This post originally appeared in June of 2008.
The other day, I set out to make a great loaf of multi-layered soap. I carefully melted, scented, colored, and poured each layer. I gently textured the top as it hardened. I patiently waited until the next day so the soap would be fully set before I unmolded it.
And here’s what happened to my bars of soap:
The reason was that the soap I used for the yellow and green layers was remelted from another project and the soap I used for the pink and white layers was a freshly opened 1 lb. bar.
Let this be a lesson: Always use the same base for multi-layer pours to ensure better adhesion.
Not the type to give up (or waste three pounds of soap!), I came up with another idea.
First, I melted a pound of clear glycerin soap in my handy crock pot.
Then, I cut my split loaf into cubes.
Next, I scented the clear soap (with the same fragrance oil as the other soap).
I poured a small layer of clear into a silicone loaf pan, sprayed it with alcohol, took a handful of cubes, sprayed them with alcohol, and put them into the loaf pan, adding more clear soap over the top and spraying with more alcohol.
(The alcohol helps the solid soap adhere and it pops the air bubbles on the top of the melted soap.)
After that set, I repeated the process, first spraying the set layer with alcohol.
Here is my final loaf.
I cut it into large 4 oz. body bars and half-sized 2 oz. hand soap bars.
I agree. Using the same base for layering is a great tip. Your saved batch turned out great! Way to make “lemonade” out of the situation. I would have done the same thing (not a soap waster either).