Need Advice Regarding Embeds

[Jersey Girl]

I decided I should start a separate thread so people can see it and possibly help me. My daughter is getting married in June and I’m going to make some soap favors. I tested this out today. Made a fresh loaf and garnished with some melt and pour embeds that I made a couple weeks ago should I avoid gelling this soap for fear that the embeds may melt? I’ve never done this before. Need some advice from the experts!

 

[dibbles]

Congratulations on the wedding! I can’t help much with advice on MP embeds because I don’t have a lot of experience to go on. But, if you want to gel and MP doesn’t work well, maybe use soap dough. Very pretty soap!

 

[Jersey Girl]

Congratulations on the wedding! I can’t help much with advice on MP embeds because I don’t have a lot of experience to go on. But, if you want to gel and MP doesn’t work well, maybe use soap dough. Very pretty soap!

Thank you. Yes...soap dough would be the next attempt if this doesn’t work. The M&P is easier though so I’m crossing my fingers and will be babysitting this loaf for the next few hours!

 

[Rachelmf]

My experience with embeds is pretty limited, but I have had fine luck with melt and put embeds. I neither encourage nor prevent gel phase, but my soap does usually gel. It may depend some on your melt and pour base as well.

 

[TheGecko]

I decided I should start a separate thread so people can see it and possibly help me. My daughter is getting married in June and I’m going to make some soap favors. I tested this out today. Made a fresh loaf and garnished with some melt and pour embeds that I made a couple weeks ago should I avoid gelling this soap for fear that the embeds may melt? I’ve never done this before. Need some advice from the experts!

Not an expert on embeds or M&P, but do a small test batch and see what happens.

Congratulations on the soap (very, very pretty) and the wedding. My youngest son got engaged over Christmas (about friggin' time since they have two kids). They haven't picked a date (sometime late this year), but I offered to take the kids and contribute dollars to the honeymoon.

 

[KimW]

I'd think that would depend on the melting point of your M&P. Looks like Stephensons M&P all melt around 130F
I soap with low water. Here's what I've found with my homemade M&P toppers (my M&P starts to melt around 150ish:
1. Not terribly affected by wrapping loosely in a towel.
2. Melts around the edges (but not a lot) when CPOP'd at 170F (the lowest my oven will go) wrapped in, or covered with, a towel.
3. Melts a lot if put inside my wooden "gelling box". This is just a wooden box with a sliding lid that I also use as my slab mold.
4. Melts a lot if I cover the loaf with plastic and then with a towel, or then CPOP'd.

Hope that helps!

BTW - that soap is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I'd be a crying bride if I saw that soap.

 

[GemstonePony]

That is beautiful! Another option could be to leave the M&P off and gel as usual, then mix up a small batch of soap to glue the flowers on after.
For now, I would assume the M&P won't take the heat, and try not to gel the soap.

 

[KimW]

That is beautiful! Another option could be to leave the M&P off and gel as usual, then mix up a small batch of soap to glue the flowers on after.
For now, I would assume the M&P won't take the heat, and try not to gel the soap.

So smart!

 

[glendam]

since the embeds are on top, they should be ok. The problem is when they are inside the soap where it gets really hot. They should be ok as long as you don’t cover the soap, which may keep the heat in

 

[Jersey Girl]

I'd think that would depend on the melting point of your M&P. Looks like Stephensons M&P all melt around 130F
I soap with low water. Here's what I've found with my homemade M&P toppers (my M&P starts to melt around 150ish:
1. Not terribly affected by wrapping loosely in a towel.
2. Melts around the edges (but not a lot) when CPOP'd at 170F (the lowest my oven will go) wrapped in, or covered with, a towel.
3. Melts a lot if put inside my wooden "gelling box". This is just a wooden box with a sliding lid that I also use as my slab mold.
4. Melts a lot if I cover the loaf with plastic and then with a towel, or then CPOP'd.

Hope that helps!

This is very helpful. Thank you!

That is beautiful! Another option could be to leave the M&P off and gel as usual, then mix up a small batch of soap to glue the flowers on after.
For now, I would assume the M&P won't take the heat, and try not to gel the soap.

I actually was describing doing this to my husband after I made this loaf. I was just saying exactly that... what if I made a small batch of CP after this has saponified, scored the top a little for adhesion, spread a layer on top and basically glued the embeds on. I think it would work! Thank you!

 

[GemstonePony]

I actually was describing doing this to my husband after I made this loaf. I was just saying exactly that... what if I made a small batch of CP after this has saponified, scored the top a little for adhesion, spread a layer on top and basically glued the embeds on. I think it would work! Thank you!

You could even score the top once the soap set up a little, before it gelled, to make that step little easier. If you're worried about adhesion, you could spritz the top with distilled water about 15-30 minutes before putting the new soap on it.

 

[The_Phoenix]

Oh how exciting! My experience with M&P embeds is that they hold up just fine. But I don’t use the CPOP method to gel.

Those will make such lovely favors.

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

You can use melt and pour to glue them on or mix up a small amount of CP and pour it on top and the stick on the embeds after gel. I've done it both ways.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I just cut them. Success! I watched them carefully and although they appeared to gel, they didn’t get too hot. I’m not thrilled with the swirl inside, but the top worked out as planned. Thanks to everyone for your advice.

 

[KimW]

WOW Those are absolutely STELLAR. Just - wow. So gorgeous, @Jersey Girl !!

Your daughter, and her guests, will be blown away!!

 

[Jersey Girl]

WOW Those are absolutely STELLAR. Just - wow. So gorgeous, @Jersey Girl !!

Your daughter, and her guests, will be blown away!!

View attachment 54587

Thank you so much! I just sent her the pic and she loves them.

 

[KimW]

P.S. How did you decide to handle the gelling of the soap?

 

[Jersey Girl]

P.S. How did you decide to handle the gelling of the soap?

I put them on the heating pad as I usually do, but I didn’t let them get to the temperature I usually do. When they started feeling quite warm I turned it off and kept checking them. The embeds never got hot but the soap appears to have gelled. I cut it after 10 hours and it was plenty firm.

 

[AliOop]

Oh my gosh, those are just beautiful! I know nothing about M&P embeds but was going to suggest gelling it on a heating pad instead of the oven. But you already figured it out - yay, you!

 

[KimW]

I put them on the heating pad as I usually do, but I didn’t let them get to the temperature I usually do. When they started feeling quite warm I turned it off and kept checking them. The embeds never got hot but the soap appears to have gelled. I cut it after 10 hours and it was plenty firm.

Yes! Oh, I tell you, I can't stop looking at this soap. Thank you for sharing with us!