Melt and pour is real soap when made with natural ingredients. The fact that it is easy to use and customize makes many people question its status. but we can put that to rest. As long as no detergents are added, melt and pour is real soap.
Naturally made melt and pour soap is created via the same basic process used when making homemade soap. The main difference is MP has extra glycerin and alcohols added to make it easier to re-melt and work with.
Did you know you can make melt and pour from scratch?
You can make melt and pour soap base from scratch using a Crockpot. There are no detergent additives. It’s easy and does not take much time. There are instructions and a video in this post to show you how.
Melt and Pour versus Your Homemade Soap
When melt and pour, also called “glycerin” soap, is made – it goes through the same all-natural saponification process as your own handmade soap.
Of course, since this is typically done in factories pumping out large quantities, the process happens on a larger scale. But the end result is the same as if made in small batches. The only added ingredient in melt and pour true soap is extra glycerin and a form of alcohol to assist with smooth re-melting.
Glycerin is the natural product that comes from the saponification process that occurs when oils and lye solution mix and react. Glycerin mixes with the fatty acids of oils to become “alkali salt of fatty acid’. This is better known as “true soap”.
It is added to melt and pour soap, along with alcohols. This softens the soap base and makes it more malleable to work with. The original MP base already contains the glycerin created when it became soap. However, without the added glycerin it would be difficult and time-consuming to melt and pour.
See How Melt and Pour is Made
It is much easier to show you how melt and pour soap is made than to just describe it.
Crafter’s Choice is a leading maker of glycerin soap base. They have created a short video below. It will walk you through the entire process of how melt and pour soap base is made at the factory.
The video is just over two minutes long and well worth the time.
Not All Melt and Pour is Real Soap
When deciding what type of melt and pour soap base to buy, you will see options. Look for natural if you want “real soap”.
Natural soap typically results in creamy lather and small bubbles. If you see MP base that offers “big bubbles” look for the word “detergent” on the label. It might also be in the description on a website.
When detergents are added to glycerin base, it is not longer true soap. It is now classified as a cosmetic product.
Although this can still legally be labeled as “soap”, it does not meet the qualifications of “true soap”. This is because it is not all-natural “real” soap.
This means the full list of ingredients need to be presented on the label rather than just the word “soap”. It also means the labeling and oversight of your “cleansing bar” now falls under the FDA when selling in the United States.
You Can Make Your Own Melt and Pour Base from Scratch!
Not only can you make melt and pour soap from scratch, in a Crockpot – you can make it transparent. This lets you get some stunning effects with mica powders and embeds.
Check out this video and visit the Youtube page to get the full recipe by clicking “More” under the description.
What’s Next?
Now that you know how melt and pour qualifies as real soap, there’s more good news. Melt and pour is also considered handmade without having to make it from scratch. It takes a little work, but it’s worth it.
Here is a post on this site you may enjoy: Is Melt and Pour Considered Handmade? 7 Ways to Yes!