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Making soap can be a fun hobby. You also have the pride and satisfaction of making your own soap, controlling exactly what's in it and wowing your friends and family with your hand made soap creations.

The melt and pour process is an easy way to make your own soap. Melt and pour soap comes in ready made blocks of uncolored and unscented soap. Basically, you melt the blocks, add your own color, fragrance, fun additives (optional) and pour it into molds. Once it's set, it's ready to use!

Here are ten top tips for melt and pour soap making:

1. Use a good recipe. Even though it's easy to make soap this way, you still need a recipe to ensure the color, fragrance and optional additives are in the right amounts.

2. Make sure you wear the appropriate safety equipment. I like to wear protective clothing, shoes, gloves and safety goggles. Melted soap is very hot! You don*t want to get burned if you accidentally splash yourself.

3. You need suitable soap making equipment. You can melt the block of soap in the microwave, but you need a sturdy microwave safe bowl or jug for doing this. If melting on the stove, you need a double boiler. You also need rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, measuring spoons and a metal whisk or spoon.

4. Ensure you make soap in a well ventilated area (eg, with window/s open).

5. Don*t be disturbed by children or pets when making soap. You don*t want them (or you) to be accidentally splashed, which can happen when you*re distracted by an interruption.

6. Ensure you*re using a good quality melt and pour soap base with colors and fragrances suitable for soap making.

7. Have fun choosing the molds you*re going to use. You can use shell molds, flower molds, heart molds, or whatever kind of molds take your fancy.

8. Allow enough time for the soap to set. It usually takes a few hours to set in the open or about one hour in the refrigerator. Never place it in the freezer to set.

9. If you have trouble unmolding your soap, run some warm water over the base of the mold. The soap should pop right out.

10. Enjoy using your scentsational hand made soap! Once it's set, you can use it right away!