Fir Needle & Mint Shave Soap (Melt & Pour)

These melt and pour shave soap pucks are infused with pine needles for their astringent toning properties, and comfrey for its power to heal tiny nicks and irritated skin.

Round soap bar in shave cup with shave brush and small decorative sprigs of greenery

A blend of aloe vera gel and arrowroot gives the soap an extra-creamy lather.

Use this soap with a shave brush for the best lathering experience.

(Looking to make a cold process soap instead? Try the Shaving Soap (Cold Process) recipe on this site. Or go even more advanced by creating a bespoke shave soap with this article: How to Create Your Own Shave Soap Recipe {dual lye}.)

Melt and pour soap book and round soap on a rope

Want to make homemade soap creations, but don’t want to handle lye? Then I think you’ll enjoy my print book, Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps!

It’s filled with creative ideas for combining melt and pour soap base with natural colorants, herbs, flowers, essential oils, and other all-natural ingredients!

You can find it on Amazon, or ask about it at your favorite bookseller. :)

shave mug containing a puck of melt and pour shave soap made with fir needle and mint

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp chopped pine or evergreen needles, fresh or dried
1 1/2 tsp (2 g) dried comfrey root or leaves
1/2 tsp jojoba oil (or your favorite oil)
12 oz (340 g) shaving soap base, cut into cubes
4 oz (113 g) triple butter or goat’s milk soap base, cut into cubes
1 tsp aloe vera gel
1 tsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 g (about 1/2 tsp) fir needle essential oil
0.5 g (about 1/8 tsp) peppermint essential oil
Round silicone molds
Rubbing alcohol, for spritzing

YIELD: Four 4-ounce soaps

chopped pine needles in glass mason jar, held by a hand also holding scissors

How to make:

In a heatproof 4-cup (1-L) glass measuring container, combine the pine needles, comfrey, jojoba oil, shaving soap base and triple butter soap base. Cover the top loosely with a heatproof saucer.

Place the container in a saucepan containing a few inches of water.

Heat over medium-low heat until the soap starts to melt, 25 to 35 minutes, then lower the heat to low and infuse for about 30 to 40 additional minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the soap infuses, stir together the aloe vera gel and arrowroot powder in a small bowl or cup until smooth, pressing out any lumps with the back of a spoon.

Remove the melted soap from the heat and immediately strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a new container, while the soap is still hot, discarding the spent herbs.

Stir in the aloe and arrowroot mixture, mixing for around one minute to help it more thoroughly dissolve into the soap. If needed, reheat the soap briefly, to help all the bits of aloe and arrowroot to mix in completely.

Remove from heat, let the soap cool for a minute, then add the essential oils and stir well.

Pour the soap into the molds and spritz with alcohol to remove surface air bubbles.