How to Rebatch Soap

The process of rebatching soap is a great way to use up cold process soap slivers, leftovers, or ugly bars.  Often times, when creating the perfect bars, some soap may have to be trimmed off.  Instead of throwing out this valuable material, use it to create rebatched soap.  It’s a wonderful way to reuse and recycle leftover material, and it gives you unique looking handmade soaps.

Materials:

• excess soap, ugly bars, slivers, and other leftovers from cold process soap making
• scent (essential oil or fragrance oil)
• grater
• soap mold
• microwave bowl
• distilled water
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• knife
• spoon
• paper towels
• petroleum jelly
• vegetable peeler

Directions:

1. Use a paper towel to coat the inside of the soap mold with petroleum jelly.
2. Grate 3 bars of soap.  If you only have slivers or leftover pieces, grate approximately 6 ounces of soap by weight. Grate the soap as you would cheese.
3. When you are left with only a small piece of ungrated soap, use a knife to cut it into shaving-sized pieces.
4. Put all of the shavings in a microwave safe bowl.
5. Add 1/4 cup of distilled water to the soap shavings.
6. Slightly stir to distribute the water evenly.
7. Microwave the soap shavings for 1 minute at 70% power.
8. Remove the bowl and stir gently.  The shavings should be warm but not liquefied.
9. Add your fragrance oil or essential oil.  Our example used essential oil and we added 3/16 ounce to the mixture.
10. Put the bowl in the microwave and heat for 10 seconds at 50% power.  Don’t be alarmed if the soap rises and foams up as it’s heated.
11. Remove the bowl.  NOTE–Be careful!  It could be hot!
12. Stir the soap to thoroughly mix in the scent.  The soap mixture will have an oatmeal-like texture.
13. Use a spoon to fill the soap mold with the mixture.  Pack the soap gently to get it into all crevices and to alleviate air pockets.
14. Level the top of the mold.
15. If the soap mixture becomes too thick to work with add 1 Tablespoon distilled water and microwave at 10 second intervals and stir.
16. After filling all of the soap mold cavities, allow the soap to set for several hours.
17. Occasionally check the soap to see if it is cool and hard.  If yes, it is ready to be unmolded.
18. Carefully unmold the soap.  If the soap is stuck and will not come out, run hot water over the back side of the mold, then take a knife and gently break away the soap from the edges of the mold.  Use the knife to pop out the soap.  The knife may gouge the soap, if this occurs, use your fingers to easily reshape the soap.  Allow the soap to air dry on wax paper for a few days.
19. Use a vegetable peeler to trim rough edges.
20. The soap is ready to use right away!

Note: Once any kitchen utensils (ie. grater, knife, vegetable peeler, etc.) have been used in soap making, they can never be used for food again.

These instructions have been taken from the Basic Soap Making book.  For more great ideas, instructions, and recipes, you can buy the book on our website.