soap designs & formulations


return to
front page

all the soaps listed below were made, (or rather, reformulated), using the m&p (melt & pour) process. with m&p bases, the soap is already made. this "reformulation" process might be as simple as the addition of a scent and/or color, or could entail the inclusion in any combination of the myriad available additives, (read emollients, clays, exfoliants, herbs, flowers, etc.), to create a bar conforming to your specific needs. m&p bases allow for a great deal of creativity in formulation and design.
 
in addition to the designs shown below, i also wanted to explore the total process of creating soap(s) from scratch. i've chronicled those experiences on my "bar soap", "liquid soap", "cream soap", "transparent soap", and "whipped soap" pages.
 
(note: each design below includes only the specific details for making that particular bar. -- see "making m&p soap" for a complete overview of the m&p process. -- see "introduction to soapmaking" for an overview of [all] the soapmaking processes.)
 
a note on the m&p process
be advised that people who "make" m&p bars aren't really soapmakers. the soap "base" is already soap when purchased from the manufacturer. This can also be said of people who hand mill soap, if they purchase the soap curls for rebatching (as opposed to working with soap they've actually made).
People who make and buy homemade soap tend to do so because it doesn't contain all the chemicals of commercial soap. be advised that (depending on the manufacturer), m&p bases can be formulated with loads of chemicals in order to make them "re-meltable".

when planning the design of the m&p bar, keep the following points in mind:
it's best to have a design that goes through the entire bar as opposed to concentrating on just the surface design, different colored reliefs, metallic overlays, etc.
if the bar is to have a surface design or display, this will be washed away with the first few applications, so this should only be employed when the objective is art, retail display, gifts, fancy guest soaps, etc. do consider the bar's appearance once the surface layer has been washed away.
m&p bases differ from supplier to supplier; they can vary greatly. the following table compares the base ingredients from five sources. -- (note: these lists (from circa 2001) are for general comparisons and are probably not current, since the manufacturers are constantly manipulating and changing their respective formulas.)
camden-greycedarvalemmssoapcrafterstkb trading
aqua (water)
glycerin
pentasodium
  pentetate
propylene glycol
sodium laureth
  sulfate
sodium myristate
sodium stearate
  (stearic acid)
sorbitol
tea-myristate
tea-stearate
tetrasodium
  etidronate or edta
triethanolamine
titanium dioxide
  (in white base)
dm hydantoin
edta
glycerin
olive oil
propylene glycol
sodium laureth
  sulfate
sodium oleate
sorbitol
preservative
water
titanium dioxide
  (in white base)
coconut oil
glycerin
propylene glycol
sodium cocoate
sodium laurate
sodium myristate
sodium stearate
sucrose
triethanolamine
water
titanium dioxide
  (in white base)
glycerin
lauric acid
propylene glycol
sodium laureth
  sulfate
sodium stearate
sorbitol
stearic acid
pentasodium
  pentetate
tetrasodium
  etidronate
water
titanium dioxide
  (in white base)
aloe vera
castor seed oil
coconut oil
glycerin
palm oil
propylene glycol
purified water
safflower seed oil
sorbitol
titanium dioxide
  (in white base)

different ingredients make for different results. for instance, if (like me) you're using tkb's base which contains no stearic acid, and you want to add stearic acid, you can't add it to a clear base without incurring cloudiness. however, you can get a clear base (say, from soapcrafters) with stearic acid incorporated in the "clear" formula.
 
another example is by buying a base that contains a specific ingredient (i.e. aloe vera, goat's milk, honey, olive oil, etc.), you avoid the expense and bother of having to add it.
 
i prefer tkb's base because it contains no detergents, no sulfates, no surfactants, no alcohol, and no sugar solutions. tkb's clear and opaque bases are used in all of the following recipes. however sodium laureth sulfate, which is absent from tkb's bases, is beneficial as an emulsifying agent in a soap containing added, say, emu oil or shea butter. in these instances, i add sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (sls), which is milder, albeit costly.
 
notes on coloring: there are many ways to add color to soap (and other skin care products). this can include natural colorants (e.g. beet powder), FD&C dyes, and micas ...just to name a few. these colorants come in a variety of forms (e.g. liquid, gel, powder, wax chips, etc.).
the colors [of the soap examples below] were achieved by blending (in various combinations) the three primary colors (in transparent and opaque oxide) along with black and white opaque oxide. the colorant used (by drops) is a concentrated gel (manufactured by tkb trading), which is triple the concentration of the regular colors.
(colors react differently to clear and opaque bases ...you can't achieve a deep dark color with a white opaque base. but you can create an opaque dark color by adding dark opaque oxide coloring to a clear base ...you can darken most colors by adding black oxide.)
 
notes on additives: use no more than 1 tablespoon of fragrance and 1 tablespoon of additives per pound of base. this is a guiding rule, however, soap base can accept up to 1 cup (combined) per pound of base. note, the more stuff you add, the more "gunk" ends up in the water. (this is where an emulsifyer is beneficial.) for more information on the additives used in the following recipes, see "additives".
 
fragrance: obviously the amount of fragrance used in a recipe would depend on personal taste -- when a recipe calls for a fragrance blend, go to "fragrance formulas" to see the formula for that blend.
 
molds: the molds used in all of the following designs were supplied by "spinning leaf", (formerly 3dmolds.com). you'll notice the quantity of soap base called for in the following recipes is 5.33 oz. (1/3 lb.). i use this quantity because these molds create a slightly larger bar. if, (as many other recipes and molds dictate), you use 4 oz. (1/4 lb.) of soap base, the following recipes can still be used [in most cases] with no further modification to the ingredients list.
 

citrus grovemedium hard bar with copious luxurious lather and fresh citrus scent. bar is pale transparent yellow with embedded bits of yellow and orange to visually reflect the different citrus elements of the scent.

design: plain oval shaped transparent bar with embedded soap pieces in three colors.
color1: bar - clear base with slight transparent yellow color.
color2: pieces - clear base colored in three different opaque shades from pale yellow to dark orange.
fragrance: bar - citrus grove fragrance.
fragrance: pieces - lightest shade: lemon essential oil; middle shade: orange (sweet) essential oil; darkest shade: tangering essential oil

1.5 oz.m&p soap base (clear)
3 shadesopaque color (from pale yellow to deep orange)
15 drops(5 ea.) lemon, sweet orange, tangerine essential oils
9 dropssuper silk
5.33m&p soap base (clear)
1 drop(pale) yellow transparent color
64 drops"citrus grove" fragrance blend
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
prepare soapbits by melting (individually for each color/scent) 1/2 oz. soap base; add color, fragrance, silk; pour into a puddle on flat plate lined with plastic wrap; place in freezer for 1/2 hour; remove from freezer and cut into bits; set aside.
melt remaining soap base; add color; remove from heat; add fragrance, turkey red oil, silk; when soap starts to thicken mix in bits and disperse evenly; mold.
 
color (bar): 2 drops yellow transparent.
color (light pieces): 2 drops yellow oxide, 13 drops white oxide ...or use opaque base.
color (middle pieces): 1 drop red oxide, 3 drops yellow oxide, 1 drop white oxide.
color (dark pieces): 1 drop red oxide, 1 drop yellow oxide.
 
embedding: when adding the chilled bits or shavings to cooled soap that has started to thicken, this further cools and thickens the soap so that the end of the pour [into the mold] is usually too thick to flow evenly. for this reason, retain a small amount of base soap, cooled but still fluid, to top off the pour so that the bottom of the bar will be even and flat.

coniferrich-lathering, exfoliating bar, with a masculine, woodsy conifer fragrance.

design: opaque, plain, rectangular shaped, bar with visually textured pattern.
color: drab pale green base interspersed with dark speckles created by the ground basil.
fragrance: "conifer" fragrance.

5.33 oz.m&p soap base (opaque)
1 tsp.kaolin clay
1 tsp.goat's milk
1 tsp.ground basil
drab pale green color (note 1)
96 drops"conifer" fragrance blend
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
grind basil in a coffee grinder until it is powdery, mix with milk and clay, set aside; melt soap base; remove from heat; add fragrance, turkey red oil, silk; add basil/clay/milk mix (note 2); mold (note 3).
 
notes:
1 - color (3 drops red transparent, 2 drops yellow transparent, 1 drop blue transparent, 2 drops black oxide).
2 - add a little soap to the basil/clay/milk mixture, make a slurry, add paste to soap.
3 - before molding, be sure to stir continually until mixture cools and thickens to the point where the basil and clay remain suspended.

 

creamy emuloea great lathering, creamy, harder, long lasting bar with the skin conditioning benefits of goat's milk and emu oil, and the healing properties of aloe vera.

design: white oval bar with conch shell surface design.
color: none - white from soap base.
fragrance: "vanilla musk" fragrance.

1 tsp.goat's milk
1 tsp.kaolin white clay
5.33 oz.m&p soap base (opaque)
.5 tsp.aloe vera
.5 tsp.emu oil (note 1)
.25 tsp.stearic acid
.25 tsp.sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (sls)
75 drops"vanilla musk" fragrance blend
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
mix goat's milk and clay with sls, set aside; melt soap base; remove from heat; add aloe vera, emu oil, and stearic acid; add a little soap to milk/clay/sls mixture, make a paste, add paste to soap mixture; add fragrance, turkey red oil, silk; mold (note 2). the design and fragrance of this particular bar are incidental. any or no design/fragrance can be used.
 
notes:
1 - when adding emu oil (or shea butter), it's a good idea [before pouring] to continually stir the soap mixture until it starts to thicken (as with suspended ingredients) to keep the oils from rising to the top.
2 - before molding, be sure to stir continually until mixture cools and thickens to the point where the clay remains suspended.

 

creamy rosemarya wonderfully creamy soap with the scent of rosemary.

design: white oval bar with surface conch shell design in contrasting color.
color: creamy white bar color (no color added) with olive drab (note 1) surface design.
fragrance: rosemary essential oil

5.33 oz.m&p soap base (opaque)
.25 cupgoat's milk (mixed with 1 tbs. water)
1 tsp.honey
50 dropsrosemary essential oil (note 2)
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
melt soap base; add milk, honey; add color; remove from heat; add fragrance, turkey red oil, silk; mold (note 3).
 
notes:
1 - color (1 drop red oxide, 1 drop yellow oxide, 1 drop blue oxide).
2 - rosemary eo is not recommended with high blood pressure, epilepsy or if pregnant.
3 - add olive drap color to approx. 1 oz. melted opaque soap; pour just enough into mold to cover surface design; let harden slightly; spritz with sd alcohol; fill mold with prepared [uncolored] soap mixture.

 

herbal rosearomatic bar, hardened with beeswax, with the scent of a rose gargen.

design: rectangular shaped, semi-transluscent bar with a victorian surface design.
color: red hue used to complement the rose scent, but toned so as not to be exclusively feminine.
fragrance: "herbal rose" fragrance, a rose fragrance blend, crafted to minimize the sweet floral aspect so as not to be exclusively feminine.

5.33 oz.m&p soap base (clear)
1 tbs.beeswax
1 tsp.honey
dark red semi-transluscent color (note 1)
88 drops"herbal rose" fragrance blend
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
melt soap base; add honey, beeswax, color; remove from heat; add fragrance, turkey red oil, silk; mold.
 
this is a basic m&p recipe for a harder bar and any desired fragrance and color can be substituted.
 
notes:
1 - color (3 drops red transparent, 1 drop black oxide).

 

herbal swirlrefreshing, medium-hard bar with a silky rich lather and a sweet herbal scent. the bar's green and white swirl design is a visual representation of the herbal scent and the goat's milk content.

design: plain rectangular pale-colored opaque bar with contrasting dark-colored swirls.
color: pale opaque green with dark opaque green swirls.
fragrance: "sweet herbal" fragrance.

1.33 oz.m&p soap base (clear)
opaque green color (note 1)
4 oz.m&p soap base (opaque)
1 tsp.goat's milk (mixed with 2 tsp. water)
1 tsp.honey
75 drops"sweet herbal" fragrance blend
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
melt opaque soap base; add color; transfer to another container; keep warm/melted.
in same pot melt opaque soap base. it will pick up a tinge of color from the previous batch; if this is not desirable, clean pot before this step. add goat's milk, honey.
remove both batches from heat and let them start to cool, stirring frequently to prevent skin. add fragrance, turkey red oil, and silk to the light-colored batch as it cools.
with pipette, drizzle the dark colored mixtured over the light cololored soap -- creating the swirl, and with minimum aggitation, pour into mold.
 
notes:
1 - color (2 drops yellow oxide; 1 drop ultramarine blue transparent; 1 drop black oxide).

 

honey-orange
calendula
emollient, rich-lathering, harder bar with aloe vera, calendula petals, and a spicy orange-honey fragrance.

variation 1
 
design: plain rectangular semi- transparent bar with suspended calendula petals.
color: pale orange with suspended calendula petals.
fragrance: autumn fragrance.

variation 2
 
design: oval bar, same as above with substitution of shea oil [for emu oil], and omission of stearic acid, and sls (to improve transparency).
color: no added color; coloring is derived from ingredients: honey, essential oils, turkey red oil, supersilk, and calendula petals.

5.33 oz.m&p soap base (clear)
1 tsp.honey
.5 tsp.emu oil (note 1)
.25 tsp.stearic acid
1 tsp.aloe vera
.25 tsp.sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (sls)
pale orange color (note 2)
96 drops"autumn" (variation 2) fragrance blend
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
1 tbs.calendula petals (cut)
melt clear soap base; add honey, emu oil, and stearic acid; add the aloe vera to the sls to make a slurry, add to soap mixture; add color; remove from heat; add fragrance, red turkey oil, silk; stir in calendula petals which have been cut into small pieces, mold (note 3).
 
notes:
1 - when adding emu oil (or shea butter), it's a good idea [before pouring] to continually stir the soap mixture until it starts to thicken (as with suspended ingredients) to keep the oils from rising to the top.
2 - color (1 drop red transparent, 1 drop yellow transparent).
3 - stir mixture, keeping calendula petals evenly suspended until mixture cools and starts to thicken before pouring into mold.

 

milk & honey
oatmeal scrub
medium hard, goat's milk/honey-base, exfoliating bar with a good lather and a rich honey-vanilla scent.

design: square shaped, opaque light-toned bar with a celtic knot surface design.
color: "natural" coloring derived from honey and vanilla fragrance.
fragrance: "vanilla" fragrance (with natural scent from the honey).

2 tsp.oatmeal
1 tsp.goat's milk
5.33 oz.m&p soap base (opaque)
1 tsp.honey
75 drops"vanilla" fragrance blend (note 1)
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
grind oatmeal in a coffee grinder until it is powdery, mix with milk and clay, set aside; melt soap base; add honey; remove from heat; add fragrance, turkey red oil, silk; add a little soap to oatmeal/milk/clay mixture, make a paste, add paste to soap mixture; mold (note 2).
 
variation 1 - substitute kaolin (white) clay for the oatmeal.
variation 2 - substitute 1 tsp. kaolin clay for 1 tsp. oatmeal.
 
notes:
1 - combine 2 parts (50 drops) vanilla fragrance oil with 1 part (25 drops) vanilla extract.
2 - before molding, be sure to stir continually until mixture cools and thickens to the point where the oatmeal and/or clay remain suspended.

 

provencethis medium hard bar has a rich lather and carries the scent of a traditional type men's fragrance.

variation 1:
design: slightly translucent, plain circular bar, embedded with contrasting color soap shavings or bits.
color (note 1): the deep color evokes a sense of masculinity while the purple hue reflects the lavender scent which is an integral part of the base fragrance.
fragrance: "provence" fragrance.

variation 2:
design: opaque circular bar (no shavings), with celtic cross surface design.
color (note 1): dark, almost-black with purple hue.
fragrance: "provence" fragrance.

5.33 oz.m&p base base (clear)
dark purple color (note 1)
87 drops"provence" fragrance blend
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
this is a basic m&p recipe and any desired fragrance or color can be substituted.
 
variation 1: prepare shavings (see below), set aside; melt soap base; add color; remove from heat; add fragrance, turkey red oil, silk; stir in shavings when soap starts to thicken; mold.
 
variation 2: melt soap base; add color; remove from heat; add fragrance, turkey red oil, silk; mold.
 
prepare shavings by melting 1 oz. opague soap base. leave white for contrast. add proportional amounts of fragrance and silk. mold in any small container that will produce a "chunk". refrigerate until set. use knife or the large holes of a grater to produce "shavings".
prepare "bits" in same manner as for "citrus grove" bar ...see "embedding".
 
notes: 1 - color:
  var 1 - (5 drops red transparent, 1 drop ultramarine transparent, <1 drop black oxide).
  var 2 - (5 drops red transparent, 1 drop ultramarine transparent, 1 drop black oxide).

 

shea butter bargood-lathering, emollient bar with dark rich fragrance.

design: opaque, rectangular-shaped bar with south-western "bear" surface design.
color: light tan with dark brown design elements.
fragrance: burnt vanilla fragrance.

5.33 oz.m&p soap base (opaque)
1 tsp.(5 gm.) shea butter (note 1)
tan/brown coloring
.25 tsp.sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (sls)
84 drops"burnt vanilla" fragrance blend
.25 tsp.turkey red oil
.25 tsp.supersilk
melt opaque soap base with shea butter; remove from heat; add color (note 2); remove a tsp. or so and set aside in hot water bath to keep melted; to this add contrasting coloring (note 3).
add the sls to the main batch by putting a little melted soap into the sls powder to make a slurry, add this back to the main batch.
use dropper to fill surface design elements of mold with darker color; let cool slightly, spritz with sd alcohol.
blend turkey oil and silk to fragrance and add to the [still-melted but cooled] main batch; pour into mold.
 
notes:
1 - when adding shea butter (or emu oil), it's a good idea [before pouring] to continually stir the soap mixture until it starts to thicken (as with suspended ingredients) to keep the oils from rising to the top.
2 - color (3 drops yellow oxide, 1 drop transparent red, <1 drop black oxide).
3 - color (3 drops yellow oxide, 2 drops red oxide, 1 drop black oxide).

gallery of variations
the following are variations on the previous recipes.
the variations may include any combination of
"the soap formulation", "the design", "the color", and/or "the fragrance".
click on the image to view the details of the variations.
 

creamy vanilla

smoky shea

silver smoke

corian

rain chamomile

rain tea

jardin

orange rhum

orangemeal scrub

emuloe scrub

speckled rose

ajan

misty emuloe

incan gold

herbal flan