Soapcrafting

[oicio.livejournal.com]

Long time lurker, first time...poster! I don't know if it's the correct word, anyway, I really like this community and most of the ideas/projects shown here.
I have a question (seems to me not to be in the FAQ):
Is it safe to use "normal" soap (not glycerin type soap) as a base for a soapcrafting/melt&pour soap making procedure? I mean, could this "ruin" the ingredients of a soap bar or modify them in a wrong way? And what about adding more ingredients, such as essential oils or other, to this base once melted?
I'm really new into the soap world and in the crafting stuff in general, and no english mothertongue, so don't mind if I write/ask weird things :)

thanks,
ciao
o.