Have a soap that didn’t turn out? Don’t throw it away. In this melt and pour project I cut up a failed shea butter bar, remelted it into little white ball embeds, and set them in violet and blue clear soap. The white embeds glow through the clear soap like little lights.
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Materials & Tools
Soap Base
- Leftover or failed soap to recycle (mine was a shea butter melt and pour bar that was already scented)
- About 12 oz of crystal clear melt and pour soap base for the bars
Color & Scent
- Violet and blue colorant (I used Violet Petal and Ariel Blue). A Stardust mica set works too.
- No extra fragrance needed. The recycled embeds already carry the scent (mine was Apricot Freesia).
Tools
- Small ball embed mold
- Deep multi-shape soap mold (cavities hold about 6 oz)
- Silicone mat to catch drips
- Spray bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol
- Thermometer
- Pour cups
Fragrance Amount
If you do add scent to the clear soap, 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. Remember the recycled soap is already scented.
How to Make Recycled Soap Embeds
1. Cut Up the Old Soap
Chop the soap you want to recycle into small pieces so it melts evenly. Mine was a shea butter bar from a design that didn’t work out.
2. Melt and Pour the Embeds
Melt the pieces in short bursts. Don’t add more fragrance since the soap is already scented. Pour into a small ball embed mold set on a silicone mat, then spray with alcohol to pop the bubbles.
3. Let the Embeds Cool All the Way
This is the big lesson from this video. Opaque embeds can feel set on the outside but still be warm inside. Let them sit a few hours, or pop them in the fridge, before you use them. When I rushed an Easter egg design, the warm embeds bled into the clear soap.
4. Unmold the Embeds
Pop the little balls out of the mold. You’ll want a good pile so you can fill each cavity.
5. Color the Clear Base
Melt about 12 oz of clear base and split it into two cups. Color one violet and one blue. Mixing the color with a little alcohol helps it blend smoothly. I left the clear soap unscented.
6. Layer Soap and Embeds
Let the clear soap cool below 135°F (I poured at about 128–132°F) so it doesn’t melt the embeds. Pour a little soap, add embeds, spray with alcohol, then pour more. A deep mold gives you room for about three layers.
7. Try Different Combinations
In one cavity I added the embeds first and poured over them. In another I mixed both colors together for a blended look.
8. Finish and Unmold
Top off each cavity, spray with alcohol, and let the bars set. Clear soap unmolds in about half the time of shea butter. My bars came out around 5–6 oz each.
Tips & What I Learned
- Recycle, don’t toss. A failed bar makes great embeds.
- Cool embeds completely. Warm centers bleed into clear soap.
- Pour clear soap under 135°F. Hot soap melts the embeds.
- No need to rescent. The embeds carry the fragrance.
- Add glitter. A little cosmetic glitter would make these sparkle even more.
Troubleshooting
My embeds melted or bled. Either the embeds were still warm inside or the clear soap was too hot. Cool embeds for a few hours or chill them, and pour below 135°F.
The layers separated. Spray each layer with alcohol before pouring the next one, and pour while the top layer still has a soft skin.
There are bubbles in the clear soap. Spray with alcohol right after every pour.
FAQ
Can I recycle any melt and pour soap?
Yes. Any melt and pour soap can be remelted. Opaque bases like shea butter or goat’s milk make the most visible embeds in clear soap.
Do I need to add more fragrance?
No. The recycled soap is already scented, and it scents the whole bar.
Why do the embeds look like lights?
White opaque soap shows up brightly through colored clear soap, so the balls glow from inside.
More Embed Soap Ideas
- Sphere Embed Melt and Pour Soap
- Circle Embed Melt and Pour Soap
- Tie-Dye Soap from Leftover Shavings
- Melt and Pour Soap Embeds
- 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.
