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Homemade Soap Recipe | Melt and Pour


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!

Two chamomile homemade soap bars stacked together with a white background.

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 MAKINGdiy lavender soap bar in sheer gift bag

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. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure HERE.

Shea butter melt and pour soap base

Organic oil clear glycerin soap base

Goats milk melt and pour soap base 

Honey melt and pour soap base

Coconut milk melt and pour soap base

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.

two homemade soap bars with dried flowers tied together with hemp string

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! 

ESSENTIAL OIL BLENDS FOR DIY SOAP4 homemade melt and pour soap bars stacked

CALMING AND RELAXING 

  • Lavender 
  • Roman Chamomile 
  • Clary Sage

CITRUS BLISS

  • Wild Orange 
  • Bergamont
  • Lemon

SENSITIVE SKIN

  • Lavender 
  • Frankincense 
  • Sandalwood

SOOTHING MASSAGE BLEND 

  • Peppermint
  • Eucalyptus 
  • Siberian Fir 

EARTHY 

  • Sandalwood
  • Cedarwood 
  • Bergamont 

Find the oils for your blend here.

SIMPLE SOAP RECIPES

CALMING SHEA BUTTER LAVENDER calming shea butter and lavender honey soap bars

INGREDIENTS 

1 pound shea butter soap base 

50 drops lavender essential oil

2 teaspoons dried lavender 

2 teaspoons honey

Silicone soap mold 

INSTRUCTIONS 

  1. Cut the shea butter soap base into small chunks and place them into a double boiler.
  2. Melt over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. 
  3. Remove from heat when it is completely melted. 
  4. Add in dried lavender, honey, and lavender essential oil. Stir to mix. 
  5. Pour into a soap mold. 
  6. Allow it to completely harden and then pop the soap out of the mold. 

CITRUS SOAP BAR RECIPE

INGREDIENTS 

1 pound shea butter soap base 

45 drops essential oils (25 drops wild orange, 10 drops bergamot, and 10 drops lemon) 

1 teaspoon orange zest 

Silicone soap mold 

INSTRUCTIONS 

  1. Cut the shea butter soap base into small chunks and place them into a double boiler.
  2. Melt over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. 
  3. Remove from heat when it is completely melted. 
  4. Add in orange zest and essential oils.  
  5. Pour into a soap mold. 
  6. Allow it to completely harden and then pop the soap out of the mold. 

OTHER ADD IN’S TO TRYwhite bowls of dried flowers on round woven mat

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. 

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?hand holding wet melt and pour soap bar

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

lavender honey soap bars
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shea butter soap base 
  • 50 drops lavender essential oil
  • 2 teaspoons dried lavender 
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • Silicone soap mold 

Instructions

  1. Cut the shea butter soap base into small chunks and place them into a double boiler.
  2. Melt over medium heat stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. 
  3. Once it is completely melted; remove from heat. 
  4. Add in dried lavender, honey, and lavender essential oil. Mix together.
  5. Pour into a soap mold. 
  6. 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.

© Laura

Natural Glycerin Soap Bar Recipe

Homemade Conditioner Bars

hand holding shampoo bar

How to Make a Shampoo Bar

cold process soap bars

Cold-Pressed Chamomile Soap Recipe

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Comments

  2. Tricia says

    Hi Laura! I’m sure it’s just me, but I can’t find your recipe for the glycerin pour soap. Can you send me in the right direction. Thanks

    Reply

    • Laura says

      You can use the same recipes here with that soap base. All the soap bases work the same and can be interchanged in this recipe. 🙂

      Reply

  6. Jenn says

    My 13 year old loves making melt and pour soap. I’m comfortable letting her go to town with her creations, because it’s safe! I’ll share your oil combos with her, they sound great!

    Reply

  7. Jen says

    I didn’t realize how soapmaking was surprisingly easy. This inspires me to give it a try myself. I really love the oil fragrance combinations as well. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  8. Stephanie says

    I love your soap! The bars look so beautiful and natural. Thank you for sharing your essential oil combinations. Can’t wait to try to make some soon.

    Reply

  9. Sylvia says

    These turned out so pretty! I’ve been wanting to make soap, and I know the cold process is best (at least, that’s what I’ve heard), but I have a hard enough time making dinner, let alone soap with little ones running around. Looks like I’ll be giving the melt and pour method a shot! They would make really cute gifts, too.

    Reply

    • Laura says

      YES, I totally get that! Someday I will try the “real” deal, but for this stage of life melt and pour is the only way for me!

      Reply

  11. Elizabeth Grey says

    Hi,
    I love your recipes but I was wanting to know if you can tell me of any suppliers that you kin ow of that don’t use palm oil in there soap base.
    Kind regards Liz

    Reply

  12. Cynthia says

    I really wish i could have read through all that. I don’t know if it’s my phone or not but these websites seem so riddled with distracting things popping up all over the place then i accidently lans on it to be taken somewhere else. Its so annoying. I hope they fix it soon it is discouraging me from going onto peoples websites.

    Reply

    • Laura says

      I am so sorry about that. Having ads on my blog is how I get paid so I can keep getting more new content out for my readers. 🙂

      Reply

  13. Miranda says

    Hello! I made soap recently and added dried rose petals to one and lavender to another. Both molded within a week! I used goats milk soap base. Do you have any guesses for what I did wrong? I was disappointed! They were lovely and smelled wonderful.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Laura says

      They don’t last as long when you add dried flowers, however, I have never had one mold after just one week. You can try making them without the added herbs.

      Reply

  14. Debbie says

    Laura,
    I’m new to all this but I can’t wait to make my first batch of Lavender MP soap. Since I’ll be making more than I bar what do I do with the ones I’m not using? Do I wrap them and with what?

    Reply

  15. lynda says

    I got shea butter from amazon,, it was called african butter it was a dirty water color and a bit of a bad smell, and the soap i pour did not set after 2 days and google said it might take 2 weeks it this correct? how can I fix it is it savable or dump it? or can I remelt and correct something?Thanks for your info to us newbys

    Reply

    • Laura says

      Did you use a shea butter melt and pour soap base or just plain shea butter?I use a soap base and it sets up in less than 4 hours.

      Reply

  16. Evelien Martens says

    Hello,

    If I use a melt and pour shea butter base.
    Does the soap need to cure for a few weeks like cold process soap?

    Thx

    Reply

  17. Andrea Pierre-Jack says

    Hi. My melt and pour soaps don’t lather well. I add just about 1 teaspoon of other things. Not butters or oils.

    Reply

  18. Anna says

    Just a little help for people who may not be able to find the soap base: I got mine at Micheals! The Micheals near me had Goat milk and clear glycerin soap. I hope this helps some of you! Also, thank you for the amazing recipe! I feel like I was searching forever trying t find the right recipe to make melt and pour soap that was simple!

    Reply

  19. Heidi says

    Love making soaps! Thanks for these recipes. I always find that lavender and rose petals make the soap turn brown after a few days and they no longer look nice. I wish there was some way to prevent this, it even happens when I just sprinkle them on the top rather than mixed throughout.

    Reply

  21. Sally Mc Menamin says

    I am new to this craft but really want to make some soap I have bought some melt and pour soap base and can’t wait to get started
    But there are so many conflicting opinions about adding lavender buds I love lavender and bought some dried buds to add to my soap but almost everyone says the buds will rot and turn brown in the soap spoiling it I an afraid to use it now

    Reply

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