Problems With Melt & Pour Soap

Written By
Lisanne Jensen
Lisanne Jensen
Published: Nov 15, 2009
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
1 minute read

Dirt and Debris

Remove any debris from melt-and-pour soap base by scooping it out with a spoon. Protect your soap base from dirt by storing it inside a container with a tight lid.

Color Changes

Old melt-and-pour soap base can sometimes take a yellow hue, but the soap quality remains. Use colorant (mica) to cover it. Fragrance oils containing vanilla will cause soap to turn brown, but vanilla and color stabilizers are available.

Dried, Crumbly Soap Base

High-quality glycerin soap shouldn't crumble, but over time it can dry out if not tightly sealed. Soap base containing too much lye can cause crumbly soap, so purchase supplies from a respected supplier.

Advertisement

Bonding Layers

To get two soap layers to adhere, spray rubbing alcohol on the first--hardened--layer before pouring the next. Rubbing alcohol bonds the layers.

Boosting Lather

If you want more bubbles from glycerin soap, add castor oil or tallow at no more than 3.5 percent.

Air Bubbles

To remove air bubbles from glycerin soap after pouring into molds, spritz the layer with rubbing alcohol. The bubbles will dissolve.

Resources

Photo Credits

Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Debbie

Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Debbie

Lisanne Jensen

Originally from Indiana but now based in upstate New York, Lisanne Jensen has written professionally since 1988. Her journalism career includes government and features reporting for several Indiana newspapers, book editing, and…

Sponsored
HomeSteady Logo

HomeSteady is the ultimate guide for all your household needs, from cleaning and HVAC to electrical, DIY and maintenance.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.