- Home
- Natural Soapmaking
Alternatives to Silk Fiber in Soap {an experiment – part 1}
Can you add different kinds of fibers, such as alpaca, cashmere, and bamboo silk to soap? I try those fibers and more in this cold process soap experiment! Several months ago, my daughter (an avid fiber/spinning enthusiast) saw me adding some Tussah silk fiber to soap, and wondered if other types of fiber could be […]
...read the full article.
Pansy Inspired Soap
This soap is made up of three simple layers, colored with purple clay and indigo, and scented with a floral essential oil blend. Feel free to change up the colorants and scent to put your own spin on the recipe! I first made this recipe back in spring of 2018, and recently realized that I’d […]
...read the full article.
12 Herbal Powders to Use in Soap
Herbal powders are a convenient way to add nourishing components and label appeal to your handmade soaps! Instead of infusing herbs (and flowers) in oil or water for soap, you can stir small amounts of the finely powdered herbs into the: lye solution, warmed oils, or the soap batter at light trace. Some ground floral […]
...read the full article.
7 Tips for Adding Avocado to Soap + Avocado Soap Recipe
Avocado is a wonderful addition to cold process soap, featuring: skin-loving nutrients, essential fatty acids, and lots of label appeal. Here’s how to add avocado to your soap recipes! 7 quick tips when making avocado soap: Try replacing up to 1/3 of the water amount in your recipe with mashed avocado. If your recipe calls […]
...read the full article.
Charcoal Cedarwood & Pine Tar Soap
This forest-scented charcoal and pine tar soap lathers well and washes off cleanly. It’s a favorite with the guys in my family! Pine tar is a fantastic ingredient in soap, renowned for clearing tough-to-treat skin problems, but it can have a strong smell that’s off-putting to some. When a relative requested a pine tar soap […]
...read the full article.
How to Make & Use Orange Peel Powder for Soapmaking
Learn how to make your own orange peel powder and how to use it in cold process soap recipes. Do you or your family enjoy snacking on fresh oranges? If so, save some of those peels for your soapmaking projects! Orange peel powder adds: soft natural color label appeal loads of flavonoids (antioxidants) Depending on […]
...read the full article.
9 Brazilian Clays to Naturally Color Soap
Learn how to naturally color handmade soap with beautiful mineral-rich Brazilian clay. One of my favorite soap additives is clay. Not only does it add natural color (derived from minerals naturally found in the soil), it also contributes to the skin benefits of our soap. Clay draws oils and impurities from your skin, making it […]
...read the full article.
Charcoal in Soap: Usage Rates & Tips
Learn how to use charcoal in soap, how much charcoal you need to make gray and black soaps, plus a helpful usage rate table for reference! Activated charcoal is a popular natural ingredient to include in soap and other skin care products, because of its power to draw impurities from your skin. (This same action […]
...read the full article.
How to Make Pine Resin Soap {2 recipes}
Learn how to infuse pine resin to use in homemade soap recipes that are great for your skin! Pine resin is traditionally used in first aid salves and balms for achy muscles, troublesome skin conditions, or damaged and chapped skin. Pine resin can also be used to create soaps that might be helpful for someone […]
...read the full article.
How to Make Herbal Liquid Soap from Scratch {+ recipes}
Learn how to make natural herbal liquid soap from scratch. Homemade liquid soap can be used as a hand soap or body wash! The idea of making liquid soap from scratch used to intimidate me, but once I gave it a try, I realized it’s a lot easier than it looks! If you’ve successfully made […]
...read the full article.
Creamy Chickweed Soap (cold process)
This extra gentle herbal soap features skin soothing chickweed and shea butter. It’s coconut-oil free which makes it perfect for those who are allergic or extra-sensitive to coconut. Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a nourishing spring time weed that’s used in skin care products especially for itchy skin conditions and eczema. Since I have an abundance […]
...read the full article.
(From Scratch) How to Make Melt & Pour Soap Base
Learn how to make your own DIY melt and pour soap base using all natural ingredients. Homemade soap base is perfect for creating shaped embeds for your cold process soap recipes, or if your kids want to make their own soap projects but aren’t old enough to handle lye. It’s also just fun to do […]
...read the full article.
How to Make Herbal Soap Without Handling Lye {+ triple aloe melt & pour recipe}
Learn how to incorporate herbs, flowers, essential oils, and other natural ingredients into melt and pour soap base, no handling of lye required! Possibly the most often expressed sentiment I hear when it comes to soap making, goes something like: “I want to make soap, but I’m really scared of the lye!” That is a […]
...read the full article.
Coconut Laundry Soap & Stain Stick {+ laundry detergent recipe}
Learn to make a homemade laundry soap and stain stick using just three ingredients. Also included is my easy recipe for laundry detergent. Unlike my other natural soap recipes, this one is intended for laundry purposes only. It has no extra oils or fats in it, making it better suited for cleaning tough stains on […]
...read the full article.
Homemade Dog Shampoo Bars Recipe {with neem oil}
These natural homemade dog shampoo bars feature neem oil, which is especially helpful at repelling fleas and treating a variety of skin complaints. Since neem has a fairly strong aroma, I also included some lavender essential oil to help mellow the scent and to add a calming note to bath times. After washing your dog […]
...read the full article.
Soap Books & Resources {à la carte}
While my Handmade Natural Soaps Ebook Collection continues to be a best seller, I’ve also received a lot of requests from readers wanting to purchase individual items from the set. This weekend, I dug into my online shopping cart system, made some tweaks and changes, and finally made that happen! If you’ve ever wanted to […]
...read the full article.
How to Add Lanolin to Soap Recipes
Learn how to adjust for and add lanolin to soap recipes, plus guidelines for using it. Kimberly asked a great question the other day, about how to include lanolin in a soap recipe she’d recently made. She also wanted to try including it in my Dandelion Scrub Bar recipe, but wasn’t sure what changes to […]
...read the full article.
What’s Wrong With My Soap? {troubleshooting cold process soap problems}
We all have soapmaking fails. This ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap problems. On a daily basis I receive emails from readers about problems and questions encountered while making soap. (Currently, I have 70+ of those emails in the queue to answer!) A few months ago […]
...read the full article.
Red, White & Blue Swirl Soap with Natural Colorants
This red, white & blue swirl soap is naturally colored with botanicals and clays, and scented with a blend of essential oils. Credit for the design inspiration goes to Kapia Mera Soap Company (see their lovely soap video HERE), only instead of cutting a thin layer to use for rimmed soap, I cut a thin layer […]
...read the full article.
Why do you need lye to make soap? (FAQS)
Learn why you need lye to make soap and how to handle it safely. Our great great grandmothers made soap without having to use a caustic chemical, so why do we? The short answer is that our grandmothers manufactured their own caustic chemical of sorts, called potash, by combining hardwood ashes and water. This created […]
...read the full article.