Considering the fact that almost every soap or shampoo product in the market today contains at least a sizeable amount of harmful chemicals, it may only be fair for you to consider making your own soap at home.
However, not many actually know how to make soap at home in the first place. In addition to being easy to make (it takes a bit of time to master the process of course), it allows you to add any ingredient of your choice.
So if you are interested in cooking up your own soap recipe, here are some pointers you need to consider beforehand as well as some existing recipes you can try out as well.
A Few Pointers and Precautions to Note Beforehand
Soap making is not a complicated process. However, there are some general pointers and precautions you need to note before attempting to make your own homemade soap.
Here are a few of those points you need to take note of.
Be Careful about Lye
In case you did not know, lye aka sodium hydroxide is one of the main ingredients in soaps. Always ensure to use only 100% lye or sodium hydroxide in order to get the best results.
You will also need to use gloves as well as a mask or eye protection gear when working with lye as it is caustic and can easily burn your skin if not handled properly.
And make sure you add lye to the water and not the other way around.
Start to stir as soon as your start pouring in the lye for it may otherwise clump on the bottom, heat up and explode.
Use Proper Equipment
It is essential that you use proper equipment when making soap at home. Stay away from utensils you cook in and stay away from aluminum and copper vessels as they react with the lye. Enamel, tempered glass and stainless steel are usually good options while plastic bowls may melt under the heat.
Use silicone spoons and baking pans as well as soap molds. The other necessary equipment you will need include a measuring jar, stainless steel thermometer, towels and newspapers.
Keep a Note of the Additives
The best thing about making soap at home is that you can add anything you want into it. However, some of the best additives that are normally used include herbs and essential oils.
If you prefer herbs, get them in the dried form. In the case of essential oils, always opt for 100% pure essential oils which will provide the best results.
Colors are also important additives when making soap at home. You will want to stay away from food colors as they won’t hold up well in the final mix.
Natural colors are best and you can get them in a variety of shades as per your liking. For instance, you can use turmeric for yellow, chlorophyll for green and cocoa powder for brown.
Clean Up Afterwards
When cleaning equipment used to make lye, it is best considered that you leave the vessels untouched for a few days.
Washing the equipment immediately after making soap can burn your hands. So wait until the lye becomes all soap and then soak the equipment in hot water to clean it thoroughly.
Easy Homemade Soap Recipes
So if you are wondering how to make soap, here are some quick and easy recipes you can try out. We have tried to offer the best mix of ingredients to ensure that you can choose the soap recipe that best fits your skin’s requirements.
Since all the soaps mentioned here also follow the same steps, we will describe the same only for the first two or three soaps while asking you to follow the same steps for all the other recipes.
1. Coconut Oil Soap Recipe
This is till date, the simplest of soap recipes you can lay your hands on. Following what is called the cold process soap making method, it is also a great homemade soap recipe for the body as it contains a mix of coconut oil and olive oil that have great nourishing properties.
What you need:
- Coconut Oil – 2/3 cup
- Olive Oil – 2/3 cup
- Other oil (like almond, sunflower or grapeseed oil) – 2/3 cup
- Lye – ¼ cup
- Cool Water – ¾ cup
What you need to do:
For the Lye:
- Wear your protective gear and have a spoon in hand.
- Pour the lye very slowly into the water, stirring continuously as you do so.
- Stir until the fumes dissipate and the water clears up. Now allow it to settle for some time as you prepare the soap mix.
For the Oils:
- The next part of making soap involves mixing the oils together. Mix the thoroughly in a pint jar and heat the same for a minute in the microwave.
- Wait until the temperature of the oils reach 120 degrees. Keep the mix aside and allow it to cool down a bit.
For the Mix:
- Keep measuring the temperature of the oil mix and the lye constantly until both of them reach about 95 or 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not allow them to cool down further than this as they may then become crumbly while mixing. In case you let them cool down accidentally, heat them up again.
- With both mixes at the same temperature, pour the oil mix into a mixing bowl. Now add the lye slowly into this mix, stirring as you do so. Stir by hand at first and use an immersion blender for stirring after 5 minutes.
- Keep stirring until you get a pudding like consistency. This is when the soap mix is said to have attained trace.
- Add any herbs, colors or other additives at this point and stir nicely.
- Pour the soap mix into the soap mold and cover the same with plastic wrap for the saponification process to start.
- Wait for 24-48 hours for the soap to set in (this process is called curing). Once the mix becomes firm and cold, remove it from the mold. Cut the soap into bars of required size at this point.
- Allow the soap bars to cure for another 4 weeks at least, making sure you turn them over once every week to expose all the sides evenly to air. Once cured, wrap the soap bars in wax paper and store in an airtight container until they are ready for use.
2. Goat’s (or) Cow’s Milk Soap Recipe
This is one of the most popular homemade soap recipes out there owing to its use of goat’s (or) cow’s milk along with a number of herbs and essential oils.
While the milk ensures that your skin remains beautiful and youthful for long, the herbs and essential oils protect it from bacterial and viral infections.
What you need:
- Goat’s Milk – 1 cup
- Olive Oil –¾ cup
- Coconut Oil – ¾ cup
- Lye – ¼ cup
- Oatmeal – A handful
- Dried Lavender – A handful
What you need to do:
- Place the goat’s/cow’s milk in a container and in the deep freeze overnight. This will help the milk attain a slushy consistency.
- Mix the two oils in a container and place the same in a pan of water. Heat the mix nicely to about 120 degrees.
- Grind the oatmeal and lavender separately to get coarse powders. Add these powders to the oils as well and stir nicely. Wait for the oil to cool down to 100 degrees or so.
- Measure out ¼ cup of the lye and add it slowly to the slushy milk. Stir continuously as you do so until the fumes disappear and the milky white solution turns yellow in color and creamy in consistency. Allow the lye to cool down to 100 degrees or so.
- Carefully check the temperature of both mixes to note when they reach the same temperature (or closest range).
- Pour the oil mix into a mixing container and slowly add the lye to it. Keep stirring nicely until you get a pudding or mayonnaise like consistency.
- Add a few drops of scented lotion into the mix for an enhanced smell. Pour the mix into a soap mold and wrap it with wax paper. Set it aside for a day or two.
- Remove the soap from the mold after it has thickened and become firm. Cut the soap into bars of required size. If you don’t prefer the coarse look, consider sanding the soap bar a bit before cutting it in order to smooth the surface.
- Place the soap bars aside for another 4 weeks for proper curing. Once that is done, wrap the bars in wax paper and store in an airtight container for later use.
3. Calendula Soap Recipe
If you are wondering how to make natural soap using only natural ingredients that don’t harm the skin, take a look at this recipe that uses the perfect blend of fresh calendula oil along with several other oils for a great moisturizing soap.
What you need:
- Calendula Petals –¾ cup
- Rice Bran Oil – 3 ½ cups
- Coconut Oil – 1 ½ cups
- Palm Oil – 1 cup
- Almond Oil – ¾ cup
- Castor Oil – ½ cup
- Water – 3 cups
- Lye – 1 cup
What you need to do:
- You will need to create the calendula oil for this mix first. Combine the calendula petals with the rice bran oil in a pot and simmer over low flame for 2 hours or so. Let the mix settle down nicely afterwards in order for the calendula petals to infuse with the oil nicely.
- Measure out 1 cup of lye and add it slowly to the water in a container. Stir nicely as you do so, waiting for the heat to come down as well as the fumes to disappear. Set it aside to cool down.
- Measure out the rest of the oils and mix them in a pot. Heat the pot in a pan of water to about 120 degrees until they all melt and mix nicely.
- Strain out the calendula petals from the infusion and add the latter to the hot oil mix. Stir nicely and set aside for the mix to cool down.
- Once the lye and oil mix come down to the same temperature of 100 degrees or so. Pour the oil mix into a mixing container and add the lye to it. Stir gently for a while until the trace is attained.
- Pour the soap mix into the molds and cover nicely with a wax paper or towel. You can choose to press a calendula flower petal gently on top of each mold so that the petal sticks to the soap. Set aside for a day or two until the soap becomes firm enough to be cut.
- Remove the soap from the molds and cut into the desired shape and size. Store them on the rack for an additional 4 weeks to allow them to cure properly. Wrap them in wax paper afterwards and store properly for best results.
4. Soft Baby Soap Recipe
With all those chemical laden baby soaps scaring us, it comes as no surprise if you decide to make your own soap for your little ones.
A baby soap needs to have high amounts of fat in order to be very gentle on the skin. You will also need to be careful on the additives you choose for the soap and opt for mild ones that don’t harm your baby’s skin. Here is one recipe you can try out in this case.
What you need:
- Chamomile Flowers – ¼ pounds
- Olive Oil – 6 cups
- Castor Oil – ½ cup
- Water – 2 ½ cups
- Lye – ¾ cup
What you need to do:
- Mix the chamomile flowers and the olive oil in a crock pot and heat the latter over a low flame for about 2 hours until the oil infuses with the flowers properly.
- Prepare the lye solution as mentioned in the above recipes. Stir until you get a trace and set aside to cool down.
- Pour the castor oil into a mixing bowl. Strain the infused olive oil-chamomile flower blend into this bowl and mix both oils nicely. Wait for the oils and the lye mix to come down to 100 degrees or so.
- Pour the oil mix into a container and slowly add the lye mix to it. Stir until you get a thick creamy consistency.
- Pour the soap mix into molds, cover with a lid and place it aside for at least 48 hours to harden.
- Remove the soap from the molds after this period, cut it into the required shape and size, and place aside for an additional month for curing.
- Wrap the soap bars in wax paper and store for use.
5. Charcoal Soap Recipe
Charcoal has been gaining a lot of recognition of late for its purification properties. When combined with essential oils, it can be used to make a great homemade soap that keeps you clean and smelling nice the whole day.
What you need:
- Olive Oil – 2 ½ cups
- Coconut Oil – 1 ½ cups
- Palm Oil – 1 ½ cups
- Castor Oil – 1/3 cup
- Avocado Oil – 1 cup
- Anise Essential Oil –3 tbsp.
- Peppermint Oil – 1 ½ tbsp.
- Activated Charcoal Powder – 2 tbsp.
- Water – 2 ½ cups
- Lye –1 cup
What you need to do:
- Prepare the lye solution as in the previous steps by mixing the lye with the water and stirring continuously. Set it aside to cool down.
- Add the olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, castor oil and avocado oil into a mixing bowl. Heat the bowl in a pan of water until the oils melt and blend nicely with each other. Set aside to cool down.
- Wait for the oil mix and the lye solution to reach 100 degrees. Slowly pour the lye solution into the oil mix and stir nicely to get an even texture throughout. Note that this time you will not have to stir until reaching a trace as there are some more steps in between.
- Add the anise and peppermint essential oils to the soap mix and stir nicely again till a very thin trace is reached.
- Remove half of the soap mix from the container and pour it into another container. Into the first container, add the charcoal powder and mix thoroughly to achieve a dark black color.
- Take the soap mold and pour a thin layer of the white soap mix into it. Top it with a thin layer of the black soap mix and alternate until you have multiple thin layers of black and white soap mix above one another.
- Taking a chopstick, slowly move around the soap mix in a diagonal pattern, making sure to reach the bottom of the mold so that you get to mix all the layers in between. As you move the chopstick around, you will notice a beautiful pattern of black and white creeping in on the soap mix. Continue doing this until you achieve the desired pattern.
- Set the soap mold on the rack and wait for two days. Remove the soap from the mold and cut it up into bars of required shape and size. Place them on the rack for another 4 weeks for complete curing.
- Remove the individual bars from the rack, wrap and store for use later.
6. Honey Soap Recipe
If you are wondering how to make organic soap, here’s a wonderful recipe for the same using organic honey.
Honey is known for its antibacterial and antiseptic properties (1) which makes it a great ingredient for sensitive skin.
This is also one of those soap making recipes that do not require the use of lye.
What you need:
- Honey Melt Base – 1 pound
- Buttermilk Fragrance Oil – 2 tsp.
- Vanilla White Color Stabilizer – 1 tsp.
- Citrus Orange Colorant – 1 tsp.
What you need to do:
- Cut the honey base mold into small sized cubes and place them in a microwave bowl. Microwave the same for about 30 seconds and stir it nicely. Microwave for an additional 20 seconds until the honey has melted completely and there are no lumps in the mix.
- Using droppers, add the fragrance oil, citrus color and the stabilizer. Stir gently as you add each ingredient, ensuring you achieve a uniform color and texture at the end.
- Pour the soap mix into honeycomb designed soap molds and let it sit overnight.
- Remove the soap from the mold the next day and wrap it in wax paper. Store and use as required.
7. Hot Chocolate Soap Recipe
Here is an awesome recipe for making soap that will literally make you want to eat the bars instead of using them to cleanse your body.
Utilizing a variety of scented ingredients from cocoa powder, vanilla essential oil and vanilla flecks to French red clay, this soap recipe is a great gift for honeymooners.
What you need:
- Whole Milk Powder – 2 tsp.
- Instant Coffee Granules – 2 tsp.
- Cocoa Powder – 1 tbsp.
- Vanilla Flecks – 2 tsp.
- Rhassoul Clay – 2 tsp.
- French Red Clay – 2 tsp.
- Cocoa Absolute – 1/3 tbsp.
- Vanilla Fold Essential Oil – ¾ tbsp.
What you need to do:
- Follow the standard instructions for making soap as mentioned in the first recipe (coconut oil soap recipe) in this list.
- Following the part where you mix the lye and the oil mix to get a trace, add powders, clays and the essential oils into the soap mix and stir firmly to get an even texture and color.
- Pour into soap molds and keep aside for 48 hours.
- Cut the soap into bars and set aside for a few weeks for curing.
- Store in an airtight container for later use.
8. Lemon Balm Soap Recipe
This soap recipe is a great choice if you want to add the zest of lemon into your homemade soap.
In addition to its skin cleansing properties, lemon balm along with the other essential oils in this mix will keep your skin healthy and nourished for years to come.
What you need:
- Olive Oil – 3 ½ cups
- Coconut Oil – 2 ¾ cups
- Sunflower Oil – 1 cup
- Castor Oil – ½ cup
- Lemon Balm Tea – 2 ½ cups
- Lye – 1 cup
- Water – 2 ½ cups
- Lemongrass Essential Oil – 2 tbsp.
- Lime Essential Oil – 1 tsp.
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp.
What you need to do:
- Prepare the lye solution as mentioned above and set aside for cooling.
- Mix all the oils together (except the essential oils) together and heat them no low flame. Add the lemon balm tea to the mix once hot. Stir nicely and keep aside for cooling.
- Once the lye solution and oil mix reach the same temperature of about 100 degrees, add the lye solution to the oil mix slowly and stir continuously to get a trace.
- At trace, add the lemongrass and lime essential oils along with the turmeric. Stir nicely to get an even color throughout the mix.
- Pour the mixture into soap molds and keep aside for 2 days for the soap to set.
- Remove the mold and cut the soap into bars. Keep aside for an additional 4 weeks for curing and store for later use.
9. Aloe Vera Soap Recipe
How do you make soap using Aloe Vera? This recipe will easily answer your question. Aloe Vera is known for its skin nourishing properties and is loaded with minerals, vitamins and enzymes galore that can do your skin a whole lot of good in the long run.
So take a look at this recipe which teaches you how to make soap using this wonder herbal ingredient.
What you need:
- Coconut Oil – 2 cups
- Olive Oil – 1 ¾ cups
- Shea Butter – 1/3 cup
- Lard – 1 1/3 cups
- Aloe Vera Gel – 1 cup
- Lye – ¾ cup
- Water – 1 ½ cups
What you need to do:
- Prepare the lye solution according to standard soap making procedures and set aside to cool.
- Heat the oils, butter and lard until they melt completely and wait for them to cool down as well.
- Pour the lye solution slowly into the oil mix when they reach the same temperature. Stir nicely for a few minutes to get an even consistency throughout.
- Add the Aloe Vera gel to the mix and stir nicely to get a trace.
- Pour the soap mix into the soap molds and set aside for 48 hours. Cut into pieces and set aside for 4 weeks for curing. Use as required.
10. Neem Oil Soap Recipe
This is a must try recipe if you want to know how to make bar soap using neem. An excellent homemade recipe for those suffering from psoriasis, eczema and other skin related conditions, neem oil soap can also be used as shampoo for those suffering from dandruff and other scalp conditions.
What you need:
- Cocoa Butter – 2 ½ tbsp.
- Shea Butter – 2 ½ tbsp.
- Palm Kernal Flakes – 1 cup
- Wheat Germ Oil – 2 ½ tbsp.
- Coconut Oil – 1/3 cup
- Argan Oil – 2 ½ tbsp.
- Apricot Kernel Oil – 1/3 cup
- Grape Seed Oil – 1 1/3 cups
- Olive Oil – 2/3 cups
- Tamau Oil – 2 tbsp.
- Water – 1 ½ cup
- Lye – 2/3 cups
- Neem Oil – 7 tbsp.
- Lemongrass Essential Oil – 1 tbsp.
What you need to do:
- Add all the oils and butters together in a container and heat until they melt and blend together nicely.
- Prepare the lye solution as mentioned in the recipes above.
- Mix the lye solution and oil mix together when they reach the same temperature. At the time of reaching the trace, add the neem oil and the lemongrass essential oil. Stir nicely to achieve a uniform trace throughout the mix.
- Pour into soap molds and set aside for 2 days. Remove the soap from the mold afterwards, cut into pieces, cure for another 4 weeks and use as needed.
These are some of the best homemade soap recipes you can work out on in your home. In addition to being 100% natural, these soaps can keep your skin healthy, young and nourished, thus taking care of any skin related ailments you may have effectively.