If you’re tired of using abrasive store-bought soaps, you can make your own natural homemade soap easily and inexpensively. This method utilizes simple ingredients that can be readily obtained; no lye or lard.
What You Need to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Glycerin
The first ingredient you’ll need to make natural homemade soap is “melt and pour” glycerin soap. This can be found at your local craft and hobby store or you can order it online here: http://lavenderlane.com/store/default.asp?type=Retail&parentid;=460
Glycerin soap can usually be found in clear and white. You can use either one. I prefer the clear glycerin as it allows you to see the herbs and additives clearly in the soap.
What You Need to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Essential Oils
You’ll also need essential oils to make natural homemade soap. The type of essential oils you use will depend on the type of soap you’re making. Below are the properties of some common essential oils.
Jasmine Essential Oil – Moisturizing, soothes weathered skin
Lavender Essential Oil – Soothing, calming, promotes a restful sleep, softens skin
Lemon Essential Oil – Promotes awareness, invigorating, antiseptic and astringent
Lime Essential Oil – Uplifting, invigorating
Neroli Essential Oil – Soothes irritated skin, stress relieving
Orange Essential Oil – Brightens mood, softens dry skin, restores balance to skin
Rose Essential Oil – Tones skin, relieves irritation to sensitive skin
Rosemary Essential Oil – Stimulates and soothes skin, improves circulation
Sandalwood Essential Oil – Antiseptic, relieves dry skin
Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil – Balances oily skin, soothing, calming, treats devitalized skin
Essential oils can be found at your local natural health store and sometimes at craft and hobby stores. They can also be ordered online here: http://lavenderlane.com/store/default.asp?type=Retail&parentid;=9753
Make sure you are using 100% pure essential oils when making natural homemade soap. Fragrance oils are drying to the skin and shouldn’t be used for soap making or any other natural cosmetic use.
What You Need to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Vitamin E Oil
The next ingredient you’ll need to make natural homemade soap is Vitamin E oil. Vitamin E oil is a wonderful moisturizer and will actually repair damaged skin cells. It will keep your skin healthy and it is highly recommended you add it to all glycerin based natural soap.
This popular oil can be found at most drugstores, natural health stores or ordered online.
What You Need to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Other Ingredients
You’ll also need soap color, herbs and/or any other additives you want to add to your natural homemade soap.
Soap color is found at hobby and craft stores or ordered online. It’s best to purchase each primary color and then you can mix for secondary colors. Soap color comes in liquid and solid form. I would highly recommend the solid color as it’s much easier to use, mix and store.
Herbs can also be added to your natural homemade soap. I usually add lavender flowers, jasmine flowers, chamomile flowers, etc. I find flowers make the most attractive soaps. If you don’t like the sound of such an organic touch, you can leave the herbs out. However, they do add a pleasant scrubbing action to your natural soap.
There are other things you can add to your natural homemade soap for added appeal such as colored soap chips and sparkles. These don’t add much therapeutic value to your soap but they can look nice. If you’re making “ever day” soap, you’d probably leave this out.
What You Need to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Supplies
Other supplies you need to make natural homemade soap include soap molds and a glass pan or double boiler.
Soap molds are pretty inexpensive and can be purchased at hobby and craft stores or ordered online. You can also use candy molds, candle molds, or any flexible, plastic container as a soap mold for your natural homemade soap if you don’t have a specialty mold. Just make sure it can handle the heat.
A double boiler is best as you don’t want to boil or scorch the soap. However, you can use a regular glass sauce pan on low heat if a double boiler is not available.
How to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Step #1
The first step you’ll take when making natural homemade soap is to cut the glycerin into small squares chunks. The amount of glycerin used depends on the molds you’ll be using. If you’re mold makes six bars of four ounce soap, you’ll use about 24 ounces of soap.
A small kitchen scale can help you determine the correct amount of glycerin to use for your natural homemade soap. Or, you can use my method. I cut my glycerin into 1″x1″ squares. Three squares make approximately one 4 oz. bar of soap. So, if my mold makes six bars of 4 oz. soap, I’d need around 18 1″x1″ squares.
How to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Step #2
The next step to make natural homemade soap is to melt the chunks of glycerin. Place the glycerin in the glass pan or double boiler and heat gently on low heat. Stirring frequently or even constantly will speed the melting process. Don’t leave the glycerin unattended.
How to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Step #3
Once the glycerin is completely melted, remove it from the heat. You’ll need to add the oils and herbs quickly before the soap begins to harden. This happens very quickly so I’d recommend having everything prepared before you begin.
How to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Step #4
Shave a few pieces of soap color and add it to the soap (or add a few drops if you’re using liquid color). It doesn’t take much color as you’ll soon discover. A few drops or shavings are all it takes.
If you want you can combine colors. You can use blue and red to make a purple, lavender scented soap. Or, use blue and yellow for a green, lime scented natural homemade soap.
How to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Step #5
After you’ve added the color, quickly add the essential oils and vitamin e oil. The amount of oil to use will depend on the amount of soap you’re making. A general rule of thumb is to use about four drops of oil per 4 oz bar of soap. If your mold makes six 4 oz. bars, you’d use 16 – 20 drops of essential oil and vitamin e oil. This will make a nicely scented and nourishing bar of natural homemade soap.
Next, add the herbs and other additives. How much you want to add is completely up to you. I usually add around 1 tablespoon of herbs per 4 oz. bar of soap. This makes an attractive bar of natural homemade soap without going overboard.
How to Make Natural Homemade Soap – Step #6
The final step you’ll take to make natural homemade soap is to pour into the molds. Make sure the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Allow the soap to cool and harden for 2- 4 hours undisturbed.
Pop out of the molds and enjoy your natural homemade soap!
