This collection of homemade soap recipes has something for everyone, from beginners to seasoned soap makers. First-time soap makers will enjoy the vast selection of melt-and-pour options, while seasoned soap makers can try their hand at various cold-process and hot-process methods.
My journey into natural soap-making began because of my desire to ditch unnecessary ingredients found in conventional soaps.
But it didn’t take long to be transformed into a full-blown obsession. Who knew DIY soaps could be so fun and rewarding? Plus, it’s a total budget win and keeps my eco-conscious heart happy by saying no to single-use plastic packaging.
As I learned more about soap making and natural ingredients, I was able to learn how to customize the soaps, as well as the benefits of different ingredients, such as what makes a good bar of soap.
Once I mastered the basic recipes that turned out beautifully every time, I started having fun with them. There are so many ways to customize your soap recipes, allowing your creativity to shine through everyday products that nurture your family.
Of course, I love the chance to use essential oils. They are a perfect way to scent soaps and potentially nourish the skin. Some of my favorites include lavender, lemon, and orange!
Then, there are those add-ins that really take your soap to another level. I’m talking about things like dried flower petals, lavender buds, turmeric, charcoal, sea salt, honey, oatmeal, and coffee grounds—the list goes on and on!
These little added elements really give your soap that personal touch. It just feels so rewarding when I finish a beautiful batch of soap! And don’t worry if you make too many—soap bars make thoughtful and simple gifts for friends and family.
So, is this your first time making cold process soaps? Well, if it seems a little intimidating, that’s totally understandable. The lye portion kept me from making this style of soap for years! But I will say, once you dive in, you won’t regret it. Once you understand the safety aspects, the rest is simple.
I have a blog post devoted to the detailed step-by-step directions for making a cold-process soap. It breaks down the steps as well as provides helpful tips and tricks.
Like baking, soap-making requires following a recipe and maintaining the right proportions of oil, lye, and water. You can adjust and customize your soap recipes, but you must use a soap calculator for the best results and a proper saponification process.
Melt and Pour Bar Soaps
If you are not ready to work with lye, melt-and-pour soap recipes are a fantastic alternative. You simply melt a soap base and customize it with your chosen ingredients.
You basically get to skip right to the fun part: customizing your soap with your chosen add-ins. Pour your soap mixture into your soap mold and wait for it to harden.
Storing your Homemade Soaps
Perhaps the most difficult part of making your own soap is waiting the 4-6 weeks until you get to use it. Cold process soaps must cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, dry place with good air circulation.
To ensure even curing, you’ll want to turn the bars over every few days so all sides are exposed to air. I typically use a curing rack or place them on an old baking pan to cure them.
During this time, the water will evaporate, resulting in a hard, long-lasting bar of soap. Once the curing process is complete, store your soap bars in a dry area for up to a year.
30 Homemade Soap Recipes
1
Cold Process Lavender Soap Recipe
Pamper yourself or a friend with the relaxing aroma of this homemade lavender soap. This soap bar gently soothes and moisturizes while promoting a calming effect with its subtle notes of lavender essential oil.
This is a perfect soap recipe for beginners. With step-by-step instructions and simple ingredients, you'll soon have a luxurious bar of homemade soap for cleansing and moisturizing delicate skin.
An easy, no-lye melt-and-pour bar soap recipe, perfect for beginners. Enjoy this rich and moisturizing coconut oil bar soap in your home, or give it as a beautiful and unique gift.
This soap on a rope recipe creates a fun, simple soap bar with a creamy lather and a built-in rope hanger. An easy melt and pour recipe, this is the perfect soap bar for beginners!
These Christmas soap recipes are the perfect homemade gift idea for anyone on your shopping list, including that hard-to-shop-for person – we all know that someone.
Perfect for celebrating fall and getting cozy in the evenings, this pumpkin spice soap bar smells delicious and is superb to nourish and hydrate the skin.
This coffee soap recipe can be made at home using a few key ingredients and smells divine. It's also a great natural skin exfoliator. Plus – making soap is so much fun. Enjoy the recipe!
A simple hot process soap recipe with cooling aloe vera for soothing sun-kissed skin. No more waiting weeks on end for your soap to fully cure since hot process soap is ready to use after just 1-2 days!
Making soap is just one of the ways to customize your skincare routine. Following this simple recipe using lard and olive oil, you can make a soap bar with a smooth lather for moisturizing and cleansing skin.
Honey oatmeal soap bars made with a melt and pour soap base are perfect for dry, sensitive skin. The simple step of adding honey and oatmeal in what would be an otherwise ordinary bar now becomes an exfoliating soap bar that smells amazing.
This moisturizing cold process soap recipe is the perfect bar of soap for dry hands or body. Made with cocoa butter, coconut oil, and shea butter, it is very soothing and gentle for dry skin.
Whip up this easy recipe for gorgeous whipped soap made with all-natural ingredients! It's perfect for treating yourself to a spa-like experience at home, or creating a thoughtful and beautiful handmade gift.
This cold-process chamomile soap recipe is great for soothing sensitive skin. Made with moisturizing coconut oil, palm oil, and chamomile essential oil, it is the perfect soap bar for dry skin.
Melt and pour soap takes away the worry of mixing the lye and it requires no special equipment. This soap bar recipe is fully customizable, so you can make it just the way you like it!
This fragrance-free, nourishing face bar soap is perfect for many skin types. Bentonite clay and rosehip oil add extra cleansing and rejuvenating properties, making it a must-try for your skincare routine.
Making rebatch soap is a fun way to prevent waste in soapmaking. Whether you have a batch of soap you are unhappy with or it’s time to use up those soap scraps, rebatching will allow you to reuse any unwanted soap.
I hope you enjoyed these soap bar recipes. Let me know which one you decided to make in the comment section below! I love to hear from you!
About Laura
Welcome to Our Oily House, I’m so glad you’re here! Explore DIY cleaners, homemade soaps, skincare and hair care recipes, fragrance-free solutions, and sustainable laundry tips for a naturally inspired home.
