Recipes to Make Your Own Soap, Lotion and More

August/September 2007
Aubrey Vaughn 
Easy, healthy, luxurious homemade soaps
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Homemade soaps are a fun, healthy skin care alternative.
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If you've ever read the labels on health and hygiene products, you know it can be a challenge to find a product that doesn't contain long lists of ingredients you can't even pronounce, let alone know what they are or what they're for. Plus there are the occasional headlines that yet another standard ingredient in the products we use every day turns out to be counter to the very health and cleanliness the product is supposed to promote. Sometimes the easiest way to ensure that you're using the best, healthiest products ? from soap to toothpaste ? is to simply make your own. You can easily make safe, effective toiletries ? including lotion and deodorant ? at home, using simple, healthy ingredients.

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Try your hand at one or all of these basic recipes and rest assured that your body is getting the best care you can give it. You should be able to find the basic ingredients listed below at your local pharmacy or health food store.

Shea Butter Soap (from Soothing Soaps by Sandy Maine)

2 cups glycerin soap base, melted in a double boiler
2 tbsp shea butter, melted separately
Several drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)

Mix well, pour into molds (you can use regular food storage containers), and cool.

Whitening Sage Tooth Powder (from Natural Beauty at Home by Janice Cox)

Mix together 1 tsp each of baking soda, table salt, and dried sage.

Scoop onto a dampened toothbrush and brush as usual.

Body Butter (from Natural Beauty at Home)

1/4 cup grated cocoa butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp avocado oil
1 tbsp grated beeswax

Combine all the ingredients in an ovenproof glass container. Place the container with the mixture in a pan with a 1-to-2-inch water bath. Melt the oils and wax gently.

Pour the melted mixture into a clean jar and allow to cool. Stir the cooled mixture.

Spread the butter on your body and massage into the skin. Yields 4 oz.

Basic Deodorant Powder Formula (from Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond)

1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
Antibacterial essential oils such as cinnamon, rose, birch or lavender, as preferred

Place the baking soda and cornstarch in a glass jar. Add the essential oils; stir and cover. Dampen a powder puff, cotton ball or sea sponge and dab into the mixture (or sprinkle the mixture on the sponge); pat underarms. Makes 1 cup.


Do you make your own hair or skin care products? Share your tips and recipes by posting a comment below.
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Comments

  • Carley 1/24/2009 3:14:42 PM

    An easy shampoo recipe. In a spray bottle, mix together one part aloe gel to two parts liquid castile soap. Add a few drops jojoba or olive oil and a few drops essential oils (optional). Stir together. Do not shake. Then, just spray on wet hair. I use it every time I wash my hair. For more natural beauty products go to www.rwnaturalhealing.com

  • Cathy 1/3/2009 3:38:58 PM

    I am looking for a good shampoo and conditioner recipe

  • Cheryl 6/23/2008 12:20:10 PM

    For lotion supplies, visit, http://www.lotioncrafter.com

  • dnmdenotter 2/10/2008 7:25:43 PM

    Where can I purchase the supplies needed to make the homemade
    lotions? THank you

  • Lisa Laventure 11/22/2007 12:00:00 AM

    Wonderful, I am looking forward to trying all these recipes.
    Thank you so much!

  • Etta Perry 11/21/2007 12:00:00 AM

    I would recommend that anyone learning to make soap read as many
    books as you can before you attempt to make soap. Especially if you
    are using milk of any kind. I have made a couple of recipes using
    goats milk. These recipes don't use any water. The only liquid is
    the goat's milk. I always freeze my milk before mixing it with
    sodium hydroxide. I thaw it before mixing. I mix it in a pan
    sitting in a sink of ice water to prevent it from getting too hot.
    It will scorch the milk. Here is a Basic Recipe For Milk Based
    Soap. 3 lbs pure vegetable shortening17 oz extra light olive oil12
    oz safflower oil8 oz canola oil3 lbs (6 cups) goat or cow milk,
    prepared for soapmaking12 oz pure sodium hydroxide1 oz borax1/2 oz
    white sugar1/2 oz glycerine

  • Lela Lesson 11/20/2007 12:00:00 AM

    Soap recipes-great websites are:
    colebrothers.com/soap/blender.html,mommamuse.com,soapmakersguild.com.A
    natural soap is one made completely by the soapmaker not a soap
    base that you buy and add your own fragrance or oil to. Use a
    search engine and type in: soapmaking, natural soap, making soap,
    soap recipes. The colebrothers site will give directions on making
    soap in a blender. What could be easier than that. Also look into
    what each oil does and what percentage to use. Every soap starts
    out with lye, which turns into glycerin. And remember add the lye
    slowly to the water.

  • Lela Lesson 11/20/2007 12:00:00 AM

    Soap recipes-great websites are:
    colebrothers.com/soap/blender.html,mommamuse.com,soapmakersguild.com.A
    natural soap is one made completely by the soapmaker not a soap
    base that you buy and add your own fragrance or oil to. Use a
    search engine and type in: soapmaking, natural soap, making soap,
    soap recipes. The colebrothers site will give directions on making
    soap in a blender. What could be easier than that. Also look into
    what each oil does and what percentage to use. Every soap starts
    out with lye, which turns into glycerin. And remember add the lye
    slowly to the water.

  • Lela Lesson 11/20/2007 12:00:00 AM

    I forgot to say make sure you know how much soap the recipe
    makes. You will need molds. The blender recipe makes a pound. The
    average soap bar is 3 to 4 ounces in weight. You can also try
    U-Tube. I am a little afraid of the crockpot method. You will have
    to weed your way through the people selling soap. Some it is quite
    costly. Keep a notebook and log which sites you have been to and
    what you put in your batch of soap (and how much of each oil,
    ect.). The main thing is..don't get in a hurry.

  • Etta Perry 9/10/2007 12:00:00 AM

    I have made soap using goat's milk. I purchased a book titled
    MILK-BASED SOAPS by Casey Makela from Barnes and Noble used books.
    It has a lot of milk recipes and the technique. I made the hand
    soap recipe using egg shells for grit. We love the soap.

  • Emma Dorsey 9/7/2007 12:00:00 AM

    Here is a Goat's milk soap recipe. Start out with a basic recipe
    for soap. I use 32 oz. of olive oil, 74 oz. of tallow, 3 oz of
    cocoa butter,and 3oz. of bees wax heated to melting point in a
    metal pan. Cool to 100 degrees. In a plastic water pitcher mix 14
    oz of lye and 41 oz. of cold water. Use goggle for safety. Cool to
    100 degrees. As the two mixtures cool to 100 degrees mix carefully
    by pouring the lye water into the fat slowly, mix with a mixer
    until there are trailings and is the consistency of pudding. Pour
    into a soap mold and cover and rap with a blanket. Let set for 48
    hours. To make Goat's milk or butter milk soap heat your batch of
    basic soap over low heat and gradually add 9 oz. of butter milk or
    goat's milk to the mixture. when the soap is completely melted add
    2 teaspoons of powdered benzoin and a few drops of peppermint eo to
    cover the slight sour odor. Pour into your favorite
    molds.

  • Lisa Laventure 8/30/2007 12:00:00 AM

    Hi, Just wondering if anyone has a recipe for goat milk soap? I
    am interested in getting a goat for milking and making soap and
    cheese too! Thank you, Lisa in Canada PS This website is
    wonderful!

  • toni rossi 8/26/2007 12:00:00 AM

    The best way to save money and still smell sweet!

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