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Introduction

I have been asked to talk about the difference between Cold Process (CP) and Melt and Pour Soap (MP).

Most members of the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild make their soap from scratch using the CP method. And many of these people feel strongly that MP Soap is not really handcrafted soap. They feel that including the Melt and Pour soapcrafters in the guild devalues the worth of the guild and the perceived value of their own product.  

In a way it's like the difference between a clay artisan and a crafter who works with Fimo (polymer clay).

The clay artisan starts with access to knowledge and information  about clay which extends back through time to the beginning of mankind.  She then molds earth's elemental clay into a form. Emphasis is placed on colorants and temperature for the firing process in the kiln. Talent in this medium represents years of work and study.

Meanwhile, the polymer clay crafter starts with pre-colored blocks of plasticized material manufactured in the lab.  They shape the clay and then simply bake it in an oven to get their final result.  Polymer clay  has only been around for a few decades, and much of what is made with it strikes the traditional clay artisan as "merely decorative" (to be kind) or "cheap and chintzy" (to be more explicit).

In a similar way, the CP soapmaker is participating in a craft which has been around for hundreds of years. She is diligent in formulating the exact blend of healing base oils for her recipe, and in devising the special blend of therapeutic essential oils and herbs which will transform bath time into into a cleansing ablution of both body and soul.

To the CP soapmaker, the MP soaper is merely tossing a pre-made block of chemically-stuffed junk into a pot, melting it down and then pouring it into a mold.  To add insult to injury,  the MP soaper calls the soap "handcrafted" and sells at the same crafts fair for more profit! Or at least, these is how many CP soapmakers perceive it.

Calling  a Truce

As a CP soapmaker in my own right, I fully understand the frustration and prejudice against MP soap.  But, as a supplier of bulk Melt and Pour soap base for nearly three years, and as a MP soapmaker, I feel strongly that the prejudicial feelings need challenging.

Compare the following:

From this table you may come to understand that MP soapcrafting is relatively new. Many MP soapmakers are just beginning to understand what amazing things they can accomplish with this very flexible casting and carving medium. While we may start by simply melting the soap, coloring it and casting it into a bar shape, through networking and a growing sense of community we are developing more unique -- and highly labor intensive -- products. (View some examples). As you view them, consider that the amount of hand labor involved in their manufacture argues in favor of calling the soap "hand crafted". Use your "back" button on your browser to return to this page.

So, What Is In It?

As part of the process of learning their craft, MP soapmakers are also learning more about their raw material -- the bulk pre-made soap -- and learning how to manipulate it to their specific uses. How to make it harder, clear, softer, more emollient, etc. This educational process has been difficult due to the secrecy by base manufacturers.  But it is really only a matter of time before MP soapmakers have a firmer understanding of the raw materials and learn how to manipulate it to meet their needs.  Also, as the consumer of MP soap base makes more demands on the manufacturer for changes in the formulation, more options will be available.

To understand MP soap base and how it is made, let's start by talking about Catherine Failor's very excellent book Transparent Soapmaking  which teaches you how to make clear soap.  Essentially, there are two key elements.  

First, a transparent soap is only about 60% - 50% soap.  The rest of it is a solvent.  In the case of Catherine's book, the soap is a CP soap base and the solvent is sugar water, castor oil, glycerin and grain alcohol.  Imagine for a minute that you had a cup of black coffee.  You would not be able to see through it.  But if you added an equal amount of clear water, that coffee would become more transparent.  In a similar way, by dissolving soap into a solvent, you increase the clarity of that soap.

Second, there are certain techniques to making transparent soap which involve the manufacturing process itself.  For example, CP soap which has been poured into the molds and covered with blankets will go through a "gel phase" where it looks translucent.  Making clear soap can involve adding the solvents at the "gel phase", as opposed to at any other time in the saponification process. Again, Catherine's book discusses this in detail.

Now that you understand the basics of how to make transparent soap the next question is how do larger manufacturer's make it on a large scale?  Catherine's soap relies to a large degree on grain alcohol to make it clear and remeltable. Grain alcohol is both expensive and hazardous to work with. While in theory, one could make a clear, remeltable soap using glycerin and sugar water only, the resulting soap would be of very low quality. It would be sticky, sweet-tasting, poor lathering and it would "sweat" quite a bit.

Manufacturers have therefore developed Melt and Pour soap bases which substitute the grain alcohol with various other options. A very common substitute is Propylene Glycol. Propylene Glycol is a petrochemical which is commonly found in candy coloring, shampoos and many commercial bath and body care products. However, there are many other chemicals which may be used to make the soap clear and remeltable. For example, Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) is popular for producing soaps of extreme clarity.

Some manufacturers tinker with the basic recipe further by introducing any of the many common chemicals used in commercial soapmaking such as EDTA, TEA, etc. Some of these chemicals are detergents, which substitute for the soap portion of the formulation, some are preservatives.  You will need to ask your supplier for the specific formulation of the soap base which you purchase.  From that information, you can determine if the soap base is something that you want to work with or not.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for manufacturers to mislead their customers about what, exactly, is in the product. This is because they are working from a proprietary formulation that they don't want to share and, since the product is "soap" and not covered by the FDA cosmetic labeling laws, they don't have to.  

I don't want to get into what is or is not natural, but it is my personal "windmill" to help consumers of Melt and Pour soap understand what is in their product, if that information is important to them.

A good soap base will:  have no odor, be relatively clear, not be sticky, and have a good, mild and cleansing lather.

The soap base which Acorn Soap N Candle Supply sells is among the most "natural" or "soap based" MP soap available. The specific ingredients list is:

Saponified vegetable oils, vegetable glycerin, purified water, sorbital (a natural humectant derived from fruits and berries), aloe vera and propylene glycol.  

It is a pure soap product, without any harsh detergents.  As a result, it has a slightly amber hue, but it is a wonderfully lathering and emollient soap for which we have received numerous accolades and compliments.

If you are purchasing your bulk soap from a supplier who states that their soap contains no chemicals, you need to question them much more closely.  It is common for manufacturers to mislead their customers The three questions you should ask are:

1) What is your ingredients list. (Don't tell me what's NOT in it, tell me what IS in it).

2) What in your ingredients is there to make the soap clear.

3) What in your ingredients is there to make the soap remeltable.

If your supplier states that the ingredients list is essentially: saponified vegetable oils, glycerin and water and that there are no additives, then they are either not well-informed or they are deliberately misleading you.  Any soapmaker of experience will tell you that these ingredients in and of themselves will not result in either a clear or easily remeltable soap product of any quality.

Final Thoughts

I strongly believe that within the next year, the craft of MP soapmaking could see many changes --    if we work together.

If you are a CP soapmaker, I encourage you to give us MP folks time to develop our craft, or even to join us in the adventure.  If you are a MP soapmaker, I encourage you to continually try new ideas and to develop new methods of manufacture. Don't just copy what the other people do, but always strive to come up with your own unique creations.  Finally, if you are a manufacturer or seller of soap base, I encourage you to be more responsive and honest with your customers and to recognize that the more information they have about their raw materials, the more creative they will be in improving on and developing their ideas.

By working together, we will erase any remaining doubts as to whether or not MP soap is a highly handcrafted and deliciously wonderful soap product.

Copyright, 1998, Kaila Westerman