Something embarrassing about me. I have stinky pits. Who doesn’t from time to time, right? At some point during the past few years, it got bad and all the time. Deodorants weren’t making a dent. I would go for a ten-mile run with friends and they would want to hug when we were done. I’d have to warn them they might want to keep their distance. Then, I discovered homemade soap. I know y’all are laughing at me right now.
Last year, I went to a craft show and met a woman selling her homemade soap. They smelled so good! I’m usually a body wash girl, but I figured I’d give it a try. I fell in love with the honey oatmeal goats milk soap! Not only did it smell good and feel good on my skin, but the constant pit odor went away! My skin felt more moisturized and the little bumps on the back of my arms went away.
I just had to find her to buy some more, but then…The Thought…creeped into my mind. Surely I can make my own soap. How difficult can it be? I got on Pinterest and started my research. Since I tend to be a klutz (seriously, I am in a boot for a broken foot right now), I decided to bypass the lye recipes that talked about blowing up your kitchen and went for the melt and pour. You can find all of the ingredients you need at your local craft store or Amazon.
There are different kinds of melt and pour, but I decided to use the goats milk. I bought some oatmeal and some honey and started creating. First, steel oats sink to the bottom so don’t buy those. Just plain old oats work best. The oatmeal is trial and error. Putting in too much makes for a good scrub, but it was hard to get a good lather.
My recipe constantly changes because I love to try new things. So I only make 2 – 4 bars at a time. Last time, I added in some Vitamin E and vanilla scent. Orange essential oils and vanilla scent is a yummy summer scent. Lavender is soothing for an evening scent.
I am going to give you my basic recipe and basic tools I use, but play around with it! Go to the soap making aisle in your favorite craft store and look around. You can find Vitamin E oil and Sweet Almond oil, dried flower pieces, essential oils, soap coloring…you can go crazy. I personally don’t use coloring just because I’m going for natural as possible. I also prefer silicone molds. You can find all kinds of cool molds in the baking section of the craft store.
If you start getting into soap making, check out Willow & Sage magazine. I found it at Barnes & Noble. They all kinds of great recipes. Their website, willowandsage.com, is great too.
By the way, the links I provide and products I mention, are simply because I like the product. I am not affiliated with any of them and I do not receive compensation from them.
basic Tools
- Glass microwaveable bowl
- Craft sticks for stirring (a big popsicle stick)
- Soap Mold
basic ingredients
- Goats Milk Soap Base
- Oatmeal
- Honey
- Sweet Almond Oil
let’s make it
Step 1: The soap base I get already has cubed sections so you can cut out how much you want. My soap mold makes rectangle soaps about the size of a regular bar. One short row of soap base makes one very full bar of soap. I cute two or three rows at a time, cut it into cubes, and put it into the glass bowl. Follow the directions on your soap base for melting. Use your craft stick to stir the soap cubes until they are completely melted. I use the microwave method for this.
Step 2: Add in your honey. I use a honey with a pourable top and pour while I count to five. Honey has antibacterial properties and I like the smell so I might go a bit overboard. I add in 1 tbsp of Sweet Almond oil per row of soap base. If I add in Vitamin E oil, I add in the same amount. Yes, you can add in both. Stir, stir, stir.
Step 3: The oatmeal. I have been playing around with how much oatmeal to add. For three rows of soap base, I like about a 1/4 cup. I like a bit of scrub though. If you don’t want so much scrub, try 1/8 cup. Stir some more.
Step 4: Pour into your molds. Let them sit for a couple of hours before peeling them out of your molds. If you let them sit overnight, they will definitely be ready by morning.
the best part
The time it takes me to make these? Ten minutes maybe? This is a great craft for when your short on time. If you’re making some special soap for yourself, you are practicing some self care. And there is no waiting for weeks for your soap to cure like the lye method. You can use your soap right away.
great gifts
These make great gifts! There are always those last minute gifts you have no clue what the person will like and you’ve reached the end of your gift budget, and you’re out of time. You can makes some of your favorite homemade soap, some lotion bars, maybe some lip balm, and you have a nice personal gift. I’m thinking it might be great for teacher’s gifts.
I can’t wait to see how your soap comes out and what recipes you’ve some up. Take a minute and share with me on social media and of course, if you have any questions, post them on Facebook so other readers can catch the answers too.