Natural Soapmaking Archives - The Nerdy Farm Wife

(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 […]

chamomile oatmeal soap favors and dried bundles of lavender

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 […]

Blue and white bowl filled with grated coconut laundry soap with grater and soap sticks nearby

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 […]

Homemade Dog Shampoo Bar with Plantain Leaves & a Sunflower

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 […]

on left side is handmade soap naturally colored with rose clay; photo on right is freshly poured soaps in soap molds

Soap Books & Resources {à la carte}

While my Natural Soapmaking 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 just […]

jar of lanolin with borage flower and sprig of thyme

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 […]

what's wrong with my soap? soft soap and crumbly soap

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

bar of handmade soap with red, white and blue flowers

Soap Making 101: How to Make Soap {cold process}

While there are other methods of making soap (hot process and melt & pour), this soap making 101 tutorial provides a basic overview on how to make soap the cold process way. It will be added to my Natural Soap Making page along with other helpful links and recipes; so be sure to bookmark or pin it […]

Sage & Apple Cider Vinegar Face Soap Recipe

This herbal vinegar face soap recipe features sage for its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties, plus chlorella, a nutritious algae that has impressive acne fighting and anti-aging skin benefits. It’s especially helpful for those with normal to oily, or acne-prone skin. Sage & Chlorella – for potential skin benefits & natural color This face soap recipe features […]

bars of aloe vera facial soap with slices of fresh aloe

How to Make Fresh Aloe Vera Soap + Aloe Vera Facial Soap Recipe

Do you want to make your own aloe vera soap using fresh aloe? If so, then this tutorial is just for you! I’ve also included a gentle aloe vera facial soap recipe, along with a variety of ingredient substitution ideas. With a little bit of preparation, fresh aloe can be used to replace part (or […]

FAQS: How to Create Your Own Shave Soap Recipe {dual lye}

To accompany my Calendula Shave Soap Recipe, I though it’d be helpful to write up some FAQS I’ve received about how to create your own shave soap recipe. This information is also useful to know if you want to make substitutions in an existing recipe you’ve found in a book or online and aren’t sure […]

Calendula Shave Soap Recipe {dual lye, palm free}

This calendula shave soap recipe was requested by newsletter subscriber Lianne, which was perfect timing since my husband also requested some new shave soap. :) It includes both sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, plus has a high amount of stearic acid in order to produce a dense lather that’s perfect for shaving. Most shave soap […]

Mild Unscented Bar of Soap with 100% Natural Soap Stamp

Mild Unscented Soap Recipes {for sensitive skin}

A few months ago, I asked newsletter subscribers what they’d like to see me write about this year. (Not a subscriber yet? You can join us HERE.) Multiple readers asked for mild unscented soap and homemade lotion recipes that are extra gentle and can be made especially for loved ones that are going through cancer […]

How to Make Pencil Lines in Cold Process Soap

How to Make Pencil Lines in Soap {+ 12 Natural Colorants Experiment}

Pencil lines in soap are thin horizontal lines that are created by lightly dusting a powdered colorant over a layer of freshly poured cold process soap batter, before adding the next layer on top. They’re a fun and relatively easy way to add visual interest to your soap recipes. While micas or charcoal, or my […]

Valentine Soap with Hearts Recipe

This tricolored soap was dreamed up by newsletter reader Patricia who wanted to make her friends a cute soap for Valentine’s Day. She requested a soap with three layers – chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, and wanted it to smell like strawberries and chocolate. While my version doesn’t smell like strawberries since I have family members […]

Chamomile “Almost” Castile Soap

Traditional castile soap is a gentle mild soap made with 100% olive oil, with a low creamy lather. By adding a small amount of castor oil to the recipe, we boost the bubbles while still retaining the mildness that makes castile perfect for those with super sensitive skin. I chose chamomile for this recipe because […]

Pumpkin Soap with Spiced Latte Layer Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Soap (with Spiced Latte Layer)

This fall favorite soap is made with real pumpkin puree and features a spiced layer that’s deliciously scented with coffee, cinnamon and clove essential oils, and highlighted by two contrasting pencil lines made of cocoa powder. It’s a brand new addition to my Soapmaking Success e-course, but was so well received by local friends and […]

List of Equipment You Need to Start Making Soap

List of Equipment You Need to Make Soap at Home

Before you can begin making soap at home, you need to gather some specific pieces of essential equipment. Below, I’ve assembled a list of must-have tools for soapmaking, followed by a couple of extras that are also useful to have on hand. Note: If you want to print this article out, scroll down and look […]

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