The easiest homemade soap recipe using a delightful shea butter melt and pour soap base. 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!
HOMEMADE SOAP RECIPE
Melt and pour soaps are a great way to ease into soap making. The bars can still be fully customized with your choice of color and scent, while the critical step of measuring out the lye is already taken care of.
To be honest, the idea of soap making always overwhelmed me. When I discovered melt and pour soap bases, I decided I could make my own soap that looks beautiful, smells even more beautiful, and it is so easy anyone can do it!
With a home business and little kids, this mama will have to be satisfied with a melt and pour soap base recipe for now.
PIN IT FOR LATER
LYE FOR SOAP MAKING
Lye is needed to make soap bars and is the ingredient that steered so many people and me away for so long. You need to take precautions when using it, and you have to be sure it is handled properly.
When using lye, proper protection must be taken, including wearing a mask and gloves because it is very dangerous to breathe in and can burn the skin.
However, if used correctly, it doesn’t have to be scary, and it can be used to make a natural, healthy soap bar. The “during” process, if not handled properly, can be dangerous, but the “after” is completely safe and can be used to make soap for the most sensitive skin.
To make soap, lye is used to emulsify the oils and lye water, which is called “coming to trace.” Lye is needed to make the oils turn into soap and is required to make any soap bars.
A melt and pour soap base eliminates the dirty work as well as cuts out a couple of steps in the process.
BEST SOAP BASE FOR HOMEMADE SOAP RECIPE
When looking for a soap base, you will see that there are several different options. Are you surprised? The world of online shopping has opened up endless possibilities and options for anything we buy, even a soap base.
I will list several options below that you can try. I personally have used the shea butter and glycerin organic melt and pour bases.
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As you can see, there are lots of options when choosing a soap base. All of them will work similarly, and the recipe will remain the same. Should you have any skin sensitivity, allergies, or prefer a vegan option, you can choose your base accordingly.
BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR HOMEMADE SOAP RECIPE
Adding essential oils is the best part and can really customize your soap. For example, using lavender and chamomile will make a nice gentle and calming soap bar or foaming hand soap. Or use peppermint and eucalyptus for a cooling soap with soothing properties.
Just like the soap base, the possibilities are endless. You can choose a single essential oil or blend a few together. Depending on how much you make at a time will determine the number of drops you will need to add.
Let your nose be the judge; if you like it stronger, add more, and vice versa. Remember, I am keeping this simple, folks!
Cut the shea butter soap base into small chunks and place them into a double boiler.
Melt over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Remove from heat when it is completely melted.
Add in orange zest and essential oils.
Pour into a soap mold.
Allow it to completely harden and then pop the soap out of the mold.
OTHER ADD IN’S TO TRY
Dried flowers, oatmeal, and even coffee grinds can make wonderful additions to homemade soap bars. These can even make the soap exfoliating!
Coffee
You can use whole coffee beans or ground coffee in soap making. Whole beans are best for decorations and can be pressed into the top before the soap is fully hardened. Or you can add in 1 teaspoon of used coffee grinds for exfoliation.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal has so many great benefits for the skin and can help with many skin irritations. You can use quick oats, colloidal oatmeal, or powder oatmeal. In addition, you can make your own powder oatmeal by blending oatmeal in a high-speed blender as I do with my honey oatmeal soap bars.
Dried Flowers
My favorite dried flowers to use are calendulas because I think they look so pretty in the soap! You can also use rose petals, lavender buds, or other greenery.
Zest
Fruit zest is another excellent ingredient to add to your homemade soap. I prefer to use a fine grader to make fine zest to add to my soap. This adds to exfoliation and a lovely scent. Fruit zest is also used in my Christmas soap recipe.
HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE SOAP LAST?
Homemade soap with a melt and pour soap base will last at least 12 months.
HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE SOAP?
If you make a lot at one time, you can store the soap bars in a covered container with a little circulation. Keep in a cool and dry place until use.
*UPDATE* Since writing this post, I have built up the courage to make my first two cold-pressed soaps. You can find those recipes HERE and HERE.
Homemade Soap Recipe | Melt and Pour
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound shea butter soap base
50 drops lavender essential oil
2 teaspoons dried lavender
2 teaspoons honey
Silicone soap mold
Instructions
Cut the shea butter soap base into small chunks and place them into a double boiler.
Melt over medium heat stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Once it is completely melted; remove from heat.
Add in dried lavender, honey, and lavender essential oil. Mix together.
Pour into a soap mold.
Allow it to completely hardened and then pop the soap out of the mold.
Notes
This will make 4 bars of soap if using the same mold I am using. It is linked in the post above.
I used shea butter base and the soaps are really really soft. Seems as though they’ll fall apart quickly if I put under water but haven’t tried yet. Think I will go back to using a different process…..with lye.
Hello! I love all your recipes and trying a lot of them! I am interested in the other scents that you have listed with essential oils, but interested to know how many of each you would put in. I am going to be trying the citrus, and would like to try the others but not sure how much of each to put in
For 1 lb of soap base, keep the total drops between 30-50. For each of the blends listed, I do 20 drops of the first oil & 10 drops of each of the second 2 oils. However, you can mix and match as you please!
Patti says
I used shea butter base and the soaps are really really soft. Seems as though they’ll fall apart quickly if I put under water but haven’t tried yet. Think I will go back to using a different process…..with lye.
Regina says
Can you mix the soap
Bases?
Irina says
Very interesting and helpful information.
Thank you!!!
Nicole Martin says
Hello! I love all your recipes and trying a lot of them! I am interested in the other scents that you have listed with essential oils, but interested to know how many of each you would put in. I am going to be trying the citrus, and would like to try the others but not sure how much of each to put in
Laura says
For 1 lb of soap base, keep the total drops between 30-50. For each of the blends listed, I do 20 drops of the first oil & 10 drops of each of the second 2 oils. However, you can mix and match as you please!
Debbie says
Hi can I use cannabis infused coconut oil and a soap base to make my own soap