Yes, you can dip soaps in the same way you do for candles.
I have not tried this for the purpose of containing a scent long enough to cure a soap.
It could work! No idea what the thickness of the layer would need to be to get enough time to cure your soap and get it out from under noses that are offended by the odor. That may vary according to the scent, going by what Susie has mentioned about patchouli bleeding through everything.
Experimenting with the permeability of the soap to be used for your barrier layer, using different oils for your base, and adding things like clays and beeswax to help contain the scent for the outer layer, might be something you could explore as well.
It's an interesting concept, thank-you.
OOoooooh! I had an idea for you (from the fragrance folk). Why not make some different types of soaps, from different oils and with different additives, and experiment with scent absorbancy by leaving them in a sealed bag with a material soaked in the scent ... the soap that absorbs the scent the LEAST will be the one you want for your coating.
That way you can test your dipping layer part, before actually making the soap with the scent annoying for anyone around you.
Anyway, I like your thinking and would like to hear how you go with it! :smile:
Has any one tried to dip a finished bar in a new batch similar to a candle? My issue is the main scent I want may be offensive to some people but useful to others and the less curing time it will have with the offensive bar exposed the better for my marriage.