work with. There are also very few tools needed. I have done emergency on-site mini-projects, in the past. Once I did one with nothing more than a hot plate, coffee mug, and bamboo stirring stick. If you have a microwave oven, a bowl, and a spatula, you are open to a world of creative opportunity. Transparency Options Many melt and pour soap bases are transparent or, at the very least, translucent. This can help create some incredible effects when incorporating mica powders or embedded objects. In other words, it's straightforward to make a bar of soap that is also a piece of art. Melt and Pour to the Rescue I was once asked to put together an order for a party that was to happen in 4 hours. The host's mother planned to make keepsakes for the guests. Her plan fell through, so I was asked if it was possible to produce soap this quickly. To make a long story short, they got all of their gorgeous beautifully scented soaps with an hour to spare. That would have been impossible using cold process or even hot process. Disadvantages of Melt and Pour Soap Base Along with advantages of MP, there are disadvantages to be aware of. Be sure to consider all. MP is Susceptible to Heat and "Sweat" The glycerin that is abundant in melt and pour soap has a habit of appearing to sweat in humid conditions. Technically, it does not really sweat. Instead it attracts the moisture in the air, which beads up and gives a sweat-like appearance. This is mainly a problem in a humid environment. Living in Virginia, I have had many hot and humid days where I displayed soap at outdoor festivals. It has not yet been a problem - but I keep a cooler handy just in case.Another consideration is heat. Most glycerin soap bases reach their melting point at about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. I realize that sounds ridiculously hot, but the inside of a car in the summertime can easily reach such temperatures. It can also be a problem when shipping melt and pour soap products to a hot environment. It might cook in a steel mailbox for an afternoon or sit in direct sunlight on the front stoop. MP Tends Not to Last AS Long as CP Although glycerin soap is ready to use as soon as it hardens within the mold, it will not be as long-lasting as fully cured cold process soap. You often hear cold process soap described as "a rock hard bar." For those who like having a bar of soap last as long as possible in the shower, this is a very good thing. Melt and pour soap will typically not last as long because it already has so much moisture within the glycerin that it breaks down a bit more quickly when exposed to additional moisture. Melt and Pour Comes with Some Baggage There is a slight stigma that can come with using melt and pour soap. However, this comes mostly from other soap makers who feel that using melt and pour is not nearly as difficult or deserving of reward has doing cold process or hot process. This is undoubtedly a matter of opinion. And, while I sometimes use glycerin soap, I can understand the frustration felt by those who work with lye IF the MP soaper is intentionally dishonest about how their soap was made. Yes, unfortunately, sometimes a small handful of soap makers lie about using glycerin soap because cold process and hot process typically sell at a higher price-point.The best way to avoid the stigma is simply to ensure that you are transparent with customers with the fact that you are using a melt and pour soap base rather than the more complex cold or hot process. It may not even come up in conversation, but there is certainly a difference between the amount of work required to obtain similar results in the final product. It Can Cost More Than Cold Process Another minor disadvantage of using glycerin soap is the expense. If you compare the cost of purchasing raw soap making ingredients in bulk and purchasing glycerin soap blocks in bulk, you will find that glycerin soap is typically far more expensive. This, however, is simply a trade-off for time and effort. You just need to decide which is more important, the amount of time and effort you spend on completing a finished bar versus the cost associated. Seeing the whole picture Understanding some of the advantages and disadvantages of melt and pour soap base, it's time to take a look at the bigger picture. Which soap process will be best for your immediate needs? If you have a project that you need to have done in a very short time, MP is a good option. When you have intricate designs due in less than 30 days, melt and pour is optimal. Be sure to make the client aware of this and also aware of any potential risks, such as that the soap may appear to sweat if in high humidity or that the soap could potentially melt if left in a hot car during the summertime. If, on the other hand, you have a project for which you have five or six weeks notice - cold process soap may be your best bet. Melt and pour could also be a good option, but if you have enough time to do cold process, it is not a bad idea to use a process that will result in a longer-lasting bar of soap. Final thoughts on MP vs CP... I have used both cold process and melt and pour soap for years. I have even combined the two in order to come up with some crazy creations that otherwise would not have been feasible. My best advice is to carefully consider the circumstances that you are working with and then select the best method accordingly. Also, keep in mind that it is a good idea to have some emergency melt and pour soap in reserve just in case of an emergency. Just think it through, and remember that you have options - and that is never a bad thing. >>> The Inside Edge Would you like to get a better picture about how melt and pour and cold process? Following is a post on this site that stacks them up with hot process and rebatching. Spoiler Alert: Rebatching offers the best of cold process and melt and pour. Happy soaping!