Perfect for celebrating fall and getting cozy in the evenings, this pumpkin spice soap bar smells delicious and is superb for nourishing and hydrating the skin. Plus, the best bit? It takes just 20 minutes to make and can be used the same day.
With the passing of the summer season, we naturally start to think about fall.
All those wonderful auburn leaves underfoot, blustery walks, steaming hot drinks, and cozy wood burning stoves.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll switch up your bathing routine, too, to be somewhat more nourishing and nurturing.
Which is why I’m sharing these 20-minute pumpkin spice soap bars in today’s post. They are delightful to use and so complimentary to the season.
Great for both the bath and shower, they lather up nicely and smell incredible (like pumpkin spice!)
In this post, I’ll share an easy recipe for a pumpkin spice soap that you can try at home, as well as a little about the benefits of using a moisturizing soap.
Plus, we’ll talk about the essential oils within it and why they’re perfect for fall.
fall soap ideas
There’s just something about fall which makes soap seem so right. Don’t you agree?
It’s totally to do with the cooler nights and the urge to wrap ourselves in snugly blankets in front of the fire.
I’ve come across many pumpkin soap recipes in my time, but this one I’m sharing below beats them all, hands down.
I advise you to use a heavily moisturizing melt and pour soap base for this recipe, such as shea butter (as directed) or maybe oatmeal, as you want to help nourish dry or weathered skin.
Make an exfoliating oatmeal soap bar next!
Whether it’s leftover from too much summer sun or from being blown about on country strolls – moisturizing is what you need!
A lot of people ask me about the moisturizing qualities of soap. I guess this is from so many decades of soap being renowned for drying out the skin.
So let me reassure you! This soap is a moisture giver – big style!
Moisturizing soap benefits
The main benefit of a moisturizing soap is that it hydrates the skin.
And if you’re keen to do your bit for the environment, swapping out a bottled shower gel for this soap is a fantastic idea.
There’s zero waste with this soap. No need to bottle it; it leaves you clean and nourished in one go.
It’ll help keep your skin hydrated and, as an added bonus, leave you smelling lush, which is what we all want from our bathing routine, right?!
How to make homemade soap bars for beginners
If you’ve never tried making soap before, this pumpkin spice soap recipe is a great first one to try.
That’s because it uses the simplest soap-making method and avoids the need for separate lye and other chemicals.
You just need to have soap molds on hand and make sure you’ve got suitable bowls, spoons, and pans for melting the base and mixing the ingredients together.
A melt and pour soap base is ready to use straight from the pack, and it sets in next to no time, so you can use the soap the same day (or the next day – if you can wait that long!)
I always recommend using gloves, an apron, and safety glasses for soap making, just in case any of the mixture splashes while in use.
As always, please take extra care if you have small children about.
Truth be told, these fall soap scents smell so good that the kids may mistake it for real pumpkin pie!
Using natural powders is a great way to add fragrance to your soap bars, and in cases like my new turmeric soap bars; they also provide a number of benefits for the skin.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure HERE.
how to make pumpkin soap
Follow this recipe carefully, and make sure to use protective equipment (gloves, glasses, and an apron.)
Also, ensure the room is well-ventilated. This goes with any soap-making process.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs melt and pour soap base (I used a shea butter base for this specific recipe)
- 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice
- 10 drops each of clove bud and orange essential oil
- 5 drops of cardamom essential oil
Recipe:
- Chop the base into small squares
- Melt in a saucepan over medium-low heat (doing it slowly is important to avoid scalding the soap mixture.)
- Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients
- Transfer to the soap molds
- Allow it to harden for 6 hours (at least) before using
How long should a bar of soap last?
Soap is a funny thing, I think.
It doesn’t tend to go off like food but, instead, gets dry and brittle over time, which is when you know it’s had its time.
When I’ve made this exact recipe in the past, the soap bars last at least a month, which makes them extremely sustainable and friendly to your savings.
But – we are using it most days, and I have no reservations about using it on my kids either – so it gets properly used!
A great tip for extending the life of a soap bar is to make sure it dries properly after use.
Try out a handy slatted soap dish, which allows water to drain freely from the soap. This is a great idea.
essential oil blends for soap
You’ve probably noticed that this soap recipe uses essential oils – and for good reason!
Essential oils are natural, free of toxins, and smell incredible – I use them in pretty much all my soap recipes.
Essential oils contain certain organic compounds too, which have a direct positive impact on our mood and energy levels.
The three essential oils I’ve used here are orange oil, cardamon, and clove bud.
Two of these are earthy-scented oils, and the orange is a citrus oil.
Citrusy oils are renowned as energy boosters, helping heal a whole array of negative symptoms and lift energy levels.
Earthy oils, instead, are great for grounding and centering us. They help us stay balanced and focused. Perfect for the transition into the fall months, I feel!
If you loved this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know. I’d love to see some of your pictures too from your soap creations.
For your next read – try one of these posts. I’m sure you’ll love them.
- Goat milk soap (melt and pour)
- Layered coffee soap
- Cleansing charcoal bars
- Gentle baby soap bars for sensitive skin
- Beeswax soap (cold process)
- Homemade soap bars for men
Pumpkin Spice Soap Bars (melt & pour)
Equipment
- Drying rack
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shea butter melt and pour soap base
- 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice
- 10 drops of clove bud essential oil
- 10 drops of orange essential oil
- 5 drops of cardamom essential oil
Instructions
- Chop the base into small squares.
- Melt in a saucepan over medium-low heat (doing it slowly is important to avoid scalding the soap mixture.)
- Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients.
- Transfer to the soap molds.
- Allow them to harden for 6 hours (at least) before using.
Jessica says
Hello. I have stumbled upon your site and was wondering if you can provide some advice. I have beeswax I’d like to make soap with. For the pumpkin spice and coffee soap recipes, do I just follow the beeswax soap recipe and add the flavors in from your other recipes or would you not recommend using beeswax? Thank you!
Laura says
Thanks for asking. Any adjustments to a cold process soap bar will need to be made through a soap calculator. You can use the brambleberry calculator to enter in the ingredients you want to use!
Brandy says
Where do you get your essential oils? I’m new to all.of this but I do use some eos in my diffusers, and a mop water etc. I want high quality I just don’t know where to get them?!
Traci Rosevear says
I can’t wait to make these! I have a Clove eo, is that ok to use in place of Clove Bud?
Laura says
Yep!
Debi monte says
Hi love this recipe. Where did you get your soap molds ?
Laura says
Glad you like it! They are linked in the post. 🙂
Jamie says
Hi! Do you know if the essential oil ratios can be increased to make the soap more fragrant?
Laura says
Yes, you can add more oils if you prefer.
Denise says
I have been keeping the hand soap dispenser I took from my sister’s house after she died in 2018. I know it sounds weird to save a hand soap dispenser, but the dispenser had peach soap in it and every time I used it, it reminded me of my sister. Obviously, I have used the soap up by now, but I can’t bring myself to get rid of it. I keep hoping I can find some replacement peach soap to put in it. I was wondering if there’s a recipe for making hand soap that comes out foamy?
Laura says
Aww so sweet! Sorry for your loss! Yes, I have a foaming hand soap recipe on my blog.
H.E. says
Love your recipes! Can you tell me a good substitute for Cardamom?
Laura says
You can omit it from the recipe and add in more of the other oils.
Chelsey says
Could you possibly use cinnamon instead of cardamom? Love your recipes!
Laura says
Yes, you can. Just make sure to use a small amount to make sure it doesn’t irritate the skin.
Louise says
Do you use pumpkin spice oil or dry spices?
Laura says
Dry spice
Jill Boothman says
Hi there
What do you mean by pumpkin spice? What is this exactly
Cheers jill
Laura says
Actual pumpkin pie spice.
Lucille says
Love those soaps. What did you add in top. Also, did you add a color dye. They Are not white looking
Thanks A bunch and congratulations
Laura says
No dye. That’s just some of the pumpkin pie spice that settled in the bottom of the mold.