how to melt down soap to fit bowl?

im using a double boiling method with one pot with a little water and another pot over it with the soap. am i using the right method to doing this? will it effect the scent of my soap?

someone once suggested to me to use a cheese grader and then pack it down into the bottom of the mug. it has worked really well for me so far. i have no idea what this would do to the amount of soap used each time (whether you would use more) but i am pretty sure it won't effect the scent.

I cut the soap up into little bits first. But otherwise, I use the same double-boiler method.

You can melt it in a baking oven. But your mug should resist the heat. It helps to cut the soap into small pieces. What also helped for me was a bit of olive oil I put to the soap.

Then I tried it in the microwave. But Caution, it gets very hot and may start to foam/lather.
So what I did was just heat it up for 30 seconds and then look if it's creamy enough.

Anyway, always use a mug that resists the heat and be carful :)

Depends on the type of soap. I would not microwave triple-milled soaps. Double boiler is safe for most. Grating and just tamping it tight in the new container is probably the safest, but personally, kinda negates the "hardness" of triple milled soaps.

I would suggest against the Microwave, as most of the soap mistress's have mentioned the different flash points of the scent oils....
The double boiler method works great, you don't actually have to melt the whole puck either just melt it enough to fit the container....
For the hard milled /triple milled soaps the cheese grater method is the only one that works, as to that Ray mentioned about the longevity, I would have to agree as I have noticed that the grated and re-pressed soap makes lather much easier, so I would have to venture to say that it will not last as long....

Double boiler is the most effective way to melt soap. My wife and I used to make scented candles for a little extra cash. I think you would lose some of the fragrance from it that way, though. The heating causes the essential oils to evaporate. But, it would also make the soap have a milder fragrance if you find it too overpowering.

I may have to try my hand at making shave soap. Can't be much harder to do than making candles. Got the equipment for candles.