Gentle Baby Soap Bar Recipe

This homemade baby soap bar is gentle and safe for sensitive baby skin. Made with coconut oil, mango butter, and jojoba oil, this cold-process baby soap is nourishing and moisturizing for the baby’s skin.

Making your own soap bar is simple and cost-effective. When I first starting making my own soap bars I was very nervous about the lye, but as with most things, after I made it once I realized it was much easier than I thought.

This baby soap recipe is perfect for your baby’s skin as it will gently cleanse and leave baby’s skin soft and smooth. It is made with all-natural ingredients and scented with lavender essential oil.

How to Make the Best Homemade Baby Soap Bar?

When it comes to making cold-process soap bars all you need is oils or fats, lye, and a liquid. Choosing different fats and oils will customize your soap bar. Certain oils and fats will make a moisturizing soap bar for dry skin while others will make the perfect bar for oily skin.

For this baby soap recipe, I am choosing gentle and moisturizing ingredients that are perfect for sensitive skin.

Baby Soap Ingredients

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• Coconut oil
• Mango butter
• Jojoba oil
• Lavender essential oil (optional)
• Lye
• Water

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is the perfect oil to add to baby soap because it is very gentle, full of nourishing vitamins, and can help with common children rashes. It is often found in soaps, creams, and hair care products.

Benefits of Coconut Oil for Skin

• Hydrating for dry skin
• Good source of antioxidants
• Brighten and soften skin
• Anti-inflammatory properties to help reduce skin irritations
• Anti-bacterial properties to cleanse wounds
• Anti-fungal properties to help with yeast and fungus
• Sooth and smooth skin

Mango Butter

Mango butter comes from the pit of the mango. It is similar to cocoa butter and shea butter, as it moisturizes the skin without leaving it feeling greasy. Mango butter is high in vitamin A and E which encourages the skin to produce new healthy skin cells.

Benefits of Mango Butter for Skin

• Highly moisturizing
• Nourishing
• Natural source of vitamins A, C, and E
• Smooths skin
• Anti-inflammatory
• Soothing for dry, cracked skin and eczema
• Contains essential fatty acids and antioxidants

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil comes from the wax that is produced from the seeds of the jojoba shrub. It is a carrier oil that is often times used with essential oils and in natural skincare. Jojoba oil is nourishing, cleansing, purifying, and moisturizing.

Benefits of Jojoba Oil for Skin

• Hypoallergenic
• Antibacterial
• Good source of antioxidants
• Cleansing for wounds
• Helps with eczema
• Rich in vitamin E
• Moisturizing

Lavender Essential Oil

If you want to add a scent to your homemade baby soap you can add in lavender essential oil. Lavender oil is very gentle and best for baby’s skin. It is one of the best oils to add to soap because it is very soothing for the skin and it gives off a relaxing aroma.

This lavender soap bar will be a great addition to your bedtime routine as it can help your baby fell asleep quicker and stay asleep longer.

Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil for the Skin

• Gentle and cleansing
• Reduce skin irritations
• Promotes healthy skin
• Reduces scars
• Calming and relaxing aroma

Other Essential Oils You Can Use

• Roman Chamomile
• Frankincense
• Rose
• Jasmine
• Copaiba

What do You need to Make Cold-Process Soap Bar?

• Soap mold
• Immersion Blender
• Digital scale
• Glass bowl or other heat resistant container 
• Gloves
• Eye protection, full covering goggles are best

Natural Baby Soap Recipe

I used a soap calculator to get these exact measurements. If you want to change up the recipe at all, you will need to get new measurements because it is important to use the right amounts. 

Safety Note: When working with lye, be sure to work in a well-ventilated area and wear safety goggles and rubber gloves. If lye gets on the skin or in the eyes, it can be very harmful.

How to Make Cold-Process Soap for Kids

1. Using a digital scale, measure out your water and pour it into a heat-resistant glass or thick plastic pitcher. 
2. Measure out the lye and add it to the water. Stir the lye into the water slowly until it dissolves. Note, the chemical reaction will cause it to heat up quickly.
3. Using the digital scale, measure out the coconut oil, mango butter, and jojoba oil. Pour into a medium-size saucepan and melt over medium heat. 
4. Once the oils and butter are melted, remove it from the heat. 
5. When the oil cools to 100°F, it is time to mix the lye water with the oils. Slowly add the lye and water to the oil, mix with an immersion blender. This will take a couple of minutes. You will know it is the right consistency when the soap from the blender drips and pools up on top of the soap in the saucepan. This is known as the trace. 
6. If using lavender essential oil, add that in now. Mix with an immersion blender.
7. Pour the soap into a soap mold. If using silicone soap molds, you don’t have to do anything to them before pouring the soap in. Other molds may require parchment paper. 
8. Allow the soap to harden and sit in the molds for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days. 
9. Remove the soap from the molds and allow bars to cure for 3-4 weeks before using.

How to Use Natural Baby Soap

To use your homemade baby soap bar, get it wet and gently message it into the baby’s skin. This soap bar can be used on their hair and body. Allow the soap to soak in for a couple minutes and then rinse off with warm water.

If you prefer, you can lather the soap bar into a washcloth and then onto the baby’s skin.