Simple Suds-Soap Bar Making
A month ago I began a journey to start taking steps to making our household a more earth friendly one. The goals I would like to accomplish are buying products that use less packaging, produce less waste, buy more items made from sustainable materials, fair trade, more natural and overall teaching the kids habits that they will carry on as to be good Earth citizens. If we’re at a 50% improvement in our household by the end of the year I would consider that a success. Under promise, over deliver is my realistic approach to this.
Sustainable Suds
Brett and the kids love using soap bars. For the tinies, the more suds the better.
I normally purchase an eco/sensitive skin/baby friendly, goat’s milk bar, and in my search for a bulk alternative I found an organic melt and pour goat’s milk base, that was almost ingredient for ingredient the one we normally purchase. Purchasing 5kg is the equivalent to 62 of our normal bars, but the bulk purchase saved us $15 if using as is, and saves 62 individual packages from the bin.
Melt and pour can be used as is. You can simply slice off a bar and use when needed. If you want more of an artisan feel or calming activity, you can add in items that might be in your own pantry! It’s so simple and calming for both adults and children!
Soap Bar Making
Tiny Skill Building
-Engaged learning
-Coordination
-Teamwork
-Communication
Disclaimer: 1000% not a soap making expert, so I’m sure there are more legit ways to do this, but this was just my process. My babies are ages and 1 and 2, and minus thinking the base was cheese and trying to eat it initially, it was an easy family activity, as long as an adult is involved in any aspect using sharp objects or heat.
I’ve included links for the New Zealand soap I’ve used, but have also included U.S. alternatives found on *Amazon.
Ingredients:
-Melt and pour base (NZ-goat’s milk is excellent for suds—U.S. alternative )
-Family favs
Tiny Remix i.e. Things Already in Our Pantry
–Liquid Honey (anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, possibly anti-aging)
–Raw Cocoa Powder (smells good, antioxidants for healthy skin)
–Organic Rolled Oats (helps soothe skin, mild exfoliant, anti-inflammatory)-I ground the oats beforehand for 10 seconds in our Magic Bullet so it becomes a grainy powder.
Tools
Glass measuring cup or other microwaveable bowl
Silicone Mould (The flexibility of the silicone will make it easier for you to pop the soap out when it’s finished)
Easy Breezy Instructions
Begin by slicing off a bar (or more) from block of melt and pour base and cut into smaller pieces for quicker melting.
I like to make one bar at a time because:
- Our measuring cup I use is small
- Ideally I like to make the soap in small batches.
Microwave and stir at 15 second intervals until the base is melted, but not overheated or it’ll burn.
As I make one bar at a time, it’s only taken 30 seconds total.
Let the soap cool until a light film develops on top and stir in ingredients one at a time. Pour in mould after, using the spatula to help you get the soap off the sides.
During this part there’s a delicate balance. You want to wait for the soap to cool down enough that not all your ingredients will sink down to the bottom, but you don’t want it to cool down too much that it hardens before you’ve poured it out.
For adding ingredients I’ve just used a teaspoon (actual teaspoon, not a measuring spoon) to put in a scoop and half of cocoa powder, oatmeal and honey
Let the bars cool, pop out of the mould and get your suds on!
I either put them in the fridge or let them cool on the counter for a few hours.
Other
*I’ve read spritzing isopropyl alcohol on the mould helps with release and on the top, removes bubbles. As we don’t have any in the house I haven’t used it, but I haven’t had problems removing the bars or with bubbles.
*I have noticed that we’re going through soap quicker, but it may be because the kids are playing with the bars now throughout their entire bath, not just for scrubbing themselves, which we don’t mind since there’s so much soap in the house.
Let me know what combos you’d like to try below!
Happy soap bar making!