In My Soap Pot

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Jackie — Leave a comment

Nacho Ordinary Soap

Difficulty: Beginners
Time: 1 hr
Yields: 9 little soaps

Desert, cactus, flamingo and mojitos seem to be everywhere at the moment. It’s been the theme in fashion, home decorations, and I even have nail wraps in this desert-theme. When I came across the little cactus and flamingo candles at Kmart, and found the matching cactus ice cube mold, I knew I wanted to make a soap to this theme! The only problem I had was finding the right name for it, so I held a little naming competition on Facebook for it and you guys had no problems coming up with some very creative and great names! It was really hard to choose just one. Here are some other of my favourites: Desert Dream, Don’t Desert Me Now, Desert Mojito, Prickly Clean. But the one that stood out from all the rest and I loved the most is “Nacho Ordinary Soap“! Thanks Kathryn Gage for coming up with this clever moniker!

To make these you’ll need little cactus ice cube molds. I bought these from Kmart the other day for $2 each. As you can see, they also have some other cute molds, like the pineapple and unicorns!

The other material you need is clear and white melt and pour base, non bleeding yellow soap dye, green fruit mica and mint mojito fragrance, as well as a cube cavity soap mold. You can get all these from Pure Nature. I used the low sweat white melt and pour soap base and the crystal clear melt and pour soap base for this project.

ONE: Cut the clear melt and pour soap base into small cubes and add them to a heat proof Pyrex jug. Heat on high in the microwave in 10 second bursts until the soap has melted.

You’ll have to eyeball the amounts. If you end up with a little left over, pour it into a separate container and you can use it for another project. The good thing about melt and pour soap bases is that you can re-melt it again.

TWO: Add about 1/2 a teaspoon of green fruit mica and stir well until it has completely dispersed into the soap and there are no more clumps of mica on the surface. If you struggle mixing it in, spray a little alcohol on the surface and that will help with dispersing.

The reason we’re using clear melt and pour soap base here is so that the colour of the soap becomes a rich deep green. White melt and pour soap base will only give you pastel colours due to the white base colour!

THREE: Once. you’ve mixed in the colour, pour the soap into the cavities of the cactus mold and spray them with alcohol to get rid of any bubbles on the surface.

FOUR: While you’re waiting for the cacti to set, cut up the white soap base and melt it the same way in the microwave. Again, you’re going to have to eyeball the amount of soap you need.

FIVE: Add a few drops of yellow soap dye. Make sure it is non-bleeding, because you don’t want it to bleed into clear soap. Start with a couple of drops first and keep adding 1-2 drops at a time until you’ve reached the colour you want. Remember, you can always add more colour but you can’t take it out again!

SIX: Next, add your fragrance. The usage rate is about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per cup of melted soap base. If you add too much, you will end up with fragrance on the surface of the soap after setting. If that does happen, you can just wipe it away with a paper towel. I had about 2 cups of soap base, so I added about 2 teaspoons. Stir well to mix it into the soap.

I didn’t add any fragrance to the cactus embeds and won’t be adding any fragrance to the clear layer of soap either, because the amounts of soap are only small and the yellow soap will easily mask it with its fragrance, so you won’t notice that they don’t actually have any scent!

SEVEN: Once you’ve added the colour and fragrance, pour the soap into the cube mold, filling each cavity to about 1 centimetre. Immediately spray with alcohol after pouring to remove any unsightly bubbles. Let the soap set before continuing.

For the next part, the yellow soap needs to have set so that when you pour the hot clear soap on top, it doesn’t break through the surface of the yellow soap. If you have left it to cool down completely, spray the surface with a little alcohol again, to make sure that the clear layer will adhere to it. Also remove the cactus embeds to have them ready.

EIGHT: Melt a little clear melt and pour base. I used the crystal clear melt and pour soap base for this to avoid any cloudiness in this layer. Also avoid adding fragrance, because that can make your soap cloudy as well.

NINE: Pour a small amount on top of the yellow soap, no more than half a centimetre, and immediately press a cactus into the middle of the soap and spray the whole surface with alcohol. Repeat for each soap.

TEN: Let the soaps harden and cool down completely before removing them carefully from the mold. I left mine overnight before unmolding.

Make sure you wrap the soaps in cling foil to avoid condensation forming on the surface. Melt and pour soaps contain a lot of glycerin, which attracts moisture and hence, the ‘sweating’ effect on these kinds of soap.

As you can see in the picture, I made two different styles of soap. One has the embed sticking out and in the other, the clear layer covers the whole embed. I wasn’t sure which I would like better so I did both. But after setting, I decided I like the one where the cactus pops out more!

Nacho ordinary soap

Time: 1 hr
Difficulty: Beginners
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Ingredients

white melt and pour base
clear melt and pour soap base
yellow non-bleeding soap dye
green fruit mica
mint mojito fragrance from Candlescience
cactus ice cubes mold
square cavity mold
99% isopropyl alcohol

Directions

PART 1

Cut the clear melt and pour soap base into small cubes and place in a heat proof Pyrex jug.
Heat the soap base in the microwave on high in 10 second bursts until melted.
Add about 1/2 teaspoon of green mica and stir until dispersed.
Pour the soap into the cavities of the cactus mold and spray with alcohol.
Leave to cool down and set completely.

PART 2

Cut the white melt and pour soap base into small cubes and place in a heat proof Pyrex jug.
Heat the soap base in the microwave on high in 10-20 second bursts until melted.
Add a few drops of yellow soap dye and stir. Add more dye, a couple of drops at a time until you’ve reached the desired colour.
Add the mint mojito fragrance at 1/2 teaspoon per cup of melted soap, and stir well.
Pour into the cavities of the cube mold to a height of about 1 centimetre.
Spray with alcohol and let set.

PART 3

Once the cactus have set, remove them from the mold.
Cut a little clear melt and pour soap base into small cubes and place in a heat proof Pyrex jug.
Heat the soap base in the microwave in 10 second bursts until melted.
Pour a little of the clear soap base over the top of the yellow soap in the cube mold. You only want to pour to a maximum of half a centimetre.
Spray the surface with alcohol and press a little cactus into the middle of the mold.
Spray again with alcohol and leave the soaps to set completely before removing from the mold.

Remember to wrap the soaps in cling foil to avoid condensation forming on the surface.

Posted on March 28, 2018April 4, 2018 by Jackie — Leave a comment

Easter treats MP soap

Difficulty: Beginners
Time: 30 mins

I was asked by my sister if we could bring something else than chocolate to our family Easter brunch, because her two young children, my one year old nephew and three year old niece, get so much during Easter, and they can’t (or shouldn’t) eat it all. And I get it. The kids are so little and everyone just wants to get them something, and at Easter, what else is there but chocolate easter bunnies and eggs? So I decided to come up with some alternative treats that kids will love, and here’s the first one: cute little Easter melt and pour soaps!

To make these you’ll need an Easter themed mold. You can get these from the local craft shop, homeware stores, or somewhere like The Warehouse or K-mart, and are sold either as chocolate molds or ice cube molds. I got mine from The Warehouse a few years back, thinking they might come in handy one day, and they sure did today!

The other material you need is a melt and pour base, soap dye or food colouring, and a fragrance or essential oil. I’m using the low-sweat melt and pour base, which doesn’t attract moisture to its surface like most melt and pour soap bases, particularly here in New Zealand, where it can get quite muggy and humid at times.

ONE: Cut the white melt and pour soap base into small cubes and add them to a heat proof Pyrex jug. Heat on high in the microwave in 10 second bursts until the soap has melted.

TWO: Add one or two drops of soap dye or food colouring and stir. You can add more colour, one drop at a time, until the soap has reached the desired shade of the colour. I’m using the soap dye from Pure Nature here, which comes in five different colours (yellow, orange, red, blue and green), which have been especially prepared for melt and pour soap. Because my mold has different shapes, I do one colour per shape at a time: yellow for the ducks, blue for the rabbits, and green and pink for the eggs.

Remember that when you colour white melt and pour soap, the colours will always be pastels, because of the white base. If you want full, bright coloured soap, you’ll have to use clear melt and pour.

THREE: After you’ve reached the desired colour, add your fragrance or essential oil and stir well. I’m using sparkling pomelo from Candlescience fragrances, which is a fresh, fruity citrus-like skin-safe fragrance, and I thought would appeal to the kids (and adults!). The rule of thumb is about 1/8 teaspoon (or roughly 10-15 drops) of fragrance per 1/2 cup of melt and pour soap.

Make sure the fragrance you are using is safe to use on skin, and if you are not sure, check with the supplier. This is particularly important if you are planning on using candle fragrances.

FOUR: Pour the soap into the cavities of the mold and spritz the surface with alcohol to get rid of any pesky little bubbles that might appear.

Another interesting advantage of the low-sweat melt and pour base I found is that it produces hardly any bubbles on the surface.

FIVE: Let the soap cool down and harden completely before unmolding. And if you are doing several colours like me, make sure you check the last colour you poured, unless you want to end up with the same mess I did. Oops!

If you have used the low-sweat melt and pour soap base, you have the advantage of being able to leave the soaps unwrapped. Otherwise, you’ll have to wrap the soaps in cling foil or put them into little cello bags to prevent ‘sweating’ – moisture condensing on the soap.

You can add these little treats to your Easter baskets, put them in little cello bags or use them as little decorations. I’ve added a few of the soaps into little plastic egg shells with a bit of coloured shredded paper. Do you think the kids will like it?

Easter treats MP soap

Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: Beginners
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Ingredients

white melt and pour base (I prefer low-sweat for this project)
soap dye or food colouring
fragrance or essential oil
Easter themed mold
99% isopropyl alcohol

Directions

Cut the white melt and pour soap base into small cubes and place in a heat proof Pyrex jug.
Heat the soap base in the microwave on high in 10 second bursts until melted.
Add a drop or two of soap dye or food colouring and stir. Add a drop more at a time until you have reached the desired colour.
For each 1/2 cup of soap, add about 1/8 teaspoon (10-15 drops) of fragrance or essential oil, and stir well.
Carefully pour the soap into the cavities of the soap mold, and spray with alcohol to get rid of all the bubbles.
Leave to cool down and harden completely before unmolding. If you are using low-sweat melt and pour soap, you can leave them unwrapped, otherwise wrap them in cling foil or put them in little cello bags.

Posted on March 16, 2018September 11, 2019 by Jackie — Leave a comment

Coconut and lime MP soap

Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: 2 hrs
Yields: 4 bars of soap

Let your senses take you on tropical vacation next time you shower. This soap is scented with the smooth fragrance of coconut paired with refreshing lime, the perfect combination for island dreams! The layered design of the soap is softened by the crinkle cutter, giving the soap a cool wavy look.

To make this soap you will need white and clear melt and pour soap base, a green and a blue mica, and the coconut lime fragrance from Candlescience. All the ingredients are available from Pure Nature. In addition, you will need the small square silicon soap mold or another square mold with approximately 500 ml volume, and a crinkle soap cutter.

ONE: Cut the white melt and pour soap base into small cubes and add to a heat proof Pyrex jug. Heat on high in the microwave in 20 second bursts, until the soap has melted. Try to avoid the soap from reaching boiling point!

TWO: Add 1/2 teaspoon of the coconut lime fragrance and stir well.

THREE: Pour approximately 1/3 of the white soap into the mold.

FOUR: Spritz the surface with 99% isopropyl alcohol. This is to disperse any bubbles, but also to prepare the surface, so that the next layer will adhere to it.

Let the soap cool down and solidify to the point where it will support the next layer, but has not yet completely hardened. Usually this is when the soap is still slight warm and when you gently press on it, it will leave a dent. The soap has to be hard enough so that the next layer will not push through the surface of the previous layer, and yet not too solid so that the two layers will fuse together.

FIVE: Next, cut half of the clear melt and pour soap base into cubes and place them into another heat proof Pyrex jug. Again melt in the microwave in 20 second bursts until melted.

SIX: Add about 1/4 teaspoon green mica and stir well. The mica I’m using here is Apple Green Mica from Pure Nature. You don’t need a lot of mica to colour clear soap base, but feel free to add a little more or less until you reach your desired colour.

SEVEN: Add 1/4 teaspoon of fragrance and give the soap another good stir, before carefully pouring it over the white layer. Spritz the soap with alcohol.

Again, wait for the green layer to harden sufficiently to hold the next layer, without it pushing through.

EIGHT: Re-melt the white soap in the microwave in 20 second bursts and then pour it over the green layer. Spritz with alcohol.

NINE: Cut and melt the remaining clear soap, add 1/4 teaspoon of blue mica and 1/4 teaspoon of fragrance and carefully pour it over the white layer. Again spritz with alcohol.

For the blue layer, I’m using Blue Lustre Mica from Pure Nature, which is one of my favourite blues!

Wait for the blue layer to harden before proceeding.

TEN: Re-melt the remaining white soap and pour it over the blue layer. Spritz with alcohol to get rid of any air bubbles.

ELEVEN: Leave the soap to cool down and harden completely before unmolding. Using a crinkle cutter, cut a thin slice of two of the sides, and then cut the soap into 4 bars. This way you will get 4 bars which are wavy on both sides!

Troubleshooting: Because it’s tricky to get the exact right moment of pouring the layers, they can sometimes separate when cutting. If this happens, you can melt some clear soap base, and brush a thin layer of soap onto each end before sticking them together. Once the ‘glue’ has completely cooled down, you can carefully tidy up the soap using a knife.

Because melt and pour soap bases contain a high amount of glycerin, they attract moisture and will ‘sweat’ if not wrapped. You can either place them into cellophane bags or wrap them into cling wrap to store them.

Coconut lime MP soap

Time: 2 hrs
Difficulty: Intermediate
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Ingredients

approx. 350 g white soap base
approx. 300 g clear soap base
green mica
blue mica
Coconut lime fragrance from Candlescience
small square silicon mold (500 ml)
99% isopropyl alcohol

Directions

Cut the white melt and pour soap base into small cubes and place in a heat proof Pyrex jug.
Heat the soap base in the microwave on high in 20 second bursts until melted.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of fragrance and stir well.
Pour about 1/3 of the soap into the mold and spray the surface with isopropyl alcohol. Wait until the white soap has hardened sufficiently to hold the next layer.
Cut half of the clear melt and our soap base into small cubes and place in another heat proof Pyrex jug.
Heat in the microwave on 20 second bursts or until melted.
Add approximately 1/4 teaspoon of apple green mica to the soap.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of fragrance and stir well.
Pour the green soap over the white layer, being careful as not to break through the surface of the white soap. Wait for the green layer to harden sufficiently to hold the next layer.
Re-melt the white soap in the microwave in 20 second bursts until melted.
Gently pour half of the remaining white soap over the green layer. Wait for the white layer to harden sufficiently to hold the next layer.
Cut and melt the remaining clear soap.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of magic blue mica and 1/4 teaspoon of fragrance and stir well.
Carefully pour the blue soap over the white layer. Wait for the blue layer to harden sufficiently to hold the next layer.
Re-melt the remaining white soap in the microwave and carefully pour it over the blue layer.
Leave the soap to cool down and solidify completely before unmolding. Then using a crinkle cutter, cut a thin slice of the edges before cutting the soap into 4 bars.
Store the soaps wrapped, either in clear cellophane bags or cling wrap.

Posted on March 2, 2018March 21, 2019 by Jackie — 2 Comments

Watermelon soap pops

Difficulty: Beginners
Time: 1 hr
Yields: depends on the mold

Remember the yummy popsicles our mum used to make when we were children? Deliciously refreshing and you’d have to warm them in your hands for a moment before you could pop them out of the plastic mold. These ice treats are making a comeback again, and unlike the boring round shapes we used to have, they come in all shapes and forms now, from little cute animals to sophisticated and elegant designs. And making popsicles isn’t just like adding your plain cordial and freezing them, it’s become quite the art form, with plenty of different (and healthy) recipes on the web. Check out this yummy Mango Chamomile popsicle recipe!

Inspired by the many creations on Pinterest and getting hold of this fun triangle shape mold, these Watermelon Pops are not only fun to look at, but they smell absolutely delicious! And they definitely need to come with a warning label: Not for eating!

For these soaps, you will use the crystal clear melt and pour soap base from SFIC, which gives the watermelon pops a very translucent appearance without any cloudiness you sometimes experience in clear melt and pour soap. You will also need white melt and pour soap base, Sweetheart Rose mica, Green Fruit mica, Watermelon fragrance from Candlescience, popsicle sticks and poppy seeds. You can get all, except for the poppy seeds and popsicle sticks, from Pure Nature. Popsicle sticks and poppy seeds you can buy from the supermarket.

About the molds: You can use any ice pop molds, but personally I prefer to use the silicon ones to the solid plastic ones, because they make it easier to unmold. You can buy ice pop molds at most homeware stores, and I’ve also seen them at The Warehouse, Farmers and some $2 shops. They’re fairly cheap. They come in different sizes and some make four and others more ice pops, so I didn’t give specific amounts of soap base to use. You’ll have to estimate how much you need for your molds.

ONE: Cut enough clear melt and pour soap base into cubes for your mold and add to a heat proof Pyrex jug. Heat on high in the microwave in 10-20 second bursts, until the soap has melted. Try to avoid the soap from reaching boiling point!

TWO: Add your mica and give it a good stir. I am using Sweetheart Rose mica from Pure Nature, which gave me the perfect shade of watermelon pink. I added only about 1/8 teaspoon for the half of cup of melted soap to get the colour I wanted. Add more or less to get your desired shade of pink.

THREE: Add your fragrance (rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon for each cup of melted soap) and sprinkle through some poppy seeds.

Note: additives, such as poppy seeds, in melt and pour soap bases will not mix evenly through the soap once it cools and usually congregate either on top or on the bottom, depending on its weight. This is due to the consistency of the melt and pour soap base. There are other more viscous soap bases, such as the crystal suspending soap base from Stephenson Personal Care, that are specially created to hold particles throughout the soap base.

FOUR: Pour the soap in your soap mold, and add a popsicle stick. To hold the popsicle stick in place I used a tie handle, which I tied around the stick.

Spritz the surface with isopropyl alcohol. This is to disperse any bubbles, but also to prepare the surface, so that the next layer will adhere to it.

Let the soap cool down and solidify to the point where it will support the next layer.

FIVE: Next, cut a little white melt and pour soap base, and melt it in the microwave for a about 10 seconds. You won’t need a lot, just enough for a thin line between the pink and green soap. To show you how little I needed for my four soaps, I used a small beaker to melt two cubes of white melt and pour soap base.

Make sure the soap is not too hot! The first time I did it, the white soap managed to break through the pink layer and you really want to avoid that. Once it’s relatively cool but still fluid, carefully pour a thin layer over the pink soap. If the tie handle is in the way, you should be able to remove it now.

Again, spritz the surface with alcohol and let it set before adding the next layer.

SIX: Next, cut some clear melt and pour soap and melt it in the microwave for only a very short time (10 seconds or so). Again you don’t need much, about twice as much as the white that you used previously.

SEVEN: Add a little bit of Green Fruit mica, enough to colour the soap green. And once the soap has cooled a little, so that it won’t melt the previous layer, carefully pour it over the white soap. Spritz with alcohol and let the soap set and cool down completely before unmolding.

Watermelon soap pops

Time: 1 hr
Difficulty: Beginners
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Ingredients

crystal clear melt and pour soap base
white melt and pour soap base
Sweetheart Rose mica
Green Fruit mica
Watermelon fragrance from Candlescience
popsicle mold
popsicle sticks
99% isopropyl alcohol

Directions

Cut the crystal clear melt and pour soap base into small cubes and melt in the microwave in 10-20 second bursts.
Mix in Sweetheart Rose mica until you get your desired shade of pink.
Add fragrance (1 teaspoon for each cup of soap) and poppy seeds and give it a good stir.
Pour into the popsicle mold, and place the popsicle sticks in the soap. Use tie handles to keep the sticks in place. Spritz with alcohol. Wait until the soap has set before continuing.
Cut and melt a little bit of the white melt and pour soap base, enough for a thin layer.
Pour it over the pink layer and spritz with alcohol.
Cut and melt some more crystal clear melt and pour soap base, approximately twice as much as the white soap you used in the previous step.
Add a little Green Fruit mica and stir to mix the colour into the soap.
Let the green soap cool a little before pouring it over the white layer. Spritz with alcohol.
Leave the soap to set and cool down completely before unmolding.
Store the soaps wrapped, either in clear cellophane bags or cling wrap.

Posted on February 11, 2018February 20, 2018 by Jackie — Leave a comment

Be mine! Valentine’s Day soaps

Difficulty: Beginners
Time: 1 hr
Yields: 10 soap hearts

Be Mine takes inspiration from the sugar candy hearts that used to be so popular in the 80s, especially around Valentine’s Day.

These pastel heart-shaped soaps are quick and easy to make with white melt and pour soap base and non-bleeding micas.

ONE: First, cut the white melt and pour soap base into small cubes. Add a couple of cubes, you don’t need much for the first part, to a small heat proof Pyrex jug and heat on high in the microwave in 10 second bursts, until the soap has melted. Try to avoid the soap from reaching boiling point!

TWO: When the soap has melted, pour it into a small beaker and stir in a little of the mica until you have reached the desired colour. You can use any colour, except for the yellow, which you need for the base colour. I’m using Juicy Pink mica and Magic Purple mica from Pure Nature here.

THREE: Next, pour a little of the soap into the words. Don’t worry if it spills over, we’ll clean it up later. The soap mold I’m using here is an old one from Milky Way molds, from way back when they were still a small company. As you can see, it has quite yellowed with age! Using this mold also made me realise how much I appreciate the silicon molds we use nowadays. Unmolding soap has become so easy now!

FOUR: Let the soap harden completely, and then using a spoon lightly scrape of the soap until the letters appear. Don’t put too much pressure when scraping, or you might take out some of the letters. If that happens, don’t worry, just push some soap back into the letter. Once you’ve scraped away most of the extra soap, use a little wet wipe to clean away the last little flecks of soap. Make sure all the cavities are clean!

FIVE: Now for the main soap. Cut up sufficient soap to fill all cavities. Place them into a heat proof Pyrex jug and melt in the microwave on high in 20 second bursts until the soap has melted.

SIX: Add yellow mica to the soap and stir. I achieved this pretty pastel yellow by using the Magic Yellow mica from Pure Nature.

Next, your fragrance. You’ll want to choose a candy-like scent for these candy hearts, like the sweet and fruity Mango and Tangerine fragrance from Candlescience that I’m using. I use about 1/2 teaspoon of fragrance for every cup of soap base.

SEVEN: Now before you pour, spritz the cavity and the letters with 99% isopropyl alcohol. Then pour the soap into the cavity, and spritz the surface again with the alcohol to get rid of the bubbles. Fill all the cavities the same way: spritz, pour, spritz.

EIGHT: Leave the soaps to cool down and harden completely before removing them from the mold. If you are using plastic molds like this one, it will be a little struggle to get them out. Try to gently pull the sides away from the soap to allow some air between the soap and mold, which helps to release the soaps. This is why I really, really appreciate the silicon molds!

Place the soaps into little cellophane bags or wrap them up in plastic cling wrap. Melt and pour soap will sweat (attract moisture) if left unwrapped.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Be Mine! Valentine's Day soaps

Time: 1 hr
Difficulty: beginners
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Ingredients

white melt and pour soap base
yellow mica
mica in contrasting colour(s), such as pink and purple
Mango and tangerine fragrance from Candlescience
99% isopropyl alcohol
candy hearts mold

Directions

Cut up the white melt and pour soap base into small cubes.
Place a couple of soap cubes in a heat proof pyrex jug and melt on a high setting in the microwave in short 10 second bursts. Don’t let the soap boil!
Pour the soap into a small beaker and stir in one of the contrasting mica colours until you reach your desired shade.
Pour the soap into the letters and don’t worry if it spills over. Let it cool and harden completely.
Using a teaspoon, lightly scrape away as much of the extra soap as you can, before using a wet wipe to clean away the rest. Make sure all the heart cavities are clean!
Cut up sufficient white soap base to fill all the cavities. Heat in the microwave in 20 second bursts or until the soap has completely melted.
Add and stir in yellow mica until you have a pretty yellow pastel shade.
Add the fragrance. I use about 1/2 teaspoon for 1 cup of soap base.
Spritz, pour, spritz. Before pouring, spritz the cavity and the letters with alcohol, pour, and then spritz the surface of the soap again to dissolve any bubbles.
Let the soap cool down and harden completely before unmolding.
Package the soaps into little cellophane bags or cling wrap.