To rebatch soap, cut the soap you intend to melt into small chunks, or use a cheese
grater. Mix the soap chunks or gratings with milk or water; the general rule is to use
one cup of milk or water for every pound of soap. For soap that is made with olive
oil, or animal fat, use ½ cup of milk or water. (For soap that has cured for one week
or less, use half of the above measurements.) Cover the pot, and let the soap soften in
the milk or water for 1-2 hours, stirring it approximately every 30 minutes.
If melting the soap in the oven, mix it with the milk or water in a stainless steel,
enameled or glass pot. Put your oven on its lowest setting – make sure it is no higher
than 170°F. Put the soap in the oven, and stir it every 15 minutes. The soap should
take approximately one hour to melt. If using the crock-pot method, set the crock-
pot to low, and stir at the same intervals. The soap should take about the same
amount of time to melt, or maybe a little longer.
Once the soap is melted, add your desired essential oils, colorants, herbs, or
superfatting oils. Mix the batter thoroughly; you may want to utilize a hand blender,
or stick blender, to mix the batter smoothly and quickly. After mixing, pour the batter
into molds, and allow it to set for 24-48 hours. When the soap is removed from the
molds, cut it into bars. The soap is safe to use as soon as it is cut, but it is best to allow
the soap to cure for about a week before using it.
SEMI-BOILED, OR HOT-PROCESS, METHOD
! Page 41