I’m so excited to finally use some of these tinctures and infusions that I decided to show you how to use these in Melt and Pour soap. I have collected my supplies and I’m ready to start.
Supplies for Melt and Pour Soap
• Melt and Pour Soap
• Infusions that I just created with oil and dried herb
• Tinctures that I created with alcohol and dried herb
• Method of heating the Melt and Pour soap: microwave, tea kettle, etc.
• Microwavable container or pot for melting soap
• Stirring spoon or similar tool
• Containers and labels for finished product
I decided to make my soaps in the small 2.7 oz. rectangular clam-shells; this will be perfect to take to shipping so they can send out samples with the orders.
I started with smaller chunks of the Melt and Pour soap, roughly the size of a softball (not necessarily softball shaped) and placed in a large pot on the stove set at medium heat until all melted.
I added 1% infused oil into melted soap; I measured about 570 grams of soap and 6 grams of the infused oil. This allowed me to fill approximately 8 of the clamshell containers that I chose. Whatever container you choose to use you will need to do a little calculation to determine the amount of soap to infused oil to use.
Once the melt and pour soap was melted I weighed my soap and added the infused oil, then mixed well before pouring into the containers. Wow, that was easy!
I did notice that some of my soaps had a few bubbles on the top. This is the perfect time to use the tinctures! I sprayed the tincture directly on top of the soap and Voilà! the bubbles disappeared and I was able to use the tincture in my melt and pour soap!
I never thought of infusing melt and pour. great idea!
This sounds like a great project for my daughter, who is very interested in infusions and tinctures. Thanks for the wonderful idea.
Hi there! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your website! I’m very new to soap making and want to use many of my herbs from my garden. My question for you (since you seem to be the only person out there that knows how to make tinctures for your own products) is this; do you have to use optiphen in your products when using plant matter? Also, do you ever use dried flowers in your soaps and if so do you have any tips on the best way to place them? We made a loaf bar of M & P soap the other day and placed hibiscus flowers in the middle but they of course turned an ugly shade of black/brown one the next layer was poured on top due to the heat. I also had put some optiphen in that layer even though I used my dehydrator to dry the leaves because I didn’t want the bar to mold. Any advice would be appreciated as I’ve not found anyone who uses herbs in their soaps. Thanks! Dominique
Ouch! I’ve had these disappointments too. The key to using any herbaceous material in soap is to keep in mind the recycling triangle, with the sides labeled LIFE, DEATH, COMPOST. Any living herb is in the life phase, once picked it is in the death phase, when added to an incompatible mixture it is in the compost phase.
Never expect red herbs to remain red in an alkaline environment. Soap is always alkaline.
Never expect greens to remain green. Never expect blues to remain blue. Always expect ANY herb to turn black or brown with the exception of dried yellow flowers.
I don’t like using preservatives in tinctures or extracts so I choose to preserve in alcohol or the freezer. Go ahead and make the extracts, tinctures and infusions from your garden harvests; then hold over using methods that do not require chemical preservation. Use up quickly and make more extracts from dried materials.
Good luck!
Tina
Tonya, did the added infused oil affect the hardness of the soap or make any other negative effects to it? I am wanting to add some homemade calendula oil to melt and pour soap bases but have read that it can change the consistency of the finished product. Thank you for your informative website.
Audrey,
The soap can be very soft if extracts are added to a high amount. Usually we stop adding extracts at 2%. I think your calendula oil would be a lovely addition to the soap.
Tina
Thanks, Tina for your reply. I may try adding some calendula oil to my melt and pour soap base and see how it turns out.
I’ll bet it is beautiful!