Can you add shea butter to melt and pour soap
David Craig
Updated on April 01, 2026
Butters like shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter and kokum butter (all of which are available at our store) have moisturising and nourishing qualities. They make soaps more luxurious, though we recommend not adding more than a teaspoon of butter per pound of melt & pour soap.
Can I add shea butter to melt and pour soap base?
DO NOT add butters or oils to melt and pour soap. They compromise lather, cause separation, and prevent the soap from fully hardening. Instead, choose a soap base that is formulated with butters/oils like Crafter’s Choice Shea Butter Soap Base or bases with Essential Oils.
How do you mix shea butter in melt and pour soap?
- Cut the shea butter soap base into small chunks and place them into a double boiler.
- Melt over medium heat stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
- Once it is completely melted; remove from heat.
- Add in dried lavender, honey, and lavender essential oil. …
- Pour into a soap mold.
How do you add shea butter to melt and pour?
The rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon per pound of melt and pour. Since the soap making process has already been completed, adding in any oils or butters are an additive. Avoid adding things like fruit and vegetable purée and flowers that are not dry.What additives can you add to melt and pour soap?
Some Herbs that work well in Melt & Pour Soap are: Alkanet Root Powder, Anatto Seeds, Beet Root Powder, Calendula Petals, Carrot Root Powder, Oat Straw Powder, Sandalwood Powder, Sea Vegetables. Clay can lend extra cleansing ability, exfoliation, and color to your Melt & Pour Soaps.
What can go wrong with melt and pour soap?
Soap was not spritzed with rubbing alcohol. … Soap base was not stirred gently enough while melting. Soap was poured into mold from a high distance. Ingredients were not mixed gently enough.
What oils can I add to melt and pour soap?
Vegetable butters and vegetable oils can be added during the heating of the melt and pour soap base. Adding additional oil or butter will add greater moisturizing and nutritive properties to your final bars. A good rule of thumb is to use approximately 1-2 tbs. per pound of soap base.
How much fragrance oil do I add to melt and pour soap?
Usage rates play a big role in scent retention. For a strong scent, you can add 0.7 ounces of fragrance or essential oil per pound of cold process soap. For melt and pour, you can add 0.3 ounces per pound.Can you mix melt and pour soap bases?
CAN YOU MIX MELT AND POUR SOAP BASES? Yes, different Melt and Pour soap bases may be mixed together.
What can I add to shea butter soap base?- Essential oil.
- Fragrance oil.
- Botanical extracts.
- Soap colorants.
- Exfoliates.
- Extra oils and butters (be careful when adding extra oils and butters, because adding too much will affect the lather and texture.)
Does shea butter make soap harder?
In soap, Shea Butter does not contribute to lather or hardness (so it’s basically a super luxe additive), and the recommended usage rate is typically 10% or less. However, you can use up to 100% Shea Butter in balms and salves.
Can you use shea butter as a soap base?
Shea butter is a great ingredient for soap makers to use. It can be added to both melt and pour soap as well as cold process soap.
Does shea butter have Saponify?
Professional Quality – Our bases lather exceptionally well and feel great on your skin! All our products are detergent-free and fully saponified, making them ideal for safe soap making.
What is the shelf life of melt and pour soap?
Melt and Pour Soap Bases is 1-2 years. If you do not plan to immediately use your Melt and Pour Soap Bases after purchase, we encourage you to store them in an air-tight plastic storage container. This will ensure that your soap doesn’t dry out prematurely.
How do you make melt and pour soap lather more?
Increase Lather with Sugar One of the most common tricks you will find to increase lather is to add sugar, or red wine that is high in sugar. This does work if the sugar is added in small amounts such as one teaspoon per pound of soap.
How do you make melt and pour soap more moisturizing?
To make melt and pour soap more moisturizing, you can start with one of the bases that already has moisturizing properties, such as goat’s milk. And you can add some extra shea butter or moisturizing oils to further increase the nourishing properties of your soap.
Can I add honey to melt and pour soap base?
I recommend 1/2 teaspoon per pound when adding honey to melt and pour soap base. Too much honey in melt and pour will cause the soap to become soft, increase glycerin dew, or the honey may separate from the base. The Honey Melt and Pour Soap Base is an easy way to incorporate honey into your melt and pour projects.
Is melt and pour soap considered handmade?
Melt and pour soap is a handmade product that you can sell! A crafter can create great products and research the best base to use for their bars of soap. Be sure to research and label the ingredients in your base to satisfy the FDA or Fair Packaging and Labeling act requirements.
What temperature do you add fragrance to melt and pour soap?
Allow the melted soap base to cool down to 138-140 degrees before adding fragrance oils. The use of a thermometer is essential, don’t try to guess the temperature. The amount of fragrance oil will vary from scent to scent.
How do you make perfume last longer in soap?
Starch powders such as cornstarch and arrowroot powder are also used as a fragrance fixative in cold process soap. These powders work the same way as clays by absorbing the scent and helping the scent last longer in soap. To use, mix your fragrance with the powder and then add to traced soap.
Can you add almond oil to melt and pour soap?
Can I add fixed oils and butters to melt and pour soap? Yes, you can add fixed oils or butters to the melt and pour base and many do.
Can I add milk to melt and pour soap?
Adding milk (or even milk powder) to melt and pour soap is like leaving a carton of milk on the counter. Eventually the milk will spoil. If you were to add raw eggs to your already baked cake, those eggs would go rancid very quickly.
Does melt and pour soap need preservative?
You never have to use preservatives in cold process or melt and pour projects. They have a pH level that doesn’t allow mold or bacteria growth. Liquid soap doesn’t need a preservative either, but you can add one to be extra careful or if you plan to sell it.
What percentage of fragrance oil should be in soap?
Fragrance oil in soap should generally be used at 5% – 6% if the fragrance has a high IFRA safety rate. One thing to look for is fragrance with a safety rate below 5%.
Can I add coconut oil to melt and pour soap?
You can add coconut oil to a melt and pour soap base. However, you may want to know how much coconut oil you can add to melt and pour soap. You can use up to 1 teaspoon of coconut oil per pound of soap in a melt and pour soap recipe. If you add more coconut oil than recommend, the bar of soap can get soft.
What is the most popular soap scent?
- Vanilla. This one should be no surprise. …
- Oatmeal Milk Honey. This is a great fragrance all on its own. …
- Lavender. The number one floral scent always. …
- Orange (Citrus must have) …
- Luv Spell. …
- Almond. …
- Sandalwood. …
- Patchouli.
Can you put essential oils in melt and pour soap?
For melt and pour, you can add . 25 ounces of essential oil per pound, or . 5 ounces of fragrance oil. This number will vary based on the scent selection.
How do you temper shea butter for soap?
- For harder butters like mango and cocoa, heat to 100° F for 45-60 minutes.
- For softer butters like shea, heat to 180° F for 45-60 minutes.
Is refined or unrefined shea butter better for soap making?
There is also less of an odor, which is why refined butter is the normal choice for the soap making and personal care industry. Unrefined Shea Butter – We also sell butter that is left unrefined.
Can I add shea butter to my black soap?
3. It’s moisturizing. Shea butter is a crucial ingredient in black soap. While shea can help relieve itchiness and soothe dry skin, cocoa and coconut oil add moisture.
How do you make shea butter soap without lye?
- Cut the shea butter soap base into approximately 1 inch chunks. …
- On low heat, warm the soap base gently until just melted.
- After the soap base is completely melted, pour in the chamomile and stir gently until thoroughly mixed. …
- Pour the melted soap base into the soap mold.