? about soaps

RoseMarie · Feb 1, 2010

I am a little confused and didn't know WHERE to ask this question. So I am posting it here and hope it's in the right place.

I keep seeing melt and pour soap, cold process soap, or pressed not sure which. Do you actually have to press some of the soaps into the molds or can you pour all these soaps into the molds?

donniej · Feb 3, 2010

They are all poured into the mold.

RoseMarie · Feb 4, 2010

donniej said:
They are all poured into the mold.

Thank you Donnie. But what I was wondering is this, I guess I didn't ask it right.

I saw on one web site where the lady had the soap already in the mold and it looked thick and lumpy. She said to put some freezer wrap over it and take something and mash it all even. So I was wondering if you have to press some of the soaps into the molds.

donniej · Feb 4, 2010

I don't know about melt and pour as I don't ever use it. But with cold process or hot process you do have a window of time that you can "mash it down" to smooth it out. If you wait too long it will just crack or break apart.

Fuzled · Feb 4, 2010

RoseMarie:

In cold process The soap "batter" can go through different stages of thickness during trace. Also if there is a problem during CP your mix can get real lumpy and thick.. sometimes this makes you have to scoop it into the mold and press it in.

In rebatching a previously made soap it also gets real thick like and you'd have to scoop and press it into the mold. Although I've never done Hot process, from the pics I've seen this is the case as well.

So the answer really is.. it might have been one of several types of soap making that you saw. Just depends. But in average CP soaping you pour it in. It's sorta like pancake batter during an average-everything-went-well session