Teach Soap

Okay, this is probably a dumb question but it's been troubling me. I've been exclusively using pre-made melt and pour soap bases for my projects - I'm trying to keep my soap as organic as possible. Several friends have informed me that melt and pour is not "real" soap and that I should be cold processing with lye to make my soap. Others have said that melt and pour is more natural since you don't use lye in making soap. UGH! I've tried (unsuccessfully) to find out how melt and pour is actually made so I could accurately compare the two processes. Does anyone have this info? What are everyones thoughts on the the two processes? Which would be considered more natural?

Also, I have noticed that most cold process recipes allow for a greater variety of additives (clay, oils, extracts). Does this mean that melt and pour doesn't perform well with extra additives?


Yikes! As I write this, my new puppy is chewing the computer mouse cable. Time to go search for a chew toy!

~dawna

_________________
Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace." - Milan Kundera

I would love to hear peoples responses and see the pros and cons of each. They both have many characteristics to recommend them I know, but I'm just beginning so my opinion isn't developed yet!

_________________

~bytheSEAsoap~ Mella bythesea, bythesea, bythebeautiful sea

海の皂

Firstly, I started a thread on here almost the same topic - and from that, and my experience with CP soap, I would say ignore what your "friends" say. M&P soap is soap - as simple as that. You can buy organic bases if you specifically want to stay organic.

I have used both my soaps (all M&P) and CP soaps and I personally (my skin) perfers glycerine soap - CP soap dries my skin out and it gives my hubby a rash. We both far prefer glycerine soap and a lot of my customers have told me they prefer to avoid anything with lye in it (or had lye in it).

You can add things to M&P - I include either butters or oils always, you can add clays and colours with mica etc. You can add calendula flowers but these are the pretty much the only naturals that don't discolour. However, they'll also discolour in other forms of soap. You can use either fragrance or essential oils too - same as CP.

Remember why you started out making soap ... people will so easily tell you whats "right" and whats "wrong" but you need to keep focus on why you wanted to start out in the first place. If you're happy to keep making M&P (and there are a lot of advantages to it) stay at it and keep your focus on your plan, not what others say. If you want to investigate CP, go ahead and do it. But don't do it cos others tell you it's more "right".

Finally, I believe to make a clear soap by the CP method is difficult and involves a lot of alcohol and isn't really recommended. I would say focus on what YOU want to do and go with it - don't let others sway you. Not everyone will love everything you do but lots will - you cannot please everyone all of the time.

_________________
|

Don't listen to those people. MP and CP is both soap. Both had lye mixed with oils in the beginning, but there is no lye left in either once it's saponified. I do both. If you have small children around or pets. MP is a good way to start.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Hi Honey - Sorry I missed your thread on the subject. Thank you for the reply - it was all good info. As I am fairly new at making soap, I lack the knowledge/experience (and confidence) to clearly verbalize the details of both processes. Trying to stay almost 100% organic adds an additional set of challenges! Thank God for this site and all the great people! I'm sure at some point my curiosity will get the best of me and I will venture into the world of CP, but for now I'm sticking with MP.

Soapbuddy, it is my understanding that the glycerin in MP is a bi-product of CP, correct? Nice to hear from you again!

dawna

_________________
Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace." - Milan Kundera

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

LOL- Soapbuddy- you always say the things I want to. You always beat me to it.

Anyway- they are both two different beasts as far as the process of making them or in the case of glycerin- handcrafting them.
They are both soap. I guess it's a matter of preference. I like and do them both. The soaps have different properties but my skin does well with either one.
I love how fragrant glycerin soaps can be. The fragrance usually sticks with you more than CP soap fragrance does. I love that about M/P.

For me, I use whatever I'm in the mood for.

Fragrance in MP tends to stay truer as it doesn't have to be exposed to lye.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Yeppers...or run the risk of overfragrancing and causing skin irritation. It's such a double edged sword with cp. I'll take a light fragrance over skin irritation any time though.

Ultimatley it's your choice what you choose to do - if you are interested in making CP, go for it. You may love it even more, you may not like it at all. I was interested but with hubs bad reactions to it and the use of caustic soda, I decided not to go with it. I look to people like Soapylove who have a big business based on glycerine soap and who has specifically chosen to stick with that medium.

I also love that glycerine soap takes on fragrances so well, is so kind to your skin, allows for some additional oils or butters, clays and, what I might love the most, takes on the use of mica sooooooooo well... you can get such amazing effects and colours using mica.

For me it's the best type, for others it's not... just like some love vanilla, some don't. You won't please all the people all of the time ... nothing is right and nothing is wrong and, ultimately, don't forget that it's only soap, not rocket science (or, as my hubs says, not brain surgery and you ain't gonna kill anyone with it one way or the other!!!).

_________________
|