ZENISOAPBASE Melt & Pour, No Sweat, White, 10 kg

White soap base for making melt-and-pour soaps: the ready base is melted, coloured, scented and poured into a mould. Soap made from it can be used as soon as it sets, with no lye handling and no weeks of curing. The 10 kg pack is intended for workshops and makers who pour soaps in larger batches or on a regular basis.

The base is sweat-free. In a warm or humid environment, far fewer moisture droplets form on the surface of the finished soap than with ordinary glycerine bases, which you will appreciate when storing finished soaps, at markets and when selling them unwrapped.

What it is suited for

• Soaps poured into moulds – single-colour as well as multi-layer bars, soaps with embedded objects, toys or dried flowers.
• White layers and contrasts – the opaque white stands out next to transparent base and, once colour is added, gives pastel shades.
• Soaps with additives – powdered goat milk, clays, poppy seeds, coffee grounds, oat flakes or exfoliating particles.
• Creative workshops and courses – quick processing without lye makes it possible to work with children and beginners too.
• Gift and promotional soaps – the low tendency to sweat allows soaps to be displayed longer and wrapped in transparent film.

What the base contains and how it behaves

The base consists of sodium salts of fatty acids, i.e. the soap itself, supplemented with glycerín, sorbitol, sugar and propylene glycol. These humectant ingredients give the base smoothness and shine. The opaque white shade is provided by titanium dioxide. Lathering is boosted by added surfactants, so the soap foams quickly and richly.

The base is supplied as a solid block that is cut into cubes with a knife. Once melted it is liquid and can be coloured, scented and poured. The sweat-free treatment does not mean the soap will not take up moisture at all. If left unwrapped in the bathroom for a longer time, the surface of this base can become slightly damp too.

Processing procedure

Cut the block into cubes of roughly the same size so they melt evenly. It is melted in a water bath or in a microwave in short intervals, stirring the base between them. The base must not be boiled or overheated. Overheated base thickens and loses its smooth surface.

Colourants, fragrance oils, essential oils and additives are added only once the base is melted, just before pouring, stirring gently without whipping. Rapid stirring forces air into the base and the soap is then full of bubbles. After pouring into the mould, the surface is lightly sprayed with alcohol, which breaks up the bubbles. With multi-layer soaps, each layer is left to set before the next is poured and sprayed with alcohol so the layers bond together.

The soap is easiest to remove from the mould once it has cooled completely. With silicone moulds it is enough to gently flex the wall; hard plastic moulds are helped by a short spell in the freezer.

Good to know

• Additives and settling – heavier particles (seeds, coffee grains) sink to the bottom in the liquid base. It helps to let the base cool for a while before pouring, until it thickens slightly.
• Wet ingredients – fresh herbs, fruit or larger amounts of liquids shorten the soap's shelf life and can soften it. Dried and powdered additives are more suitable.
• Colouring – with pigments and liquid colourants the white base gives pastel shades. For vivid colours expect a higher dosage than in transparent base.
• Repeated melting – leftovers and failed bars can be remelted, but every further heating degrades the base. Melt it as few times as possible.
• Wrapping finished soaps – even with a sweat-free base it is recommended to wrap finished bars in film once set, especially before longer storage or selling in a warm space.

Frequently asked questions