Stephenson Melt And Pour Soap Base Clear SLS FREE - 1Kg

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Essential oils or fragrance oils can add delightful scents to your soap. As your soap has gone through saponification already, the addition of essential oils will also add plant properties to your soap, without the concern of having them destroyed by saponification. In theory, fragrances and certain additives can sometimes alter the clarity of the soap or cause discoloration. In practice, I didn’t observe it with transparent soaps so far. But beware, as it might happen. Make a test on small batches or only on one soap, to be on the safe side.

Because this soap contains a high amount of sugar and glycerin, it is best if stored wrapped in plastic wrap or shrink wrap. If you don’t, your soap can sweat and even grow crystals. Glycerin likes to draw moisture from the air into the soap and can create a sweaty mess. Process Okay, so if you’ve been in the soap making groups on Facebook lately, you’ve seen all of the transparent soaps that makers have been posting! Quite impressive! I’ve made transparent soap before, but nothing as clear as what we’ve been seeing lately. This is where I started. I didn’t have a good alcohol, only 70% isopropyl so didn’t expect super clear soap. I wanted to try it without a sugar solution. Step 1: Create a sugar solution. Combine water and sugar and heat just until it boils. Remove from heat and see if it is clear. It usually is clear as soon as it boils. If it isn’t clear, boil a few seconds longer. Do not let it boil for long or it will burn and discolor your soap. Set aside. At this point, I’m not really getting the crystal clear results that I’m looking for. So, let’s bump up the solvents!The simplest technique is to colour a small amount of opaque soap base and pour it into a shallow mould. Once set, cut into small chunks or flakes. Make up a complimentary coloured batch of clear soap base. Place the chunks in the mould for the final soap and pour the second, clear soap into the mould over the opaque chunks. This gives a simple and effective appearance to an otherwise plain bar.

Now pour your glycerin soap into the molds. If the base cools too much and gets chunky or stiff, remelt it and stir. Let the molds sit until the soap is completely cool. Results: Decent lather. More clear than batch #1 and 2. Because of the high stearic, this one was a bit draggy to use and tightening to the skin. It will probably improve. But I wouldn’t make this one again… There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all body soap, as the best soap brand for you depends on your specific skin concerns. However! You should keep a few things in mind when trying to decide what kind of soap to get for your shower: Skip the sulfatesBy now most of you know I’m a soap maker. I have a small business that makes more than 400 bars a month and it’s still growing. I sell a lot of soap at the tailgate markets in the summer and I always have people asking for a glycerin soap base. It’s still a common myth that glycerin soap is milder and better for you. That can be true in some cases, but when you hand-craft a good cold process bar of soap, it contains just about as much glycerin. Because the skin's pH is naturally slightly acidic (around 5.5), cleansing ingredients with an alkaline pH can disrupt the skin barrier and lead to irritation. That's why it's best to avoid sulfate-containing soap, especially if you have sensitive skin or eczema. "Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a harsh detergent that is very effective, but can be very drying," explains Zeichner. "In fact, it’s used in clinical trials as the positive control to elicit irritation in the skin in comparison to other products." Uh, yikes. So if you see sodium laureth and/or lauryl sulfate on an ingredients list, it's probs best to avoid. Consider your skin sensitivity So, I got experimenting! I was inspired by a post in our soapmaking group, Saponification Nation, by Harriet Pretzsch. She generously shared her procedure for making a cold process transparent soap. You can find it on her blog here. You’ll have to translate it or join our FB group and search her name…you’ll find it translated. White sugar produces the best results. You can use raw sugar but your soap will have more amber color. Place as much soap base as you need into a heatproof container to melt it. I use a pint jar. Place the jar in a pan of hot water to melt, stirring occasionally. When melted, take the jar out of the water and place it on a cloth. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. Stir well. Add more if needed. Next, add the essential or fragrance oil a few drops at a time. A 4-ounce bar should have about 10 drops of scent. Add any dried herbs you may desire, about a teaspoon per 4-ounce bar.

Joshua Zeichner, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and the director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY. So what is transparent soap? Transparent soap is simply hot process soap that uses solvents (sugar, glycerin and alcohol) to dissolve the soap crystals that form allowing light to pass, therefore creating transparency. Melt-n-pour is so simple it lends itself to experimentation. My first simple experimental soap was a 'Jam Tart' soap, which was well received by small children and a great way of adding a little fun to a childs bathtime. The simple techniques of combining sheets of soap which can be separately coloured and/or fragranced and easily rolled or shaped whilst still slightly soft, with a separately coloured/fragranced soap poured into or around the shape can result in a huge variety of colours and appearances. Use opaque soap within a clear soap to show off the colours and shapes within to their best. Step 2: Measure all base oils (including stearic acid) into a container and melt. I figured heat would help things along so I heated to around 180-200 degrees Fahrenheit. Step 9– Let the soap cook for 2 hours. During this time the solvents will work on dissolving the soap crystals that form, creating a clear soap. No need to stir.These instructions are for clear soap. Add some titanium dioxide or zinc oxide powder to get a white soap that will produce pastels when colored. (Find titanium dioxide here or zinc oxide powder here.) Solvents are what make the magic happen. They dissolve the soap crystals that normally form when combining sodium hydroxide with fatty acids (base oils). Solvents include alcohol, liquid glycerin and sugar. You can use one, or for best results, try a combination. In the shower or bath, wet your hands and rub your soap in them to create a lather. Wash your hands first, then repeat the process and apply soap to your whole body using the soap directly and your hands. You may also wash your face with it. Rinse hands and body abundantly. Also wash your soap from lather before placing it in your soap dish or bag saver. Step 2– Weigh the lye and distilled water into two separate containers. Add the lye to the water while stirring to create a solution. Be sure to mix in a well-ventilated area. Be sure to wear safety goggles and gloves. Figure out how much soap base you need. An average bar of soap is 4 ounces and the mold will tell you how many ounces it holds. Use a bit more as some will remain on the melting container and spoon.

Step 16– After 24 hours un-mold. You can un-mold it as soon as it hardens, which is usually less than 24 hours. All transparent soap recipes that I’ve come across use a combo of solvents, including glycerin, sugar water and alcohol. I don’t know enough about why each is used. This will require some further research on my part. My solvents ended up being equal to my oil amount. I used 500 grams of oils and 500 grams of solvents. All handmade soap is glycerin soap, as we know now, including what we know as glycerin soap (clear soap). On the other hand, commercial soaps usually use synthetic detergents or see their natural glycerin removed, becoming non-glycerin soaps. Non-glycerin soaps are more drying and less mild to skin, because glycerin acts as an humectant, trapping moisture in your skin. Therefore, glycerin soap, or any handmade soap, is usually better than non-glycerin soap. Let’s take a look at how to make glycerin and then explore my favorite, recipe for how to make a glycerin soap base. How Glycerin is Made There are soft forms of Melt & Pour soap bases available (often known as bath butter or 'ice cream' soap), which can be piped like a cream icing when warm, which can be used to great effect when 'decorating' soap 'cakes'.

The addition of extra ingredients is more leisurely using this method, as continuous low heat is available to keep the mixture from forming a skin. Again, be careful not to introduce bubbles if at all possible. Fragrance should be the last addition, as heat will cause some evaporation. Again, work on around 20ml of fragrance or essential oil per Kilo for a meaningful fragrance. Ethyl (Ethanol)– This type is best for transparent soap, but it is also more expensive. Denatured alcohol is a type of alcohol that you can find at the hardware store. It has a poison added so that people don’t drink it. You can use denatured alcohol in transparent soap. Everclear (from the liquor store) is another type of ethyl alcohol. Look for 190 proof (95% alcohol) for best results. To take best advantage of your handmade soap (made by yourself or store-bougth), read How Do You Use Handmade Soap? Related Posts Ingredients and Recipes