Melt and pour just as good as cold process?

[SoapySuds]

Sorry, but some of your above information is incorrect and I Do understand the chemistry of making soap. Even though I may not be a chemist I do not appreciate you indicating I do not know. I have one daughter and I also have one customer that cannot use lye-based soap. Not all syndet based are made with lye. Many clear and Ultra Clear bases do not use soap as a base. Please get Your facts straight.

Also, people like my daughter with epilepsy could not work with lye so she could only use m&p base and she did gorgeous work making and selling over a ton (literally) of product a year when she was going strong.

Yay for your daughter!

Yes, not all syndets use lyes, some use other harsher chemicals to create them.

SLS is show to have toxicity at .5 grams. Which is why you aren’t supposed to swallow toothpaste and why you are supposed to not get shampoo in your eyes. This is all readily available in public databases, including results from testing.

I have a relative who doesn’t use any cleaning products, soaps, detergents, deodorants, shampoos, unless she’s positive it does not have chemicals in it. Much of the stuff she ends up using has more chemicals than anything normal out there. She probably wouldn’t drink water from her faucet if she knew it had chlorine and flouride in it from public water treatment plants. We don’t try to educate her, she ends up isolating herself more if we do. Even if I tried to convince her my unscented soap has no fragrance, she wouldn’t trust me because the soap smells like soap, I somehow put fragrance in it. Like your customer, she’s always right.

 

[cmzaha]

Plus, all soap, including syndets are made with lye. Basic chemistry.

Yes, not all syndets use lyes, some use other harsher chemicals to create them.

Well which is it? It cannot be both. Just curious...
Sorry everyone I am a little cranky tonight and do not like someone insinuating I do not know the basic chemistry of making soap. Guess I need to just go to bed.

 

[TheGecko]

Adding in my three cents here.....

Soap...is soap. Whether is Melt & Pour, Cold Process, Cold Process Oven Process, Hot Process, Rebatch, Kettle Process*, Continuous Process* and any other process that combines Fat and Lye.

* - Commercially produced soap

EVERY process has its Pros and Cons so no one process is 'better' than the other, it's simply a matter of personal preference.

Back in the days when I had small children and was a SAHM, I would have definitely done M&P...no worries about Sodium Hydroxide and the kids would have been able to take a bath that night with soap they created earlier in the day. I have no interest in HP or Rebatch because of the added expense of having to purchase and store crockpots and I already 'cook' enough as it is. I like CP because it's like making instant pudding...mix the ingredients, put it in the frig and forget it until it's time to eat it.

Now some of the stuff you read about M&P...it's mainly marketing. When you look at the definition of 'organic', pretty much all oils and butters can be label as such because they come from 'living matter'. Adding additional glycerin doesn't make a soap 'more moisturizing', in fact, adding too much can have the opposite effect. It's like having oily skin and using products to 'dry' your skin can actually cause your body to produce more oil. And slathering your dry skin with moisturizer can cause your body to cut back of the amount of oil it produces causing your skin to be even dryer. And using animal fats doesn't leave a 'soap film' on your skin any more than vegetable fats...if you have a soap film, it's because you didn't rinse all the soap off.

Vegan and gluten-free are big marketing gimmicks right now. Unless you add animal products (fats and milk) or honey to your soap, it's "vegan". And it don't add any 'wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye', your soap is "gluten-free".

And for those you think that M&P is just cheap soap (from a rant I found on YouTube)...have you seen the prices for M&P bases? And yes, M&P does contain ingredients that aren't used in other soap processes, but that is the nature of the beast and not necessarily a 'bad' thing.

 

[Microchick]

Yay for your daughter!

Yes, not all syndets use lyes, some use other harsher chemicals to create them.

SLS is show to have toxicity at .5 grams. Which is why you aren’t supposed to swallow toothpaste and why you are supposed to not get shampoo in your eyes. This is all readily available in public databases, including results from testing.

I have a relative who doesn’t use any cleaning products, soaps, detergents, deodorants, shampoos, unless she’s positive it does not have chemicals in it. Much of the stuff she ends up using has more chemicals than anything normal out there. She probably wouldn’t drink water from her faucet if she knew it had chlorine and flouride in it from public water treatment plants. We don’t try to educate her, she ends up isolating herself more if we do. Even if I tried to convince her my unscented soap has no fragrance, she wouldn’t trust me because the soap smells like soap, I somehow put fragrance in it. Like your customer, she’s always right.

It is misinformation like the above about SLS that call into question ANYTHING said on forums. Retired chemist in the medical field here. Your sentence about “toxicity at .5 grams” is taken way out of context. Studies report that the oral lethal dose for humans is 0.5 g/kg. That is, a 150 lb person would have to consume approx. 1lb of SLS! So, no, a dose of 0.5 g is not toxic. As for wash-off products, I can’t find any evidence that SLS presents toxicity issues.
I don’t mean to be argumentative or unkind; I may not be a seasoned soaper but I do know my chemistry. I had to put my 2 cents in to please beg people to do their research.

 

[SoapySuds]

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-dodecyl-sulfate

 

[TheGecko]

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-dodecyl-sulfate

As @Microchick said:

14.1.13. Human Toxicity Values

... probable oral lethal dose (human) 0.5-5 g/kg, between 1 oz & 1 pint (or 1 lb) for 70 kg person (150 lb).

 

[tspin]

I love both M&P and cp. with M&P it depends on which type of M&P you are using and what company you buy from. I would not recommend hobby lobby or Amazon unless it comes from a soap co. Buy from a reputable soap company. You can add many different oils and or butters to help it to soften the skin.
i use Stephenson.

As @Microchick said:

14.1.13. Human Toxicity Values

... probable oral lethal dose (human) 0.5-5 g/kg, between 1 oz & 1 pint (or 1 lb) for 70 kg person (150 lb).

I'm not a chemist but, the sls is not toxic just harsh on the skin

 

[Benjamin11]

Does this look any good? Its from a company called "Stephenson": & i was wondering what happens if more oil is added. I wanted to make pure hemp seed oil soap. Its £7.45 a kg. Oh & whats wrong with Propylene Glycol? I use it in homemade vape juice which I inhale lol

1Kg Block of Melt and Pour Soap Base.

Ideal for adding your own favourite scent, making as gifts for other people etc.

Easy to make - full instructions provided

Our Melt and Pour Natural SLS Free Soap Base is free from foam boosters such as SLS

Our Melt & Pour Glycerin Soap base is ALL VEGETABLE OIL and contains no alcohol or harmful products to dry your skin! Glycerin, a natural emollient, draws moisture out of the air to benefit skin health. It cleanses without stripping or upsetting the delicate natural pH balance necessary for soft, healthy skin. And, since we don't use animal oils, our soap rinses clean and leaves no soapy film behind. All our soap bases are produced from the highest quality double distilled and deodorized clear coconut oil, forming luxurious lather and sparkling clarity.

Usage: A 1Kg brick can make between 10 - 20 soaps, depending on the size of the soap you're trying to make.

Features: Highly moisturising formula, No artificial colours added, No animal testing, 100% Vegetable base, Biodegradable, Opaque in colour, Contains no surfactants or Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Odourless base for a superior fragrance lift, Neutral pH of approximately 8.0 - 9.0, Compatible with wide range of fragrances

Caution: When making soaps it is good to remember that the Melt & Pour Bases contain water as part of the formula. So if they are left exposed to the atmosphere, the water will evaporate and the bar of soap will shrink. We would recommend fully wrapping the ENTIRE soap bar as soon as it is poured and cooled--this should minimize/eliminate any shrinkage.

 

[bookreader451]

If you want a hemp base try Brambleberry it is very good.

When adding things to MP you have to be careful. Don't add more than 1tbs pp of base. I have used Stephenson's and it melts at a higher temp than other bases so you really need to watch your temperatures. I found it a little more temperamental than SFIC bases.

 

[Benjamin11]

Looks good @ 5% hemp oil. It says to add your own fragrance. Does that mean it doesn't smell of hemp oil? Is there any way to get a higher % into it? Maybe a shower gel, like a liquid soap? I really like the smell of it. It would be for every day use. Please forgive my lack of knowlege.

 

[bookreader451]

Looks good @ 5% hemp oil. It says to add your own fragrance. Does that mean it doesn't smell of hemp oil? Is there any way to get a higher % into it? Maybe a shower gel, like a liquid soap? I really like the smell of it. It would be for every day use. Please forgive my lack of knowlege.

I wouldn't mess around with it. It is good. I used it for my husband and he loved it. Google hemp fragrance oil and see if it is out there and add that for the scent.

 

[tspin]

Sharee, I made my first cold processed soap today after doing M&P and rebatch for years. MGM is right--you need to try how it works, first. M&P is much more fluid--the colors don't swirl, they blend. Think about it like pouring two colors of jello--they aren't going to stay separate until they have hardened up--you try to swirl cherry jello and lemon jello and you'll get an orange colored cherry lemonade flavor.

If you want to see some really cool things to do with M&P, look on youtube for Koala Soap videos. I learned some M&P stuff to do with color that I had never even thought about before. It was very inspiring.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. It is very much of a challenge to swirl M&P but I have learned with lots of practice and TONS of research. I have been working on the butterfly swirl and hanger with M&P. Here's a few I've made

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. It is very much of a challenge to swirl M&P but I have learned with lots of practice and TONS of research. I have been working on the butterfly swirl and hanger with M&P. Here's a few I've made

It is not easy but can be done

I like a challenge so I think I will try this with an MP ..
nope not yet. I’m trying to pin down the best thermometer the best tools the best cake moulds ..

I use a infrared thermometer.

Melt and pour will not swirl like that no matter what you do. You need to understand the nature of MP and the strengths and weaknesses.

It is possible to do but, you have to have the right base, temps, and colorants.

View attachment 42407 View attachment 42407 View attachment 42407

Melt and pour will not swirl like that no matter what you do. You need to understand the nature of MP and the strengths and weaknesses.

Yes it is possible here is a smaller version similar

 

[MGM]

It is quite remarkable what you've done with swirling in M&P! The OP had never made a single bar of soap in her life and was researching what swirls she wanted to attempt, so a few of us were telling her swirling in M&P was next to impossible and she should keep it simple and play to M&P's strengths, not weakness. The good news is, you can swirl in your sleep with CP...

Propylene glycol, I won’t eat stuff with that in it and I won’t put it on my body. I’ve watched dogs have seizures because I gave a dog cookie coated with a glaze that was mostly propylene glycol to a dog. You cannot convince me otherwise because I’ve seen what it can do firsthand in a closely watched, isolated environment. Not everyone or every dog reacts to it, but it’s the few affected that makes me realize it’s not that great of a product.

Well, we know that chocolate kills dogs but we not only soap with it, we actually eat it!
I wonder what would happen if a dog ate lye.....

 

[tspin]

Well, we know that chocolate kills dogs but we not only soap with it, we actually eat it!
I wonder what would happen if a dog ate lye.....

Yea there are a lot of things that our stomachs can handle but does not effect us right away yet, I DONOT trust the fda. They allow stuff to be on the market that shouldnt be....and its in food. If people or companies know how to get around the labeling the right way they could put almost anything on the shelf. Makes me wonder if a lot of the stuff we eat causes cancer. For instance what about the pesticide in cereals that we have been eating for years. Ok done ranting

It is quite remarkable what you've done with swirling in M&P! The OP had never made a single bar of soap in her life and was researching what swirls she wanted to attempt, so a few of us were telling her swirling in M&P was next to impossible and she should keep it simple and play to M&P's strengths, not weakness. The good news is, you can swirl in your sleep with CP...

Thank you! You are right tho, should keep it simple and small batches.

It is quite remarkable what you've done with swirling in M&P! The OP had never made a single bar of soap in her life and was researching what swirls she wanted to attempt, so a few of us were telling her swirling in M&P was next to impossible and she should keep it simple and play to M&P's strengths, not weakness. The good news is, you can swirl in your sleep with CP...

I can't wait to play with cp!!!