Embed

An embed is a small piece of soap, often a distinct shape like a flower, shell, or cube, that is made ahead of time and then set inside a larger bar of soap poured around it. Embeds are common in both melt and pour and cold process soap, and they let makers combine two colors, scents, or textures in a single bar.

Melt and pour embeds are usually made in small silicone molds, popped out once fully set, then placed into a mold before the surrounding batch is poured at a temperature cool enough not to melt them. In cold process, embeds are typically made from a separate, fully cured batch so they hold their shape and color inside the fresh batter.

A common mistake is pouring the surrounding soap while it is too hot, which melts or distorts the embed, or setting an embed into cold process batter that is still too thin, letting it sink instead of staying suspended where it was placed.