The popularity of natural soap has been soaring due to its numerous benefits, including its gentle and moisturizing properties. It’s no surprise that many soap brands, whether producing bar or liquid soap, are vying to release products labeled as natural and organic. However, the higher price of these products often hinders people from making the switch. Fortunately, learning how to make natural soap at home is an accessible and budget-friendly solution.
Typically, natural soap utilizes sustainable ingredients like plant-based oils and essential oils, making it suitable for all skin types, even sensitive ones. Moreover, these organic ingredients have minimal environmental impact, making them an excellent choice for eco-conscious individuals. To help you embark on this journey, we’ve provided a step-by-step guide to making natural soap, as well as tips for successful natural soap making. We’ll also delve into the benefits of using organic handmade soap and suggest natural soap-making supplies.
But before further discussing how to make natural soap, let’s explore the captivating world of natural soap making!
Table of Contents
The Journey to Natural Soap Making
Diving deeper into the world of natural, homemade artisan soaps is a wonderful way to pamper your skin and body with the pure goodness of sustainable ingredients. While commercial companies have been promoting products with natural claims, we can’t deny the concerns of skin irritation due to certain ingredients they use in their formulations. However, we have the option to create natural soap products tailored to our skin’s needs. We can explore the diversity of ingredients and customize the texture, color, and fragrance of our homemade soap recipes.
Compared to commercial ones loaded with harsh chemicals, homemade natural soap becomes the preferred choice as the materials are carefully selected, ensuring gentle, radiant skin without stripping its natural oils. They typically contain shea butter, coconut oil, and glycerin, providing moisturizing benefits.
Moreover, the botanical extracts found in these homemade organic soaps contain antioxidants to combat free radicals, along with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that can prevent acne and various skin issues. Homemade organic soaps also serve as an excellent alternative for those with sensitive skin, as they are less likely to cause irritation and disrupt the skin’s pH balance.
In addition, the production of these natural soap products also takes environmental aspects into account. The ingredients, such as botanical extracts, essential oils, and butters, are derived from sustainable plant-based sources. By making handmade natural soap, you actively participate in reducing chemical pollution and minimizing unnecessary packaging waste that harms our land and water.
Natural Soap Making Ingredients and Tools
The numerous health and environmental benefits of homemade natural soap are inseparable from the meticulous selection of high-quality ingredients. Organic soap artisans typically choose sustainable ingredients that cleanse the skin effectively without causing irritation. These ingredients work together to provide a nourishing and moisturizing experience.
A primary ingredient used as a base in natural soap making is carrier oils, such as olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, castor oil, avocado oil, and almond oil. These oils offer moisturizing effects, ensuring that your skin remains hydrated and supple after cleansing. Additionally, the inclusion of butters like shea butter and cocoa butter adds nourishment and contributes to a creamy texture.
Besides that, botanical extracts play a vital role in ensuring your skin receives proper nourishment. Some recommended botanicals to explore are chamomile, lavender, and coffee grounds. Chamomile is favored for its gentle cleansing properties and anti-inflammatory benefits, providing soothing effects, particularly for sensitive skin.
Lavender is rich in antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, making it beneficial for acne-prone skin. Coffee grounds can be added to incorporate gentle exfoliation into the soap, effectively removing dead skin cells and leaving the skin smoother and softer. Moreover, coffee grounds also possess excellent antioxidant properties, offering anti-aging benefits.
To prevent rancidity in natural soap recipes, it is important to include vitamin E oil as a natural preservative. Honey and beeswax can also be added to extend the soap’s shelf life and provide a smoother texture. For an extra creamy and luxurious feel, milk can be incorporated. Additionally, essential oils such as tea tree, citrus oil, peppermint, and others can be used to add fragrance to the soap.
Once you have familiarized yourself with the ingredients for natural soap making, it is important to gather the necessary tools. Soap molds are essential for shaping the soap, while a stainless steel pot and hand whisk are needed to accommodate the ingredients and facilitate the stirring process. A thermometer and scale are crucial for measuring ingredients accurately and monitoring temperatures, especially when mixing lye with water as temperatures can rise rapidly. Additionally, a soap cutter is needed to precisely cut the final soap product.
In addition to the ingredients and tools, safety handling of the natural soap ingredients, especially lye, should not be overlooked. Lye (NaOH) is a key ingredient used in the saponification process. It is a strong chemical that requires the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as gloves, goggles, and long-sleeved clothing when handling it.
This is important because if it comes into contact with the skin, it can cause burns and irritation. If such an incident occurs, it is crucial to immediately rinse the affected area with cool water for 15 to 20 minutes. In addition to wearing PPE, it is important to work in an area with good ventilation when using lye in the soap-making process to minimize exposure to fumes and ensure safety.
Creative Ways How to Make Natural Soap
Now, let’s dive into tips on how to make natural soap with organic ingredients at home! Making homemade soap allows you to explore your creativity by infusing fragrances, blending organic ingredients, and customizing the soap to your liking. There are several creative methods and techniques you can try along with tips for successful natural soap making, along with some helpful tips.
Among all the practices, the melt and pour method is the best beginner’s guide to making natural soap. This method involves melting a premade soap base that already contains lye and adding your preferred natural ingredients and essential oils. You can even involve your children in making handmade soap by exploring and incorporating herbs and colorants they like. It’s also recommended to customize the molds and add flower petals to make the soaps more visually appealing.
To create an even more stunning appearance, you can try the layering and swirling method. With this technique, you can create layers of different colors and textures in the soap. Simply prepare each layer separately and the desired molds, then pour them into the mold one by one, allowing each layer to harden before adding the next. You can also place dried flowers or citrus slices on top to create visual aesthetics. Don’t forget to add essential oils that complement the colors and decorations.
In addition, you can try the cold process method, which involves using lye and plant-based oils. However, this method requires precision and more time to create soap with excellent quality. Although it may seem a bit tricky, it gives you freedom over the ingredients used in the process.
Regardless of the creative methods you choose, remember to follow safety precautions when handling lye and other chemicals involved in the soap-making process. Refer to the previous section for the types of oils you can use in the process along with the safety measures in working with lye.
The Process of Making Natural Soap
After you know some of the creative methods for making organic soap at home from scratch, we would like to present a beginner’s guide to making natural soap easily and easily to follow. You can also effortlessly play with colors, textures, and aromas to adjust to your needs.
Let’s take a look step-by-step on how to make a natural soap bar below!
- Prepare your tools and ingredients. You must gather all the necessary materials to make an excellent soap formula, including butter, lye, carrier oils, essential oils, colorants, and natural additives (vitamin E oil, beeswax, etc.). If you want to enhance the visual appearance, you can incorporate flower petals, coffee grounds, dried citrus slices, and oatmeal. In addition, make sure you have all the required tools, such as stainless steel pot, heat-resistant container, stick blender, scale, thermometer, molds, and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for lye handling.
- Adjust your work space. As we previously mentioned, lye is a harsh chemical that is vital in the soap-making process to create saponification. Due to this nature, you must have a well-ventilated area with a sturdy table top and heat source. It allows better air circulation and makes you focus on the soap crafting without jumping to other places to melt the soap base.
- Start measuring and melting. Weigh 500 gram, 200 gram, and 100 gram of olive oil, coconut oil, and shea butter, respectively, to the stainless steel pot. Then, bring it to the low heat until the oil melts. Once it melts, remove it from the heat and let it cool to the temperature of around 113°F to 122°F.
- Make the lye solution. Carefully weigh 70 grams of lye using a scale and place it in a heat-resistant container. Also, weigh 160 grams of water in a separate pot. Next, slowly pour the lye into the water. While doing this, you must also stir the mixture until it is evenly mixed and dissolved. Then, set it aside to cool down.
- Mix the lye solution and melted oil. Gently pour the cooled lye into cooled melted oil using a stick blender. With the same tool, you must blend the mixture alternatingly between stirring and short bursts. Do this until it leaves a light trace that shows the mixture has slightly thickened.
- Personalize your soap. At this stage, you can add a few drops (10 to 15 drops) of essential oils. Some of the best ones are lavender, citrus, and peppermint. You may also add natural colorants and exfoliants, like coffee grounds or oat meals, and stir them evenly. These exfoliants are amazing for removing dead skin. And to make a creamier and smoother texture, we highly recommend adding milk.
- Pour the soap into the molds. While pouring, you should tap the mold on a flat surface to prevent air bubbles forming in the soap. You can also adorn the soap surface with dried citrus slices or flower petals.
- Let it cure and harden. The initial curing or hardening needs 24 to 48 hours, yet the soap actually requires 4 to 6 weeks to undergo complete saponification. Thus, you will have a natural soap with excellent cleansing effects.
- Store the soap. Make sure you put the molds in a cool, dry area with indirect sunlight. Humid conditions may lead to fungal growth, while excessive light will reduce the color and aroma intensity.
While the homemade soap-making process seems easy, it does come with challenges. Among all common issues in soap making, soap not hardening is the most frustrating one. This problem occurs due to the incorrect ratio of the ingredients, especially oils and lye. Besides, insufficient stirring and short curing time may also lead to this issue. These two mistakes can also cause separation, where the soap mixture makes two distinct layers.
Moreover, you may also encounter soap cracking during the curing phase. It happens due to quick cooling and small molds that cannot accommodate the expanded size. In addition, discoloration and scent fading generally happen because of improper storing methods and certain ingredients unsuitable for the soap mixture.
To overcome these issues, it is essential to carefully follow soap-making instructions, measure ingredients accurately, and thoroughly research the ingredients and techniques used. With practice and experience, you can troubleshoot common issues in soap-making steps and create high-quality homemade soaps.
Customizing Your Soap
In addition to achieving radiant, healthy, and glowing skin, homemade soap also promises easy customization. You can easily adjust the ingredients and formulate the recipes based on your needs and preferences. This is especially beneficial for those with sensitive skin or allergies to certain chemicals in commercial soap products.
While the basic ingredients and recipes for homemade soap are generally similar, you can blend in other ingredients such as essential oils and natural colorants. Here are some recipes to make natural soap you can try:
1. Homemade Soap Recipe To Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Typically, the process of making homemade soap allows you to experiment by adding pleasant scents from essential oils that not only provide a pleasant aroma but also a calming sensation. For example, if you want to reduce stress from a busy workweek, we recommend adding 5 to 15 drops of lavender oil for a calming lavender scent.
You can also try adding bluish-purple tones using natural dye from butterfly pea flower extract to match the lavender theme. The soothing properties of lavender aid in better sleep and promote relaxation. Alternatively, you can choose peppermint oil for a cooling sensation on your skin, which can help relieve muscle tension. For this scent, try using a green natural dye derived from the indigo plant.
2. Homemade Soap Recipe to Heal Acne and Skin Irritation
On the other hand, tea tree oil and chamomile oil are excellent choices for those dealing with acne, skin irritation, and inflammation due to their antibacterial properties.
We recommend adding around 10 to 15 drops of chamomile oil (depending on the batch size) along with milk and shea butter to create a creamier soap with a smoother glide on your skin. Chamomile also provides a pleasant smell and a sense of relaxation. You can keep the soap color white or add turmeric extract for a slightly yellow hue.
3. Homemade Soap Recipe to Get Energized
In addition to the above recipes, citrus oils are often added to provide a refreshing sensation. You can choose between orange, lemon, or grapefruit to feature in your soap-making process by adding around 10 to 15 drops to the lye and oil mixture. Lemon provides a fresh aroma with a tangy touch, while orange is preferred for its sweet scent.
Meanwhile, grapefruit is cherished for its rich antimicrobial properties, which can help you feel energized while prolonging the shelf life of your soap. Similar to the chamomile recipe, try adding turmeric extract to create a yellowish color for the orange-scented soap.
4. Homemade Soap Recipe to Remove Dead Skin
Some people deal with rough and darkened skin texture caused by the accumulation of dead skin cells that need to be removed. To address this skin issue, you can create a natural body soap by incorporating exfoliants. These exfoliants will help remove the dead skin cells when you rub the soap on the affected area.
Natural exfoliating ingredients that you can incorporate into the organic soap-making process are oatmeal and ground coffee. However, be cautious not to add too much, as physical exfoliants may harm delicate skin. Individuals with sensitive skin are not advised to use ground coffee, but oatmeal is a suitable alternative.
Remember to carefully measure and adjust the quantities of ingredients according to your specific recipe and batch size. Have fun experimenting with different ingredients, scents, and colors to create personalized homemade soaps that cater to your preferences and skin needs.
Best of Natural Soap Products
Involving in the homemade soap-making process can indeed sharpen creativity to get products that suit our needs. Unfortunately, some people don’t have time to deal with the preparation, tools, and ingredients. Therefore, they prefer to buy natural soap products whose ingredients match their skin conditions.
If you are one of them, we have compiled the best natural soap products you can consider. Check them out!
1. Australian Botanical Soap
For those who are looking for creamy natural soap that will easily glide on your skin, this Australian Botanical Soap will satisfy your needs. It features goat’s milk that will enhance the silky texture of the soap. Besides, goat milk is also popular for its gentle moisturizing properties, making it suitable for sensitive skin.
Moreover, it is loaded with shea butter that will add a smoother application while bathing. In addition, the soap is enriched with soybean oil that also promotes mild aroma to the product. With only $23.15, you will bring 8 soap bars home!
Why We Love It
From an economic perspective, it is an affordable option since you will get 8 bars for only $20-ish. In addition, this soap is perfect for those who don’t favor scented products.
What To Consider
While it doesn’t strip out your pocket, buying 8 bars may be too much for those who are new in trying natural soap.
2. Dr. Squatch All Natural Soap Bar For Men
Beginners who are just trying natural soap products will definitely want to try different variants of these organic soaps. Unfortunately, if you buy one by one separately it will take a lot of time. For that reason, we highly recommend Dr. Squatch All Natural Soap Bar For Men to fulfill your desire to explore different soap bar varieties.
They come in diverse scents, such as aloe, alpine sage, spearmint basil, bay rum, and grapefruit! Not only that, they are also loaded with the best ingredients, including coconut oil and shea butter which keep the skin moist. For $46.45, you will get 5 pieces of 5-oz soap bars.
Why We Love It
We love that it comes in a bundle of 5 pieces with diverse fragrances. Hence, customers can explore the scents and find one that they love.
What To Consider
We can’t deny that the price is a bit expensive, compared to other natural soap products in the market. However, it is understandable knowing the excellent varieties they have.
3. Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap
Some people like soap bars because they are more practical and are small in size so they are easy to carry when traveling. However, others think that the soap bar is a bit tricky to use since you have to hold it while cleansing your body. For that reason, we thought of recommending Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap for those who prefer liquid products to use.
It comes with no scents, perfect for those who are sensitive to essential oils. Apart from that, the soap also uses organic, fair-trade palm oil which provides a creamy lather texture to your skin. Don’t worry, the palm oil is harvested sustainably so it’s not harmful for our plant. The price is pretty affordable too, only $10 for 8 fl oz.
Why We Love It
This is an all purpose soap that you can use for your hair, face, babies, and even laundry! It is also an organic, unscented and vegan product, making it suitable for sensitive skin.
What To Consider
You have to dilute the product before use so that this product lasts longer. Also, it doesn’t have scents, which might make it unsuitable for those fragrance-loving folks.
4. Kirk’s Castile Bar Soap For Men, Women & Children
Similar to the previous one, this soap is formulated for all genders and children. It’s just that, it’s not an all-purpose product, only intended for your body. Kirk’s Castile Bar Soap is packaged in a bundle containing 6 bars, allowing you to save money because the price is cheaper than buying individually.
Apart from that, you can expect a moisturizing effect from this product knowing it contains coconut oil which provides gentle cleansing. In addition, the ingredients also help eliminate your dead skin without having to add physical exfoliants. To get this product, you have to spend $ 14.39, super affordable!
Why We Love It
The primary thing that we highlight is the cheap price for 6 bars! We also love that this soap offers diverse scents, including aloe vera and original fresh one. You may also choose the unscented variety.
What To Consider
Even though bundling products is preferable to save money, it may be too much for those who never try this product. Especially if they want to test whether the soap has no side effects on their skin.
5. Iron Liop Vegan Soap Wildflower
If you are someone who likes natural soap products that smell nice and have an attractive appearance, Iron Lion Vegan Soap will spoil you with their products. The soap seems to use a swirling method that allows a stunning blend of colors, making it look appealing.
Not only that, it is also infused with wildflower powder from the native West Coast foliage which gives the soap a fresh scent. Apart from adding a refreshing note, the powder also serves as an exfoliant that helps you remove dead skin. To get this product, you have to buy it at a price of $ 24.99 for 3 bars!
Why We Love It
We like the enchanting artistic appearance of the products. The idea of blending native goodness is also super brilliant and sets the product apart from others.
What To Consider
The price is quite expensive compared to other commercial natural soap products. However, the specific character of wildflower powder that offers exfoliation features makes this product worth the penny.
Natural Soap Comparison
Many consider the benefits of homemade soap when moving from commercial body soap to natural one. Besides being considered gentler for sensitive skin, organic homemade soap is no less effective than common soap. The effectiveness of both really depends on the formulation, the artisan soap-making techniques, and the ingredients used.
However, one of the benefits of handmade natural soap is the customization. You can choose specific oils, additives, and butter that cater to your skin needs, allowing better cleaning effects due to diverse antibacterial properties.
Apart from the convenience in use, natural handmade body soap also has less harmful effects on our environment. This is possible because you have control to adjust the ingredients, avoiding the harsh ones to include in your eco-friendly soap-making process.
These sensitive, skin-friendly soaps also generally use sustainable ingredients, such as plant-based colors and scents, essential oils, and organic oils. You can also explore scented soap-making ideas while formulating your eco-friendly soap-making recipe.
Regarding the prices, homemade natural soaps may have higher prices due to the high-quality and sustainable ingredients they use with limited production. However, with all the benefits of handmade natural soap we have discussed, they will be worth the money.
Our experiences with homemade soaps were also very good. Spending more money is not a waste because the soaps are gentle on the skin. While sometimes, after bathing, the skin feels dry, handmade soap actually makes the skin more moist without feeling stripped off. The fragrances are also more varied because we can choose according to taste.
Conclusion
How to make natural soap? We have discussed the process above. Regardless of the ingredients and techniques you choose for natural soap making, it offers a variety of handmade soap benefits that you won’t find in commercial products. Handmade natural soap allows you to customize ingredients according to your skin’s needs while reducing harsh chemicals for environmental benefits.
Additionally, creating your own bar or liquid soap gives you the opportunity to discover scents, textures, colors, and shapes. You can’t deny the enjoyment and satisfaction that comes from formulating personalized products and taking pride in using your handmade creations. You may not fully grasp the excitement until you try it! Explore natural ingredients that suit your preferences and spend a day crafting your own rewarding DIY natural soap experience!
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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How do you ensure the safety of using lye in soap making?
Many people think that making artisan soap is without chemicals. In fact, in the organic soap-making process, you don’t just play with organic soap ingredients like coconut oil, essential oils, and natural coloring options for soap-making. You also have to handle lye, also known as Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), an essential ingredient in any soap, including DIY natural soap recipes.
This chemical functions to promote the saponification process that makes natural foamy soap. Due to its strong and harsh nature, providing careful and safe handling in the organic soap-making process is crucial. You have to ensure that your DIY soap-making has proper ventilation to avoid inhaling fumes.
You must also wear protective equipment at all times, like goggles, gloves, and long-sleeved shirts, while handling and adding the lye to the natural soap-making recipes. Monitor the temperature when mixing lye and water, as the solution can be very hot. And when you add lyes to the water, we highly recommend adding it slowly.
How do you store and preserve homemade natural soap?
Despite what homemade soap-making methods you opt for or perhaps those you buy from the artisan, how to store to extend the shelf life of this homemade, artisan soap bar is generally the same. Choose a dry, cool storage area with good ventilation to allow proper air circulation. Don’t put your soap bar under direct sunlight, which will reduce the fragrance from essential oils for soap-making, losing shape due to melting or softening texture.
Moreover, you must use airtight containers to protect from moisture and oxygen that often lead to dry soap and mold. This is because most natural soap-making recipes do not have sufficient antibacterial properties to prevent molds. In case you have scented soap, separate storage of them from unscented ones. Remember to stick labels and dates to help track the age of the natural soap.
Are there any alternatives to using lye in natural soap making?
Suppose you are unsure about adding lyes to your DIY natural soap recipes due to their harsh nature. In that case, we recommend some alternatives where you can have natural foamy soap without having to deal with safety measures while handling the chemical ingredient. We recommend using melt and pour soap-making techniques using a soap base.
This is one of the most popular soap-making for beginners practices where you can simply buy soap base, which typically contains ingredients oils, like coconut oil, lye, and other materials. Then, you just need to add natural additives like essential oils for soap-making recipes. You can also add natural coloring options for soap-making to make the soap bars appealing.
Another one is the cold process soap-making method. It is one of the famous artisan soap-making techniques where you use pre-saponified ingredients oils or commonly known as “pre-made soap noodles.” These soap flakes have undergone a saponification process. Thus, you don’t have to bother with adding strong alkaline to your natural soap recipe. To include them in the DIY soap-making process, you can melt the pre-made soap noodles and personalize the scents and additives before pouring them into the molds.
Can children be involved in making natural soap?
Yes! You can invite children to formulate and create their own soap recipe while exploring scented soap-making ideas. But since some natural soap-making ingredients and techniques are risky for them, we recommend alternative homemade soap-making methods without chemicals, like lyes.
You can use cold process soap-making for beginners, where you only need to melt the pre-saponified oils, or try the melt and pour soap-making techniques using soap bases. Either way, you have a chance to customize the scents with natural soap-making supplies (the essential oils!) and shapes by opting for diverse mold shapes. Furthermore, choose child-friendly processes and recipes based on their ages to allow them to follow the step-by-step guide to making natural soap.