The soap base is a great way to get started with making your own soap. It’s easy, fun, and affordable, but what if you want to use it as an actual soap? Is it possible, and are there any risks involved if so?
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Soap base can be used as regular soap. The only difference between them and other types is that they lack aroma or fragrances; however, if you’re looking for something cleaner with no fragrance, this could very well do everything you need it to.
The most common question you see online is whether or not soap base can be used as actual soap. It’s understandable why this question comes up because the ingredients in our bases are very similar to those found in many store-bought soaps. There’s no reason why you couldn’t just go ahead and use them right of the package! However, there are some important things that you need to know before doing this.
What is considered a soap base?
Soap base is a cleaning agent obtained by mixing animal or plant oils and fats with potassium or sodium hydroxide.
Soap bases are the raw material for soap making that comes in the form of a block. All melt and pour bases are made from lye, water, oil, and glycerin. Do not get confused if they list sodium hydroxide as an ingredient. It is the lye in the soap. And glycerin is often listed as glycerol or glycerine.
Is a soap base melt and pour soap?
The ready-made soap base is considered melt and pour soap which is made from fatty acids, glycerin, and other natural ingredients. The base undergoes a “saponification” process, through which fats and alkali are mixed thoroughly and then allowed to cure for at least four weeks before use.
As opposed to a made-from-scratch cold process soap, you can use a melt and pour soap immediately. Just melt the base, add dyes and fragrance and pour it into molds. The base may contain skin-nourishing and hydrating ingredients such as argan oil, shea butter, or olive oil.
What is soap base for?
Soap base helps soap makers in producing high-quality, professional soap bars with convenience. You can mold a soap base into the most beautiful, fragrant, and nourishing soaps without the hassle of mixing the lye and curing the soap. Making soap with a soap base is also much faster than any other soap-making process.
Soap bases are equally popular among beginner crafters and experienced soap makers. They are a safer alternative to cold process soap as you don’t need to handle lye directly.
What is a soap base made of?
The primary ingredient of a melt-and-pour soap is its base. Coconut oil, palm oil, glycerin, safflower oil, water, and sodium hydroxide (lye) are the essential ingredients present in a soap base. Other ingredients such as shea butter, goat milk, or olive oil may be added to make the soap extra nourishing.
But most soap bases will not have anything special to them as they are supposed to be neutral in smell and shape. This means that soap bases will and should not have any fragrances added to them.
Can I use soap base as soap?
Technically, soap base is soap. So you can use a regular bar of boring old liquid detergent as your go-to for hand washing, and it will get the job done just fine. The only difference between them and other types is that they lack aromas like lavender or peppermint; however, this may not bother those who dislike sweet smells in general.
Can we use a soap base directly on the skin?
Well, since we already answered the previous question, you can use your soap base directly on your skin because it has already gone through the saponification process.
The soap base you get ready-made for making colorful, fragrant soaps is ready for use as it has no active lye present in it.
You can apply it on your skin immediately or as soon as it hardens because it has also undergone the curing time.
What can you do with soap base?
Making your soaps brings you on a safer side because you never know how many chemicals are present in commercial soaps. You can give your soaps as much variety as possible by adding natural oils, herbs, and foods that are beneficial for your skin. You can also dye your soaps as desired or add fragrance oils that have a soothing effect on your skin.
These DIY soaps made from soap bases are good for personal use, and you can earn by selling these soaps.
Nowadays, you can find three types of soap bases – hard, liquid, and soft.
- Hard – used to make classic hard soaps.
- Liquid – used in making shampoos, shower gels, and other body care products
- Soft – used in making cleansers and scrubs
Types of Soap Base:
There are several soap bases available in the market today from which you can choose depending on your personal preference. Mostly soap bases are white or clear. White soap base produces pastel hues, whereas clear soap base will produce vibrant colors.
Standard White Soap Base:
The plain white soap base is ideal for most beginner soap makers to start their soap-making business. A 2-lb package is very easy to handle and stock. The neutral odor will let your soap hold the fragrance oils for a longer period.
Some soap makers prefer adding extra moisturizing ingredients to their soaps. They should not exceed the quantity of any oil beyond one tablespoon per pound of soap because Excessive oil will reduce the lather.
White Low Sweat Soap Base:
Glycerin is added to the soap base as a natural humectant, and it helps keep the skin moisturized. The soaps that contain a greater amount of glycerin sweat quickly as they attract moisture from the air. Such soaps need to be stored very carefully. However, the low sweat soap does not sweat so quickly.
Castile Soap Base:
Castile soaps are made with everyone’s favorite extra virgin olive oil. They can be turned into nice and fragrant soap bars.
Clear Soap Bases:
If you want to make vibrant colored soaps, you will need a clear soap base. You can also display your artistic skills by adding aesthetic embeds or layers. You can make it opaque with the help of titanium oxide or other dyes.
Ultra Clear Soap Base:
The ultra-clear soap base is yet another excellent choice for soap making. It has a greasy texture due to its higher glycerin content. The finished product does not retain the slippery texture, but you should store it in a cool, dry place as it may absorb moisture.
Clear Low Sweat Soap Base:
Though it is not as sparkling as the ultra-clear soap base, it is great for soap making as it does not sweat. It has a lower glycerin content that prevents dew formation.
Moisturizing Soap Bases:
Moisturizing soap bases already contain skin-softening ingredients so that you don’t need to worry about adding additional oils and butter. They give adequate foaming and cleaning without making the skin excessively dry. You just need to make your fragrance oil, color, and botanicals if desired.
Shea Butter Soap Bases:
Shea butter has excellent skin-nourishing qualities. Shea butter is an effective soothing emollient that is why it is widely used in the personal care industry. It is a common ingredient in commercial and homemade soaps.
Goat’s Milk Soap Bases:
Goat’s Milk Melt and Pour Soap Bases are a perfect choice for soap makers who want to create lovely, moisturizing soaps. Goat milk contains essential vitamins and minerals that nourish the skin.
Olive Oil Soap Bases:
The olive oil soap bases are loaded with the extraordinary nourishing qualities of extra virgin olive oil. They are not greasy and are ideal for making friendly soaps.
Hemp Soap Base:
It comes with the goodness of unrefined hemp seed oil and extra virgin olive oil. The soap base is rich in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It also contains oleic acid to nourish the skin.
Re-batch Soap Base:
Rebatch Soap Base is also famous among soap makers and their customers because it produces a nice, rustic-looking soap bar. You can not microwave it as the temperature in the microwave can ruin it and turn it into a mushy mess. The final product is very close to the cold process soap in its characteristics.
The Final Verdict:
Melt and pour soaps are popular among people who want to make their soap for personal or business purposes. This is a standard shortcut for soap making as it saves you from handling lye and curing the soap.
You can cut a soap base into pieces of usable size and use them as soap. Or you can melt them and pour them into molds. You can also customize them with pleasant colors, sweet fragrances, and cute botanicals to make them more attractive.