This neon pink and charcoal melt and pour soap uses the “swirl in the pan” method. Layers of hot pink and jet black soap are poured in a pan, folded and twisted together, then locked in place with a hot charcoal pour. Every bar comes out with bold pink and black curls, and the neon pink stays bright even in shea butter base.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links in this post are affiliate links. They cost you nothing extra and help support Koala Soap.
Materials & Tools
Soap Bases
- Shea butter melt and pour soap base for two pink layers
- Clear melt and pour soap base for the charcoal layer and the final pour
Color & Fragrance
- Stardust neon Poppin’ Pink mica (Stardust micas)
- Activated charcoal
- Fragrance oil (I used Yuzu Cybilla)
Molds & Tools
- Silicone cake pan for the swirl layers
- Square 18–20 oz soap mold
- Chopstick or skewer, pour cups, spatula
- Spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol
- Thermometer
- Soap cutter
Fragrance Amount
I use 5 ml of fragrance oil per 16 oz of soap base. You can always use less, but I wouldn’t go over 5 ml per 16 oz. Check your fragrance’s flash point. Mine is about 176°F, so I add it when the soap is below that.
How to Make Neon Pink and Charcoal Soap: Step by Step
1. Pour the First Pink Layer
Melt the shea butter base and add your fragrance. Mix Poppin’ Pink mica with a little alcohol and stir it in. Use a bit more mica than usual, because white shea butter base lightens the color. Pour it into a silicone cake pan, spreading it out as flat and thin as you can. Thin layers cool faster, so you can pour the next one sooner. Spray with alcohol.
2. Make the Charcoal Layer
Mix activated charcoal into melted clear base. Charcoal needs to go in clear base to get a true black. In a white base it turns gray. Let the black soap cool to 135°F or lower (mine was 124°F), and wait until the pink layer has a thick skin that doesn’t break when you touch it. Spray the pink with alcohol and pour the black over it, starting at one end.
3. Pour the Second Pink Layer
Color the second portion of shea butter base pink. Once the charcoal layer has set enough and the pink has cooled under 135°F (I poured at about 113°F), spray the charcoal with alcohol and pour the pink slowly to cover it. A little skin in your soap is fine at this stage, as long as it’s colored. It all gets mixed together anyway.
4. Fold and Twist the Layers
Let the slab set for about 20–25 minutes. It’s ready when your fingerprints no longer stay in it, but it’s still soft and bendy. Unmold the slab, then fold, squish and twist it together. It’s fine if pieces break apart.
5. Pack It Into the Mold
Press the twisted soap into the square mold, roughly in a ball shape. Poke a few holes down through it with a chopstick so the final pour can reach the bottom. Try to keep the holes away from where you’ll cut the bars.
6. Pour Hot Charcoal Soap Over It
Melt more clear base and color it black with charcoal. Pour this layer hot, around 170°F, so it slightly melts the twisted pieces and fuses everything together. Add your fragrance once it’s below the flash point. Pour into all the cracks, then gently squish the soap to push out air bubbles. Don’t overwork it, or the pink can turn grayish. I liked the textured top, so I left it as is. Spray with alcohol and let it set for a few hours.
7. Unmold and Cut
Unmold the loaf. Push it all the way forward and to one side of your soap cutter, then cut straight down. My square mold measures about 3.75 inches inside, so I get three 1-inch bars plus a smaller sample bar.
Tips & What I Learned
- Charcoal in clear base only. It stays a true black. In white base it turns gray.
- Pour layers under 135°F. Hotter soap can break through and turn the pink muddy.
- Spread layers thin. They cool faster so you can keep going.
- Pour the final layer hot. About 170°F helps fuse the twisted pieces.
- Don’t overwork the final pour. A little squishing releases air, but too much blends the colors.
- Neon mica holds up. Poppin’ Pink stayed bright even in shea butter base.
Troubleshooting
My pink turned gray or muddy.
The layers were too hot, or the final pour was mixed too much. Pour layers under 135°F and squish gently.
There are air pockets inside the bars.
Poke holes through the twisted soap before the final pour and squish the soap to release bubbles.
The slab broke when I folded it.
That’s okay. Broken pieces still swirl beautifully once the hot soap is poured over them.
FAQ
Why use clear base for the charcoal?
Charcoal turns gray in a white base. Clear base gives you a deep black.
What is the swirl in the pan method?
You pour thin layers of colored soap in a pan, then fold and twist the slab together before putting it in the mold.
How much fragrance should I use?
I use 5 ml per 16 oz of soap base. You can always use less, but I wouldn’t use more than 5 ml per 16 oz.
More Soap Ideas
- Galaxy Melt and Pour Soap
- Black Neon Melt and Pour Soap
- How to 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.
