This rose swirl melt and pour soap is made in a detailed silicone mold covered in roses, with a soft pink swirl through white shea butter. Painting all the little roses and leaves is tricky, so I came up with an easier way to make the design pop: a thin white coat in the mold, then a swirl of mica mixed with distilled water.
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Materials & Tools
Soap Base
- Shea butter melt and pour soap base, about 3.5 oz per rose cavity
Color & Scent
- Pink Watermelon from this Stardust mica set or individual Stardust micas
- Distilled water
- Fragrance is optional. I left it out because this was a test, but Barnhouse fragrance oils are a good choice.
Tools
- Rose bar silicone soap mold
- Coil (flat) whisk
- Pipettes
- Digital scale
- Spray bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol
- Thermometer
Fragrance Amount
If you add scent, wait until the soap is about 135–140°F, and use up to 5 ml of fragrance oil per 16 oz (1 lb) of soap base. You can always use less if you like a lighter scent, but don’t go over 5 ml per 16 oz.
How to Make Rose Swirl Melt and Pour Soap
1. Measure the Mold with Melted Soap
Melt some leftover soap and pour it into the mold on a zeroed scale to see how much it holds. Melted soap gives a more accurate number than water. This rose mold holds about 3.4 oz, so plan on 3.5 oz of soap per cavity. Write it on the back of the mold.
2. Why Not Just Paint It?
On my first test, I tried pouring color into just the flowers and leaves, but it’s hard to tell which parts are which in this mold. You can also paint the details with mica and alcohol, but that tends to wash off quickly. The swirl method is easier.
3. Coat the Mold with White
Melt 3.5 oz of shea butter base. Pour a little into the mold, uncolored, and tilt it around to coat all the nooks and crannies. Pour the extra back into your measuring cup. Wipe off any drips, spray with alcohol and set it aside.
4. Mix the Pink with Distilled Water
Mix Pink Watermelon with a little distilled water. Since you’re using such a small amount of soap, make it fairly concentrated. Distilled water keeps the color from spreading through the whole bar, which is what alcohol would do.
5. Squirt, Twist and Pour
Let the soap cool to about 124°F, until it thickens. Give it a stir and spray the white coat generously with alcohol. Fill a pipette with about 2½ ml of color and squirt it hard into the soap. Push the coil whisk down once and lift it out, then pour right away.
6. Shake Out the Bubbles
This mold has lots of little nooks, so shake it right after the color pour to release air bubbles. Spray the top with alcohol and let it set.
7. Unmold
Make sure the soap is fully loose before you pull it out, because of all the detail. The swirl shows up beautifully on the roses.
Tips & What I Learned
- Measure with melted soap. It holds a little more than water.
- Coat the mold with white first. It highlights the roses.
- Use distilled water for the swirl. It keeps the color in streaks.
- Shake after pouring. Detailed molds trap air bubbles.
- Expect a smaller bar. My rose bar weighed 3.5 oz, compared with 3.9 oz for a regular bar the same height.
Troubleshooting
There are little holes in the design.
Air bubbles got trapped. Shake the mold well after pouring.
The whole bar turned pink.
The color dispersed. Use distilled water instead of alcohol, and pour when the soap is thick.
Painted details wash off.
Try the white coat and swirl method instead.
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.
How much soap does this mold hold?
About 3.4–3.5 oz per cavity.
Can I use other colors?
Yes. Any mica works. Pinks and reds look especially pretty on roses.
More Rose and Swirl Soap Ideas
- Flower Swirl Melt and Pour Soap
- Rose Embed Melt and Pour Soap
- Blooming Roses 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.
