Wax melts are essentially chunks of wax that will release fragrance when heat is introduced. Lots of people love wax melts. They are often used as an alternative to scented candles because they do not require wicks or need to be directly lit to work, eliminating the risk of a fire outbreak (Accident).
If you are into soap making, then I’m sure you already know that you can make soap from wax. Since making soap from wax is a given, is it possible to make soap from wax melts (since they are essentially chunks of wax)?
Yes, you can. In today’s guide, you’ll learn how to colour your wax melts and use them to make soap.
How to make soap using wax melts
In this guide, we’ll use the melt and pour method to make the soap because it’s one of the soap-making techniques, and if you are a beginner, it’s often the first method you would or should learn.
Before making the soap, let’s first look at how to colour your wax melts.
How to add colour to your wax melts
Before you can add colour to your wax melts, you’ll have to purchase your wax (if you don’t already have it). The best in the market are soy wax and beeswax. After getting any of the two recommended waxes, measure your desired quantity of soy wax or beeswax and heat it (use medium heat).
Once your soy wax has totally melted, use a thermometer to check the temperature of your wax—the temperature you need lies between 175-185°F. At this temperature, you can now add your fragrance (I usually use 10g of fragrance for every 100g of soy wax). Don’t forget to stir the mixture properly.
After adding your fragrance, you can now proceed to add your colour. After adding the colour, stir the mixture properly before pouring it into your moulds (I prefer using clamshell moulds).
Allow the mixture to solidify. It usually takes a few hours. After your wax melts have hardened, you can now keep them to cure. After two weeks, your wax melts will be ready for use.
Now that’s how you add colour to your wax melts when making them. Now you have prepared your wax melts, let’s look at how to make soaps with them.
Honey vanilla soy soap ingredients
- ¼ cup of grated soy wax
- ¾ cup of glycerin soap base
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla essential oil
Procedure
Follow the procedure above to make wax melts—since we are making a honey vanilla soap, while preparing your wax melt, refrain from adding fragrance.
While preparing your wax melt, use a double boiler to melt your glycerin under low heat. Once your glycerin has melted, add your honey, vanilla oil, and soy wax mixture and stir properly.
You can now proceed to pour your melted mixture into soap moulds and allow it to harden. Once your soap has hardened, remove the mould and allow the soap to cure on a separate drying rack—it’ll take your soap 4 to 6 weeks to completely cure.
After the curing period, the soap produced should have the colour used to make the wax melt and a lovely vanilla scent.
