Hello Jo Annie:
Quite frankly I dont know of anything negative to say about melt and pour soaps. I do not know why it is so villified by some soapmakers. I love using and making both kinds of soap. If you look on the the high end supermarket shelves and in bath and body type stores, you will find some - but definitely not the quality ones you can craft...?

And lets talk about fragrance... no other soap holds and exudes fragrance like melt and pour. Right?
I remember the first time I noticed that soap could be really creative and different was when I saw a loaf of melt and pour with gorgeous jewel colors and a luscious fruity scent that made me want to eat it...that was the kind of soap I wanted to make!!!
You can put your own spin on your melt and pour soaps...there are so many creative ways to make it your own. I have a friend who embeds them with cowrie shells and makes them into a cake and calls them African wedding cake soaps... Checkout her website below
Colored Woman and her Cookie Factory