The Easy Way to use Essential Oils for DIY Soap

The Easy Way to use Essential Oils to Make Soap

Back in the day when life was simpler, women had hours to spend making homemade soap. It was a necessity and just part of daily life. But seriously, not many have the time it takes to make good old-fashioned lye soap. The good news today is that you can use essential oils to make your own soap without breaking the bank or spending hours on end in the process. It can be broken down into a few simple DIY steps. It’s uncomplicated and you’ll be using your handmade essential oil soap in no time.

DIY Essential Oil Soap or Re-batching

The re-batching method is a DIY plan for making your own essential oil bar soap. You won’t have to worry about the long process of using lye because the manufacturer will have already put lye in the base soap. You’ll be able to make a simple and easy batch of soap that is also kid and skin friendly in just a matter of a couple of hours.

Gathering the Ingredients to Make Your EO Soap

You’re going to use some pre-made soap to get started, hence the term “re-batching.” One of the best options is Kirk’s Original Castile Soap bars. But there are other brands and options. Choose a pure Castile bar soap for your base. For this recipe, you’ll need 3 bars of pre-made soap. There are some premade soap bases that are made specifically for re-batching. The most important thing is to purchase a fragrance-free soap. You want to add your own fragrance and other beneficial properties by using essential oils like lavender EO, bergamot EO, peppermint EO, and tea tree EO.

Choosing an Essential Oil Blend for Your Soap

The possibilities are literally limitless when it comes to choosing essential oils and oil blends to make re-batched soap. You can make your choice based on which fragrances you prefer. Or, you may consider other factors that are important to you and your family such as skin softening properties. Include oils with antibacterial properties if you wish. Some may want a handmade essential oil soap that is gentle enough for those who have skin issues like eczema. Do you want it to have a calming effect on the skin or mind?  It’s up to you what EOs you put in your soap, and you can use any combination you like.

Recipe for Re-batching Soap

The first step for re-batching soap is choosing the method you prefer for melting down the bars. Choices include:

• Melt the bars of soap in a double boiler
• Use a slow cooker to melt the bar soap
• Use the microwave and melt the soap inside a plastic bag

Your choice may depend on your schedule and the time you have available to make your own recipe. For the purpose of this recipe, we’ll discuss the slow cooker method. Other than the method, all the steps will be the same.

1. The first step to re-batching soap is grating down the bars. This step is essential as you will want it to melt down more easily. If you want to make the grating process a bit easier, you can microwave each bar for about 10 seconds before grating with a hand-held grater. Placing it in the microwave for only 10 seconds makes it just soft enough to speed up the grating process. Don’t leave it in the microwave any longer than 15 seconds as it will become too soft to grate.
2. Place the grated soap bars in a slow cooker and turn it on low. Check the soap base every 10 to 15 minutes and stir it using a wooden or metal spoon. When it is about halfway melted, add about an ounce of water. Add it slowly. How much water you add varies depending on the thickness of the melting soap. It should not take more than an ounce and probably won’t take that much. If you add too much, it can keep the soap from hardening as well.
3. Once the soap has melted, add the essential oils. If you want, you can add other ingredients like vitamin E or oatmeal. Mix it well, then pour it into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. The paper keeps it from sticking.
4. Let the re-batched soap sit to dry and cure for at least 2 weeks before cutting and using it.

How much essential oil do I need for my soap?

The great thing about making your own soaps is you can choose how strong you want the oils to be. You can also add other ingredients that you like. Use this recipe as a base and then make changes from there based on your preferences.

• 3 bars of castile soap
• 20-30 drops of essential oil or oil blend of your choice
• 1 teaspoon of vitamin E (optional)
• ¼ cup of oatmeal (optional)

If you choose to add oatmeal to your soap recipe you can leave it whole as an exfoliant. If you have children or super sensitive skin leaving it whole may be too rough. You can put it in the blender to make a finer mixture if you want the benefits for your skin without the extra roughage.

Which Essential Oils to Use in Soap

There are so many essential oils to use when making soap and it really is an individual choice. You can make your own unique blends or keep it simple by using a solitary essential oil for a pure fragrance. Also keep in mind the properties you want your soap to have such as antibacterial, skin softening, antifungal, odor busting, invigorating, or soothing. Start with what you like or hope to achieve and build out your soap making experience from there.