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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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(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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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