How to Make Lye Free Organic Soap

If you'd like to experiment with soap making but don't want to go to the expense of buying all the equipment, try making a lye-free organic soap out of melt-and-pour soap scented with an herbal tea. Try scenting your homemade soap with rosemary, lavender, mint, lemon balm or rose petals. Use each herb alone or experiment with combinations until you find one you like. Introduce yourself to the art of soap making with this quick and easy method to make lye-free organic soap at home.

Things You'll Need

• Melt-and-pour glycerin soap
• Cheesecloth
• Fresh or dried herbs or fresh flower petals
• Soap molds, if desired

Instructions

1. Melt soap. Place soap in medium saucepan. Melt soap over low heat until completely liquid.

2. Add fragrance. Place 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh herbs, 1/3 cup fresh flower petals, or 3 tablespoons dried herbs into small piece of cheesecloth. Tie with string to make a small bundle or package. Add cheesecloth/herb bundle to liquid melt-and-pour soap. Let simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes. Remove cheesecloth bundle.

3. Shape soap. Pour liquid soap into molds. Or pour mixture in a cake pan. Score with knife as the soap begins to harden, then break into bars when it hardens completely. Or allow to harden a little then scoop up handfuls and shape into soap balls. Or mold a ball of soap around the ends of a short length of rope for soap on a rope.

Tips & Warnings

• If desired, add a few drops of essential oil to the liquid soap when adding the herbs. For a soap that soothes dry skin, add 1/3 cup of oatmeal to the melted soap after you remove the cheesecloth/herb bundle. Whir oatmeal in food processor or blender just enough to break up the flakes, but not enough to turn them into powder.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish