Cold Process vs. Melt and Pour Soap: What's the Difference?
Not all "handmade" soap is made the same way. There are two main kinds: cold process and melt and pour. Here's the difference, and why we make ours the way we do.
Melt and Pour Soap
Melt and pour starts with a ready-made soap base from a factory. The maker melts it, adds color and scent, and pours it into molds. It's quick and fun, and it's how a lot of people start making soap at home.
The catch is that the maker didn't choose the main ingredients. Some bases contain detergents or extra additives.
Cold Process Soap
Cold process soap is made from scratch. The soap maker picks every oil and butter, mixes them with lye, and pours the soap into molds. Then the bars cure for weeks before they're ready.
This is how we make our soap, and it's the way soap making was passed down in my family. It lets us choose exactly what goes into every bar: shea butter, coconut milk and kaolin clay in all of them, with no sulfates.
How to Tell Them Apart
- Read the label. Cold process soap usually lists oils, butters and lye (or names like sodium cocoate).
- Ask the maker. A small business will gladly tell you how they make it.
- Look at the bar. Melt and pour is often clear or very smooth. Cold process often has a creamier, more natural look.
Is Lye Safe?
Yes. All real soap is made with lye. When soap is made and cured the right way, no lye is left in the finished bar.
Our Tip
Neither kind is "bad," but if you want to know exactly what you're putting on your skin, cold process gives you the most control.
Try our cold process soap: browse our bars.
A little about us: I'm Gracie, a third-generation soap maker. My grandmother started our family's soap making, and I'm proud to carry it on. We're a small, faith-centered family business in Waddell, Arizona, and we make everything by hand in small batches.
