This lavender swirl melt and pour soap has soft purple and white marbling all the way through each bar. It uses the layer-and-roll swirl method: pour thin layers of purple and white soap on a mat, roll them up, press them into the mold, then fill around them with hot shea butter base. It’s one of the prettiest lavender soaps I’ve made.
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Materials & Tools
Soap Bases
- Premium clear melt and pour soap base, about 4–4½ oz
- Shea butter melt and pour soap base, about 4–4½ oz for the layers plus 5–6 oz for the final pour
- About 22 oz of melt and pour in total for a 20 oz mold
Color & Scent
- Violet Petal from this Stardust mica set or individual Stardust micas
- Lavender fragrance oil (try Barnhouse fragrance oils)
Tools
- Square 18–20 oz silicone soap mold
- Silicone mats for pouring the layers
- A chopstick or skewer
- Soap cutter or a wavy cutter
- Spray bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol
- Thermometer
Fragrance Amount
Put the fragrance in the layer soap, which is poured cool. The final shea butter pour is very hot, so I left it unscented. Use up to 5 ml of fragrance oil per 16 oz (1 lb) of soap base. You can always use less, but don’t go over 5 ml per 16 oz.
How to Make Lavender Swirl Melt and Pour Soap
1. Color the Layer Soap
Melt the clear base and the shea butter base for the layers in separate containers, and add the lavender fragrance. Mix Violet Petal with alcohol and stir it into the clear base for a deep purple. You can also tint some of the shea butter for a lighter purple.
2. Pour the First Purple Layer
Pour the purple clear soap onto a silicone mat. Clear base sets faster than shea butter, and pouring it a little cool keeps it from running off the edges. Let it set and harden before the next layer.
3. Add the White Layer
Spray the purple with alcohol. Test a little white shea butter on the edge first. If it stays on top, pour the rest over the purple. Both of mine were under 110°F. If it breaks through the skin in the middle, wait a few more minutes for the purple to firm up.
4. Keep Layering
Add another purple layer on top for different shades of purple separated by white. Stir out skin as you go. A little skin is fine if it’s already colored. If you’re not in a hurry, let each layer set completely, score it and spray with alcohol before pouring the next.
5. Roll It Up
Once the clear layers are set and the shea butter is soft but malleable, fold the ends in and roll the layers onto themselves like a burrito. Squish it into a rough ball. It doesn’t need to be pretty.
6. Press Into the Mold and Poke Holes
Put the ball in the square mold and poke holes all over it with a chopstick, which makes bigger holes than a skewer. Squeeze it in without deforming the mold.
7. Pour Hot Shea Butter
Heat the remaining 5–6 oz of shea butter base to the 170s–180s°F (mine was 186°F). Spray with alcohol and pour into the holes. Push the soap down with a chopstick to hide the holes, then tap the mold to release air bubbles. Spray with alcohol and let it set for a few hours.
8. Unmold and Cut
Unmold the loaf slowly and cut it with a straight cutter. Every bar has its own marbled pattern.
Tips & What I Learned
- Pour the layers cool. Under about 110°F keeps the colors from blending.
- Clear sets faster than shea butter. Plan on waiting longer for the white layers.
- Roll while it’s soft. Malleable soap folds without cracking.
- Use a chopstick for the holes. Bigger holes let the hot base flow in better.
- Leave fragrance out of the hot pour. Scent the cool layers instead.
Troubleshooting
The white broke through the purple.
The purple wasn’t set enough. Wait a few more minutes, or let it set completely and score it first.
There’s a lot of skin in my soap.
Stir it out, or pull it out with a skewer and lay it on top of a white layer.
The layers cracked when I rolled them.
They were too cool and firm. Roll while the shea butter is still soft.
There are air pockets in the bars.
Poke more holes and tap the mold well after pouring.
FAQ
How much fragrance oil should I use?
Up to 5 ml per 16 oz of soap base. You can always use less, but don’t use more than 5 ml per 16 oz.
Can I use other colors?
Yes. This same method works with any color. See my Irish swirl soap with green, gold and black.
Why not scent the final pour?
It’s poured very hot, and high heat can weaken fragrance. Scenting the cooler layers keeps the scent strong.
More Lavender Soap Ideas
- Lavender Love Melt and Pour Soap
- Lavender Royale Melt and Pour Soap
- How to Swirl Melt and Pour Soap
- Irish Swirl Melt and Pour Soap
- All my melt and pour soap tutorials on YouTube
If you make this, I’d love to see it! Tag me on Instagram or Pinterest, and subscribe on YouTube for new soap tutorials.
