Quote Originally Posted by mosley59 View Post
Hey all, I've just picked up some cheap-as-chips Pyrex bowls with lids to melt some glycerin-based soaps into (TGQ & Ogallala samples), and was hoping someone could give me a quick run-down on the double-boiler method - last time I melted soap I used a microwave, which destroyed the scent completely - I love the scent of these samples so don't want to stuff them up.
Cheers,
Tom
There is no such thing as a glycerine based soap. Soap is not made from glycerine, it is made from fats and lye. Some glycerine is produced in this process, and additional glycerine can be added through reprocessing.

Basically, a double boiler is a device that uses a boiling water bath to indirectly heat the contents of a container submerged in the bath. There are purpose built double boilers used for cooking, or you can make your own with an appropriate collection of pots and pans.

To melt (reprocess) soap, you need to grate the soap into the container that will be submerged in the boiling water bath, add a small amount of water, place the container in the water bath (the boiling water should not overflow into the container) and heat. Once the soap melts (be sure to stir the melt to mix well). Pore into containers and let it set. High glycerine content soaps will usually melt quite easily, and since they have probably been reprocessed at least once (to add the extra glycerine), you probably do not need to add much water to the mix. You will need to experiment a little to get the right proportions to give you the results you want.