All melt and pour bases are not created equal. If you are wanting to get into melt and pour soap either just for yourself or to sell in your business, you need to start with a high quality base first.

While we have been using our cold processed handmade soap for years, there are times when I turn to a melt and pour soap for my personal use, mainly when I want to scent a soap with a really expensive essential oil such as sandalwood or jasmine absolute. Unlike cold process soaps, melt and pour soap bases can take very small amounts of fragrance or essential oils. I’m not saying that soaps you make from scratch needs enormous amounts of scent – but why try to make an entire loaf of jasmine soap and use a full two ounces of essential oil that would cost you over $300, when you can just add a few drops to a single bar of melt and pour?

So, what type of melt and pour base should you use and where should you get it?  That depends on the look and feel you are trying to achieve.  The white bases have more of a handmade look, while the clear bases allow you room to get creative with color and soap inserts such as toys or even photographs.

One of the most used suppliers for melt and pour soap base is Brambleberry.  They have a large selection of bases including: white, clear, aloe vera, goats milk, hemp, honey and olive oil.  They even stock a few specialty melt and pour soap bases like: organic, shaving, shea butter and a low-sweat version.  The prices are good and comparible with many suppliers. Most are priced around $37.50 for 25 lbs (at the time of this writing) but they also have 1 lb quantities and even a melt and pour soap sampler kit that you can order with 1 lb each of seven different types.  But even better, the quality is one of the better choices out there for melt and pour. You can go directly to their melt and pour page here.

Another high quality supplier is SFIC Corporation.  However, be prepared to order high minimums.  Unless you are a professional mud wrestler, or, have already been in the business of selling melt and pour soap for a while and know your market, you won’t need this much soap at one time.  There minium ordering amount for their soap bases is five, 43 pound tubs OR seven, 35 pound boxes of one-pound wrapped soaps OR five, 50 pound cases cut up into logs.

However, if your heart is set on wanting to try the SFIC bases but you don’t want to order in large quantities, Kangarooblue.com carries SFIC melt and pour bases in small quantities, as little as 2 pounds.  Currently, they carry the shaving and the shea butter melt and pour.

Another choice is Soaperschoice.com, also known as Columbus foods.  I’ve ordered a twenty-five block of the clear base before and while it did perform well in the melting process, the soap didn’t feel as nice as the bases that come from Brambleberry or SFIC.

Another option when you are first wanting to experiment with melt and pour soap is to try your local craft store.

No matter where you decide to buy your melt and pour soap base, keep in mind the one thing I say all the way through this website – quality is king when it comes to building your business.