Homemade soaps are often free of harsh chemicals, and this allows makers to develop hypoallergenic bars with improved moisture retention. These soaps can also be customized with scents, colors, and additives so that they create a visually interesting bar. Versatility in composition and design makes homemade soaps good gifts for family and friends. Here are some of the top soap making supplies from Bulk Apothecary for gift soaps:
Soap Bases
Soaps are typically made through two processes, either hot or cold. Both types are made from oils, such as olive or coconut, lye, and distilled water. These soaps can take several weeks to cure and harden, so gifts must be planned in advance. Lye is toxic and requires dedicated safety equipment when making soap using these methods. To avoid long wait times and safety risks, many soap makers use melt-and-pour bases. These have already cured, and the lye is neutralized, making it safe to handle. Melt and pour soaps can be melted down, mixed with additives, and poured into a mold to reharden. They are available in various types, enabling you to match bars with a gift recipient’s preferences; options include:
- Goat milk: Natural fats in goat milk help moisturize and soften the skin.
- Shea butter: This provides deep hydration, helping heal dry and cracked skin.
- Oatmeal: This acts as a gentle exfoliant, removing dead skin.
- Aloe vera: Aloe contains vitamins and minerals that support skin healing.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is suitable for various skin types, as it does not strip the skin of its natural oils.
Colors and Scents
Adding colors and scents to a melt and pour base is an easy way to customize your gift soaps. All-natural mica colors let you control a color’s shade, tint, or tone; this helps you make soap that matches a gift recipient’s favorite color or party theme. Soaps dyed with mica are also less likely to migrate in soap. This enables you to create layered bars that showcase multiple colors. Soaps can also be dyed with colored soap bars. These are available in clear and opaque options, and they easily melt and stir into a soap base.
Soaps can be scented with essential oils or fragrance oils. Essential oils are plant extracts that often offer therapeutic benefits, while fragrance oils are lab-created scents. Our fragrance oils are designed specifically for our melt and pour bases, so they provide long-lasting scent retention. Soap makers can choose from fruity and floral scents to baked desserts and seasonal fragrances.
Soap Molds
After your additives have been mixed into a melt-and-pour base, the soap should be poured into a mold to harden. These key soap making supplies are available in plastic and silicone shapes, allowing for further customization. Loaf molds enable you to make many bars quickly; after the soap hardens, loaves can be cut to create multiple gifts. Although many plastic molds produce only a single bar, they have impressed images. Molds with goats, lavender stalks, or bees indicate a soap’s ingredients. Or use molds featuring seasonal images, such as snowflakes or pumpkins, to add a festive touch to holiday gifts.
Find Soap Making Supplies
Making your own soap lets you create personalized gifts that reflect a recipient’s favorite colors, scents, or skin sensitivities. Dried botanicals or seeds are also able to be mixed into soap bases to provide additional color or exfoliation properties. Bulk Apothecary offers a range of high-quality ingredients and tools, so you can create a variety of products. Contact us today to learn more about soap making supplies.
