Soap on a rope is an easy and fun way to dress up an otherwise plain soap. It makes a great gift too! The examples shown in the photos are made using chaparral herb infused soap base, from my Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soap print book, but you could use this same idea with…
Learn how to make charcoal pencil lines in melt and pour soap. (It’s easy!) Charcoal pencil lines are a design technique used to create a striking line of separation between layers of soap. While they might look tricky, they’re actually quite easy to make! (Want to make pencil lines in cold process soap instead? Check…
Want To Make Your Own Soap, But It Seems Too Complicated? I’m Here to Help. When my son was a toddler, he struggled with eczema and allergies. Commercial bars left his skin dry and irritated, so I wanted to learn how to make all-natural soaps free from the chemicals and ingredients that bothered him. The…
Learn why and how to use honey or agave nectar in soap, how much to use, and tips on using them. Plus, there are recipes for you to explore! Honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture, and it helps to soften rough or damaged skin. In soapmaking, honey also has the…
Learn how to infuse skin-loving dandelion flowers into soap base to create these super easy dandelion and honey melt and pour soap bars. This soap is naturally colored with dandelion flowers, while honey adds nourishment and a slight boost to lather. It’s a melt and pour version of my popular cold process Honey & Dandelion Soap….
New Quick Start e-guide Using Herbs & Flowers in Soap Discover 20+ of the top herbs and flowers for making handmade soap. You’ll find out the best plants to use in soap (and which ones to avoid). Learn how to use these nourishing plants to create beautiful natural homemade soaps. You’ll also receive Soap Tip…
Learn how to resize soap recipes to fit your soap mold; includes step by step details plus helpful screenshots. Most of my recipes are sized to fit a Crafter’s Choice 1501 silicone mold, or a homemade wooden version of similar size. What if you have a larger or smaller mold, but want to make one…
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…
Chickweed (and optional violet leaves) combine to create a soft natural green color in this skin soothing melt and pour soap. This soap is a fun and useful way to use two abundant springtime weeds! Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a nourishing plant that’s used to promote lymph flow, and as a skin-soothing agent for itchy…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…