Understanding the techniques and tools required for soap making helps you improve production processes for efficiency. Bulk Apothecary offers a variety of soap making supplies, such as raw ingredients, add-ins, and packaging materials. Here are some techniques and tools to use in your next batch:
Cold Process
Cold process production is a good technique if you are new to soap making. To create cold process soap, you will need soap making supplies like lye, oils, and water. Pure lye, or sodium hydroxide, is a cleaning agent that is the base for cold process soap. Bulk Apothecary offers lye beads, which must be mixed into water to create a liquid base. Combining the lye base with coconut, shea, or olive oil makes soap smooth and safe to use on the skin. Once the ingredients are mixed, pour the soap into molds and leave it for several weeks to cure.
Hot Process
The hot process method reduces the curing time your soaps need. The initial mixing phases are similar to cold process production, but the hot process mixture needs a warming pot to speed up saponification. Saponification is the chemical reaction that turns the oil and lye mixture into soap. Because the chemical reaction occurs quickly, hot process soaps cure for less time and are safe to use shortly after production. Bulk Apothecary carries fragrance oils that are safe for use in hot process soaps and can be added to your mixture after heating.
Melt and Pour
The melt and pour technique involves a pre-manufactured soap base made from glycerin and additives like shea butter, olive oil, aloe vera, and oatmeal. These pre-made bases allow you to create soaps for customers with sensitive skin and other preferences. Add-ins like colorants, fragrances, and decorations can be stirred in once the base is completely melted. The mixture can then be placed in molds and left to harden for several hours. We carry many varieties of melt and pour bases to help you find a soap product that matches your needs.
Tools and Design Techniques
Tools needed for hot process and melt and pour soap making include heating equipment, heat-resistant mixing containers, and thermometers. Molds and measuring cups are required for all soap making methods. Molds are available in various shapes, sizes, and designs, allowing you to customize your products. Measuring cups help you evenly distribute your soap to confirm each bar has a consistent size.
Some design techniques used in soap making include layering, swirling, and decorating. To create soaps with distinct layers of color, pour layers of soap with different colors. Select colorants like natural mica that do not migrate through the layers to prevent bleeding. Use swirl sticks or pour different colors into the molds in opposite directions for swirled designs. Adding decorations, such as sprinkles or flower petals, allows you to customize each product according to its ingredients and your brand identity.
Find High-Quality Soap Making Supplies
Bulk Apothecary offers a wide selection of soap making supplies and ingredients for small and large batches. We carry soap bases and raw ingredients for soap makers of all experience levels. You can also find stir-ins, fragrances, and colorants on our site to help you customize your soaps. Contact us today to learn more about our soap making products and place your next order.
