Hardening Melt and Pour Soap

by Sam
(Trinidad & Tobago)

I make only melt and pour soaps. What can I use to make the soap harder?


Answer:
You can add a small amount of beeswax or stearic acid (up to 1 tbsp per pound of soap) to your melt and pour soap base but it will reduce the lathering properties of the soap.

I've heard as well that you can leave the soap out in a dry location with a fan on it for a few days before wrapping it up. This is said to help evaporate some of the excess water which will firm up the soap a little bit.

Cathy

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starstarstarstarstar 		Hardening melt and pour while increasing lather!!
by: Lux

I found that adding about 2 tbsp salt to 2 pounds of melt and pour hardens it, increases the lather, and quadruples it's life span! Of course, once you add the salt, you must pour immediately, as it will start to set up almost immediately. Throw in the freezer for 20 minutes and slice when still warm. Do not let it set up, or it will crumble while you try to cut it! Hope this helps! Himalayan pink salt I love using, but regular salt will work just fine too.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Beeswax - No lather
by: Christi

I love the comments here. I have to say I tried a recipe with M&P and added 1/2 Tbsp of beeswax and it came out with lots of lather. Could be the combination I used. Soap Queen said it had softened her M&P but then she tried a recipe someone else posted, she said it hardened but didn't lather. I had harder soap and lather so it must all be in the ingredients I suppose. Thank you for the tip though!!
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starstarstarstarstar 		Hardening melt and pour
by: Karen

When I use my double boiler, sometimes the steam will skip out the edges and if the lid isn't tight, it seeps into the melting pot. You can add a little cocoa butter and stearic acid to harden the bars. I would not put the soap in the freezer ever because it makes it gummy. Even with simple m&p, it is all about the chemistry of the components. It's not always about simple, it's about smarter.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Make m&p soap harder
by: Walbrook

I heard for m&p after base melts in double boiler to simmer it for 20 minutes longer to take the water out of it
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starstarstarstarstar 		try this...
by: peepla

Freezing melt and pour will draw more wwater into the bars. Glycerine loves water and freezing causes a sweaty bar...contributing to soft. I add a little olive oiil or grapeseed oil and distilled water...just as those harden cold process it workds on melt and pour too...give it extra time out of the mold and after cutting. Hope this helps.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Great suggestions
by: Anonymous

I normally pour the M&P direct into soaps dishes and aftera slight hardening I put them into the deep freeze for two or three days before using. I normally use bees wax. I will try the stearic acid. Thanks for the suggestions. I love the site you all made for me. This is too sweet. I will advertize my web site on the local newspapers in my country to have folks here order from you. I hope I get at least one sale next year.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Hardening M&P Soap
by: Heavenly Scent Soaps

Hello:

I agree with Cathy's suggestion. My husband and I make Melt & Pour soap as well as Cold Process soap.

We make our Melt & Pour in large loaf molds. I let the un-cut loaf sit out for 24 hours before slicing it into bars. Once sliced, I allow the individual bars to sit on the curing rack for 24 to 48 hours before wrapping them. In the summer, I run a de-humidifier for several hours per day in my curing room and that helps to harden the M&P soaps a little, too.

I also use the SFIC cocoa-butter base which tends to be a little harder than some of the other M&P bases.

Good luck with your soaping ventures! Hope this helps a little...

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