30+ Homemade Soap Recipes That Won’t Irritate Your Skin
Do you have sensitive skin, or are you interested in learning how to make soap yourself? Try out one of these 30+ soothing homemade soap recipes! Each of these recipes is made with natural ingredients (no dyes or perfumes) that won’t irritate your skin.
Why make your own homemade soap?
Shampoo. Conditioner. Shaving Cream. Soap. Body Wash. Face Wash. Shower gel. Is your shower stall as cluttered as mine? Buying each of these products on a regular basis can be pricey, especially if you like high-end products!
And if you’ve never looked at the ingredients on the shampoos, body washes, etc. that you buy, now is the time to start. Most of the commercial bath products in stores are chock full of parabens, sulfates, and other chemicals that disrupt your health.
Did you know that very few of the ingredients used in these products are checked for safety by the FDA? (source). And your skin absorbs these chemicals into your bloodstream. Ick.
This begs the question, are all those bottles of chemicals and tubes of creams really necessary? In many cases, all you really need is a good bar of soap with all natural ingredients. Even better if it’s homemade!
I love a good homemade soap. We are blessed to have a neighbor who makes soap with milk from the goats on her small homestead and adds wonderful flavors and scents like lavender and even coffee!
And, although I love making DIY beauty products like homemade deodorant, magnesium body butter, and body lotion — I haven’t yet dabbled in the world of homemade soap making.
So, I wanted to round up a group of wonderful homemade soaps from some of my favorite blogger friends for you to try. You’re sure to find something to love in this post!
What is the soapmaking process like?
Basically, soapmaking involves combining the elements of fats (animal or vegetable) with a strong alkaline (usually lye) which creates a reaction called saponification.
The resulting product known for its ability to lather and cleanse is what we know as soap! But, there are different kinds of soapmaking ranging for super easy recipes (involving a melt and pour base) to more advanced (using individual oils and lye). If you decide to use lye, be careful because it can burn so you must follow the correct safety precautions.
Soapmaking supplies you’ll need
To make your own soap, you’ll need some basic supplies at the ready. Here are some good ones to have on hand:
- Special stainless steel bowls and spoons dedicated to soapmaking
- Silicone soap molds to pour soap into
- Kitchen scale for measuring accurately
- Quick read thermometer to check temperatures
- Essential oils for scents or dried herbs/petals for aesthetics
- Melt and pour base (for beginners) or lye/wood ash alkaline (for advanced soapmaking)
- This book is crafted for beginners to help you get used to the soapmaking process
All Natural Homemade Soaps
These soothing homemade soaps are made with all natural ingredients with no artificial dyes and perfumes. They're sure to leave your skin soft and clean with no irritation!
Easy, Basic Beginner Soap
Making soap for the first time may be intimidating, but isn’t difficult. This quick and easy beginner soap recipe comes with fun ideas for personalizing it by adding exfoliants, essential oils, etc.
Goat Milk Soap with Honey
Gentle on the skin, and with a nice, creamy lather, this goat milk soap with honey is one of my favorites. Learn how to make soap with both milk and honey from scratch with this recipe.
DIY Foaming Hand Soap
It’s cheap, takes literally 2 seconds to make, and is totally natural and non-toxic. Full brownie points!
How to Make Lavender Bud Soap Bars
Are you looking for a gift worthy DIY beauty recipe that’s easy to make? Learn how to make stunning homemade lavender bud soap bars with melt and pour soap.
Homemade Lye-Free Soap
If you’ve always wanted to make soap but are worried about working with lye, here is your answer. This homemade lye-free soap is basically the scaredy cat version of homemade soap making.
Easy Pumpkin Spice Soap
Impressive looking, but simple enough for beginners, this easy pumpkin spice soap smells divine, and would make a perfect autumn gift.
DIY Anti-Aging Shea Butter & Matcha Green Tea Soap Bars
Are you searching for an easy natural matcha green tea powder soap bar recipe with anti-aging properties? Learn how to make DIY matcha green tea soaps that have great benefits for skin.
How to Make the Ultimate Sinus Relief Soap with Spearmint & Eucalyptus
Are you looking for a natural remedy to help clear up your sinuses? Give this Ultimate Sinus Relief Soap tutorial a try – spearmint and eucalyptus can help!
Skin Smoothing Apricot Seed Soap Bars
These natural Apricot Seed Soap Bars cleanse and exfoliate skin at the same time.
DIY Exfoliating Loofah Soaps
These easy DIY Exfoliating Loofah Soaps look like like high-end store bought beauty products and they're fast and easy to make.
Clay and Charcoal Soap Recipe
This super easy DIY Clay and Charcoal Soap Recipe is incredibly beneficial. It uses a melt and pour goat milk soap base. And it can easily be made vegan friendly by changing the soap to plant based soap.
DIY Stained Glass Soap Bars
These DIY Creamsicle Stained Glass Soap Bars are beautiful and make a great natural handmade gift.
Rose Petal Soap Recipe
This homemade rose soap recipe incorporates some of the garden’s most beautiful flowers – and my personal favorite – roses! You will be amazed to learn how easy it is to make homemade soap with rose petals and buds.
How to Make the Best Shea Butter Soap for Dry, Itchy Skin
Do you suffer from dry, itchy skin or eczema? If you do, give this recipe for Shea Butter Soap with soothing, healing essential oils a try. You’ll love it!
Homemade Honey Lemon Melt & Pour Soap Bars
These Honey Lemon Melt and Pour Soap Bars are easy to make and they smell amazing!
Rosemary Lavender Melt & Pour Bars
This Rosemary Lavender Melt and Pour Soap recipe is easy to make, even for beginners, and it smells wonderful.
How to Make Jelly Soaps for Kids Baths
Jelly soaps are an awesome homemade natural beauty products for kids. Learn how to make, use and store these DIY lavender shower jellies that make bathtime fun!
How to Make a Multipurpose Liquid Castile Soap: Dr. Bronner's Copycat Recipe
Dr. Bronner’s soap is a versatile, all purpose cleaner that is a great addition to any household. But let’s face it, it’s can be quite expensive. Learn how to make a multipurpose liquid Castile soap at home.
Laurel Berry Soap (Aleppo Soap Copycat Recipe)
This laurel berry soap, or Aleppo soap copycat recipe, is a modified Castile soap that is mild, conditioning, and great for a number of skin conditions.
DIY Oatmeal Easy Soap Recipe
This skin soothing oatmeal soap bar recipe is incredibly simple to make. Using a melt and pour soap base, you'll have a custom soap ready in hardly any time.
Easy Pure Castile Soap Recipe
Made using only olive oil, pure Castile soap is a mild, conditioning soap that is gentle enough to use on face and body.
Gardener Hand Soap Scrub
This wonderfully scented, very effective, homemade gardener hand soap scrub is very easy to make. If you have rough, dry, dirty hands from gardening and yard work, mix up a batch of this diy soap/hand scrub and let your hands feel good again.
Homemade Glycerin Soap Recipe (From Scratch)
Perfect for those with sensitive skin, this homemade glycerin soap recipe makes a hard bar of soap that lathers nicely while gently cleansing and moisturizing your skin.
Calming Lavender & Chamomile Goat Milk Soap
This particular recipe uses the awesome scent combination of roman chamomile, which alone can sometimes be too strong, combined with lavender, and has a great smelling result that gives a calming effect.
DIY Exfoliating Oatmeal Soap Bars Recipe
Oatmeal is very soothing and gently exfoliating, so it’s safe not only for my skin, but for the whole family. It works nicely for sensitive, eczema prone skin too.
Orange Peel Soap Recipe With Dried Orange Slices
I love how cute these soaps look with the dried orange slices! This citrus soap recipe is such an energizing way to start the morning!
Homemade Liquid Coconut Oil Soap
Making your own homemade liquid coconut oil soap is simple, thrifty, and very rewarding. Coconut oil soap provides lots of lather and cleaning power for all purpose cleaning.
Activated Charcoal Face Soap Recipe
This activated charcoal face soap recipe is simple enough for beginner soapmakers, yet results in an impressive bar of cleansing, yet moisturizing face soap.
Turmeric Soap Recipe with Dandelions For Rosacea
You will love this easy turmeric soap recipe with dandelions to calm rosacea and eczema.
Homemade Dried Elderberries Soap Recipe
Are you thinking about making your own homemade dried elderberries soap? It’s easier than you think!
Moisturizing Oatmeal Honey Soap for Dry Skin
This oatmeal soap with honey is moisturizing and easy to make using a melt and pour soap base!
Best natural soap if you’re not ready to DIY
Not sure if you’re ready to make your own soap? Let me introduce you to my favorite source for all natural lather – Bend Soap Company’s pure goat milk soap.
Here are the ingredients. Fresh raw goat’s milk, Saponified Coconut, Olive, and Palm Oils, & essential oil. That it!
If you buy from their fragrance oil section, these will have a small amount of synthetic fragrance added. I try to stick to their Essential Oil soaps, as these are 100% pure.
When I first found this soap, I was looking for something gentle to try as a shampoo. You see, I had been doing the “no-‘poo” (no shampoo) method for several months, in which you use baking soda and apple cider vinegar to cleanse your hair.
I loved how much healthier my hair was (commercial shampoo strips hair of its natural oils), but since baking soda can be drying, it is only recommended to use every 4 days or less.
My hair would look great for a couple of days, and then…. well…. let’s just say I got pretty good at putting my hair in a bun. So I decided to give goat milk soap a whirl, since one of my favorite bloggers had been using it as shampoo with great results.
Wow. I mean, wow. My hair was shiny and soft after the first wash, and has been ever since. And it lathers like a dream! Since this cheap all natural soap is so moisturizing, I don’t need to worry about using it too much and drying out my hair.
Update: Since moving to different state, our new home has extremely hard water. Using the soap as a shampoo didn’t quite cut it anymore, much to my disappointment. If you want to find out how I switched up my hair care routine, you can find out here.
I also decided to try this as my new face wash. I usually have pretty clear skin, but once a month I would break out. Using this soap, this is no longer a problem! My skin stays clear and NEVER feels dry!
Needless to say, I just LOVE the simplicity of only needing to pack one item in my shower bag when I go on a trip. And no more endless bottles cluttering up the shower. Click here to check out Bend Soap Company’s goat milk soap!
By switching to all natural soap (either homemade or handmade from a small company), you will be healthier and save money on all those different concoctions you are buying. Double win!
What bath product can you not live without?
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very nice article and informative
Thank you! (I apologize for the delayed response. A glitch on my blog was preventing me from viewing comments.)
Great website and useful
Thank you! (I apologize for the delayed response. A glitch on my blog was preventing me from viewing comments.)