Commercial Soaps VS Melt & Pour Soaps

There are various types of soaps available in the market, thus there are various ways to make them as well. As a result, not all soaps are made the same. So, it’s important to know which type of soap you’re buying and the ingredients contained in them.

For this post, we will be listing the differences between commercial soaps and melt & pour soaps.

Contents of Soap

Melt & Pour soaps have a higher glycerin content compared to commercial soaps. Therefore, melt & pour soaps are more beneficial for your skin since it is nourishing and moisturizing. It leaves your skin soft and supple while also protecting it. The glycerin is also what makes melt & pour soap easy to work with. Though, it can also cause the soap to sweat in humid climates (to prevent this, wrap your soap and keep them in a cool and dry place!). (1)

On the other hand, commercial soaps contain chemical detergents, synthetic and petroleum-based cleansers. They also have parabens—which are known as chemical preservatives; phthalates—which is a ‘plasticizer’ that increases the flexibility, transparency, durability and longevity of plastics; and synthetic perfumes. Many of these ingredients (and others) can be drying or irritating on the skin. Some of them can even cause health problems and skin conditions. (2)

Foaming Agents

Sulphates like SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulphate), which is the accepted contraction of SLES (Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate) are used as foaming agents in soaps. A great many of commercial soaps have SLS in them as it is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent. (3)

Nevertheless, it should also be noted that some melt & pour soaps also contain SLS. For instance, both Crativiti’s melt & pour Goat’s Milk Soap Base and Shea Butter Soap Base contains SLS. Craftiviti’s Pure Soap Base, however, doesn’t contain SLS.

Customizability

Melt & pour soaps allows one to customize it according to their needs. You can choose the kinds of butters, carrier oils, fragrance oils, essential oils, clays, colourants, so on and so forth. Commercial soaps, on the other hand, are already ‘complete’ and may not meet all your needs.

Although commercial soaps are more affordable and require no (optional) extra effort before they can be used, they might not be the better choice for your skin and overall health. Switching to melt & pour soap can be more beneficial in the long run for you. Even so, you should ensure that you purchase melt & pour soap bases from reputable sources!

Want to know more about making your own soaps at home? Check out these posts of ours!
For Melt & Pour Soap
👉 Melting Soap Bases – Which Method to Use?
👉 Why you shouldn’t add breast milk (or any fresh ingredient) to Melt and Pour Soap Bases
👉 Four Butters You Can Add to Your Melt & Pour Soap
👉 Soap Sweat and How to Fix It
👉 Guide for Adding Honey to Melt and Pour Soap
👉 Why You Should Use Honey Soap Base for Super Easy and Beneficial Honey Soaps

Some Recipes for Melt & Pour Soap
👉 DIY Chamomile and Green Tea Organic Melt and Pour Soap
👉 DIY Melt and Pour Anti-Acne African Black Body Soap
👉 DIY Cool Peppermint Aloe Vera Soap
👉 Make Shower Time Great Again with Jelly Soap
👉 DIY Soothing, Nourishing and Moisturizing Solid Shampoo Bar for Hair Growth

For Cold Process Soap
👉 Get to Know: Cold Process Soap
👉 5 Common Cold Process Soap Mistakes and How to Avoid or Fix Them
👉 Cure in Candle Making VS Cure in Soap Making
👉 Testing Every Craftiviti Fragrance Oil for Acceleration in Cold Process Soap
👉 4 Ways to Reduce Fragrance Oil Acceleration in Cold Process Soap

Some Recipes for Cold Process Soap
👉 Basic Cold Process Soap Recipe
👉 Cold Process Dish Soap Using Premium Extra Red Palm Oil