Vox Hunt: This Is DIY

These are bars of soap that I’ve made. They are normally wrapped to maintain their scent, but I unwrapped them for the picture so you could see them in their full beauty.

These soaps are made using the melt and pour technique. Unscented, uncoloured soap base is melted into liquid at low heat. Once it is liquid, scents and colours of your choice can be added. Once the ingredients are mixed together, the liquid is then poured into molds to cool. The soap is ready to use in an hour or two.

These soaps are meant to be used so Sean and I don’t buy a lot of regular bars of soap anymore. I like being able to control the amount of fragrance a bar of soap has.

Melt and pour soap can also be as simple or as fancy as you want. These soaps are super simple to do, but with the right techniques, you can make some really beautiful soaps with multiple colours and layers.

I also make bath bombs and lotions, but I don’t have any around to photograph. Bath bombs are surprisingly easy to make. The lotion is easy too, but that is because I use a lotion base, rather than make it 100% from scratch, which is more finicky.

I love melt and pour soapmaking as a hobby. The soap doesn’t take a lot of time to create, and the product is to be used and not just looked at. Cleanup is also usually pretty easy cuz the pot is covered with soap – a little water and some light scrubbing and everything is clean again!