Just as it’s important to care about the quality of foods that go into our bodies, so too is it important to care about the products we put on our skin. Soap, one of the most ubiquitous body-care products, rids our skin of daily grime, makeup, dead skin cells and oxidized sebum. Yet, whether in the form of a body wash, foaming cleanser or bar, many soaps on the market are filled with harsh detergents that can damage our skin. For example, synthetic fragrances, often made up of a slew of chemical ingredients, have been linked to allergies and migraines; and the antibacterial chemical triclosan is a possible carcinogen. You can avoid these health hazards, save money and have fun by crafting your own soaps at home. It requires a few basic ingredients, doesn’t take a ton of man power and can be very cost-effective. Plus, they make great gifts!

The following recipes use the melt-and-pour method, a soap-making technique that uses a premade, coconut oil-derived soap base (available from soapmaking supply stores and websites) that is easy to melt using a double boiler or another gentle heat source. Once the soap base is melted, all you have to do is mix in your botanicals, natural fragrances and other additions, then pour it into a mold; let it sit for a couple of hours and voilà! Melt-and-pour soaps are fun to make with children and forgo the hazards of working with caustic lye.

Simple Soap Recipes

• Energizing Mint Soap Recipe

• Calendula, Honey and Oatmeal Soap Recipe

Soap Molds 101

Silicone soap molds are available at local craft stores or online soap-making supply stores such as Bramble Berry and Mold Market.

-Advertisement-

If you don’t want to spend money on extra supplies, pans and dishes already in your kitchen can work well, depending on how much soap you plan to melt. For example, you might make a solid soap bar in a bread pan, then cut the loaf into whatever size soap bars you like. Alternatively, make more decorative, rounded individual soaps with small ceramic ramekins or muffin pans. Vintage muffin and tart pans in interesting shapes make great soap molds and are often easy to find at thrift stores.

Before pouring soap into molds, be sure to spray with oil for easy removal or line with parchment paper or muffin liners.