All-Natural Soap | DIY |

Searching for an amazing and all- natural soap to help your sensitive skin? Looking for a way to heal your skin naturally? This easy DIY all- natural soap recipe is affordable and extremely effective using some ingredients that are probably already in your pantry!

If you have read any of my past posts, you know that I’m currently on a journey to become as self-sufficient/sustainable as possible. I’m trying as hard as possible to not rely on the grocery store for as many things as I used to. That includes growing a lot of my own produce, composting, making food from scratch, and making a lot of my own bath products.

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I finally decided I was going to try and make soap. We use it every day and we go through it like crazy, It would save me so much money to make it myself!

Read on to learn more about how I do it and how you can make your own too!

Why make your own soap when you can just buy it at the store?

Honestly, I hate that I spend money on something that is so easy to make at home. Not only is it more expensive, but I would be using soaps with harsh chemicals that really aren’t all that great for my skin in the long run. Why would you use an expensive, chemical filled, store bought soap, when you could make your own at home for half the price, make it as many times as you want, know where all the ingredients come from, AND it only takes 15 minutes?? How crazy easy of a decision is that? Ever since I started making my own soaps I haven’t turned back. If you can mix something in a bowl, you can make a facemask. It is that easy folks.

It took me a while to figure out exactly how I wanted to tackle this project. Did I want to do melt and pour? Cold process? What base should I use? I had no idea what any of that meant. I read for days on these methods and determined to try a few and see what turned out best.

I finally settled on a method that left me with a luxurious, bubbly, cleansing soap bar.

I LOVE this soap bar! I’m so glad I decided to attempt this process. It’s saving my family money, and there are absolutely zero harsh chemicals. Making it safe for my family and the environment! a win-win-win!

How do you make your own soap?

This soap bar is really simple to make. I decided to use a melt and pour base because I wanted to avoid using lye in the house. I used a shea butter soap base for its moisturizing properties. I was so glad I did, this shea butter base from Saponify is absolutely amazing! It’s made with all-natural earth-friendly ingredients and it is SLES and SLS-free. I would highly recommend using this shea butter soap base from saponify for your soap making needs. If you are unsure about what soap base you’d like to try, Saponify also offers a melt and pour soap base sampler kit. It is a great idea for someone who is unsure of what will work best for them. In this sampler you receive 8 different soap bases to try. Shea butter, clear, aloe, olive oil, charcoal, coconut milk, avocado butter, and white. These soap bases all offer different properties and benefits for your skin. If you are unsure of what base will work best for you I highly recommend this sampler pack, you get 1 pound of each base! That is a lot of soap!

After I decided on a shea butter base, I had to decide what I would add to it. The general rule of thumb is you can add 1 tbsp. of additives per 1 pound of soap base. You can split that tablespoon into different products, I ended up using 3 additives at 1 tsp each. (3 tsp = 1 tbsp.). I decided to add some coconut oil and some mango butter to make this bar more moisturizing and to increase the saponification. I added tea tree oil and peppermint oil for their antibacterial/microbial properties (they also smell amazing!)

Once you have decided on your soap base and additives, the next part is really easy! It is super easy to combine these ingredients to create your own soap. Keep reading for the full recipe!

What essential oils do you need?

It really depends on what kind of soap you are making to decide on your essential oils. For this particular soap I use ,peppermint because the cooling effect feels great and soothes some skin redness, and it has antibacterial properties! I also would recommend using ,tea tree oil for antibacterial properties, ,lavender for a soothing and relaxing soap, orange and lemon are very reinvigorating and brighten your skin. There are so many options out there! You can mix and match to suit your needs.

Does this soap really work?

So far this bar has held up really well and is lasting longer than my bottled liquid soap from the store! I haven’t had any problems with this soap and I have been using it for months. This all natural recipe is one of my absolute favorites but remember, everyone’s skin and situation is different! This recipe work really well for me and many people I’ve tried it with. It might not work for you if your skin doesn’t like it or is too sensitive for some of the products. Always consult a professional like your dermatologist or doctor before trying something new in your beauty routine if you are unsure about what will work for you!

Something to keep in mind for this project, to increase the lifespan of the soap I suggest getting a soap rest so it can dry faster. I have tried this soap rest, which is great if you plan on using it near the sink for just hand washing. If you are looking for something a little fancier to hold your soap try this wooden soap saver tray. It looks extremely chic and keep your soap nice and dry, extending it’s lifespan! If you plan on using this soap bar in your shower, like I do, you need to try this handy-dandy little soap holder that turns your bar into a sponge to scrub yourself with! I love this product because you can use your soap until the very end AND you have a sponge/scrubby to use that’s better for the environment, It serves two purposes and is reusable. It is made out of sisal, sisal is a natural fiber, a traditional material rough enough to clean and exfoliate skin, delicate enough to keep your skin sparkling. How cool is that? Get one for yourself here!

This is the exact soap saver I use and I adore it!

This process was actually much easier than I thought it was going to be, anyone could make this soap, that’s what makes it so great!

Here’s how you make this luxurious all-natural soap bar! Check out some of my other favorite recipes here!

All-Natural Soap For Sensitive Skin:

Ingredients:

• • 1 lb. Shea Butter Soap Base

• • 1 tsp coconut oil

• • 1 tsp mango butter

• • 1 tsp ground oats

• • 10 drops of tea tree and peppermint oil each.

Directions:

• • Cut the shea butter soap base into cubes and melt it in a double boiler. Make your own double boiler by placing the soap base in a medium-sized glass bowl over a pan filled with a couple of inches of water. Heat over a medium flame and gently stir with a large wooden spoon as the soap base melts. You could use the microwave for this but you need to watch it very carefully to ensure it doesn’t boil.

• • Once it almost completely melted add in your mango butter to meltdown.

• • In another bowl, combine your ground oats, coconut oil, and tea tree/peppermint essential oils with a whisk until you get a smooth mixture.

• • When the soap base has fully melted add the other mixture you made in step 3 and stir until it starts to thicken. Now turn off the burner and carefully pour the soap mixture into a silicone mold tray. (I use this one!)

• • Let it harden for about 2 hours. You can place the mold in the refrigerator if you want to get it out quicker.

• • When cooled, remove the soaps from the individual spaces in the silicone tray and let them dry overnight on a rack.

• • Enjoy your new all-natural homemade soap!

I suggest storing these soaps in an airtight container until they are ready for use this keeps them fresh as long as possible because we don’t use any preservatives. I have fallen in love with making my own soaps after this process and I hope you enjoy this soap DIY recipe as much as I do.

Too busy or not interested in making your own all-natural soap bar? Try one of these highly recommended all-natural soap bars below:

Check out some of my other DIY beauty products here!

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About the Author:

Hi I’m Sarah! When I’m not working on Purposefully Green, I’m a middle school teacher in upstate NY, where I was born and raised. I spend most of my free time crafting, making all sorts of natural beauty and bath products, and spending time with my family. I’m engaged to a wonderful partner and together we have a puppy named Scout and two kitties, Simon and Eloise. I’m extremely passionate about keeping myself, and the planet a greener, cleaner place and that’s why I started Purposefully Green. Subscribe to Purposefullygreener to follow my journey!