Very Newbie

[Yma]

Can i use store bought bar soap for my first melt and pour project?

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

You can purchase premade Melt & Pour base from most hobby stores, like Michaels or Hobby Lobby.
You can "mill" or grate and "melt" a store bought soap like Kirk's Castile and add scent or color to it, but that is not considered "melt & pour".

 

[Yma]

iv been reading on other sites that melting down commercial bar soaps wont work because they have too many additives that dont allow them to reset which i understand but am i safe to assum that i can use them to make cubes and swirls to ad in to my soap loaf? sorry if im not using the right terms/words :-D im VERY new to this as i havent made any soap as of yet but am going to attempt later today as soon as i get back from Hobby Lobby

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Commercial "soaps" are usually synthetic detergent bars and don't exactly melt like you would expect...which is why I suggested Kirk's Castile, which is basically an all Coconut based true soap...and I know it will melt down enough to add scent and remold as it was the first soap I ever "made" myself back in 2000
Try a true Melt & Pour base to start out...it's simple and made for exactly what you're trying to do. Then you can try "hand milling" an already made soap, like another soapers handmade soap, or a store bought like Kirk's Castile. Then...once you're truly hooked into soapmaking...you can try cold process from scratch

 

[melstan775]

Well said Shawnee! Commercial soaps are not comparable to handmade bars. They definitely don't act the same way though I did enjoy melting a Dove bar into body wash. However it was a failed experiment because it dried my skin out. Maybe it was because I use tap water. Maybe it was because dove doesn't melt well. Who knows. If you're interested in making soap, kirks is the way to go if you don't want to spend money on a melt and pour base.

 

[Yma]

Im hooked!

made my first loaf and it turned out really good-pats self on back- cranberry vanilla!:clap:

 

[Badger]

Do we get to see pictures? People on this forum love soap porn

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

made my first loaf and it turned out really good-pats self on back- cranberry vanilla!:clap:

Congratulations! :clap: