Making homemade soap can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be. At the moment, I am choosing the easy route, using goat’s milk melt and pour soap base or glycerin soap base. With one of these bases, all you need to do is add a few more ingredients, pour into your mould and wait for it to set. These lovely, cleansing and exfoliating Lemon Poppyseed Soap Bars are so easy to make – perfect for the beginner to try.

Lemon Poppyseed Soap

Not only is it a great soap to use in the shower, but it also makes a great soap for use in the kitchen. The lemon scent helps to remove the aroma of onions and garlic during dinner prepping.

I really love the gentle exfoliation the poppyseed give while you wash with this freshly lemon scented soap. The goat’s milk base – if you use it – is very nourishing for your skin as well.

Soap Bar Supplies

To make six bars of this soap using the smaller soap mould, you will need:

Lemon Poppyseed Soap Bars Instructions

To make these soap bars, I have purchased separate utensils that I use just for soap making, as I didn’t want to use the ones that I use everyday when making our meals.

Cut up the soap base into small chunks, about 1 inch or 2.5cm cubes.

Place the chunks into a large glass microwavable jug.

Microwave on high, in 30 second increments, stirring well after each session until fully melted. Don’t overheat as it will cause the soap base to start bubbling up.

Once all the lumps are melted, add the colorant and zest, if using. Mix through well.

Add the essential oil and stir well.

Add the poppyseeds and mix well.

Place your soap moulds on a flat, even surface where they can stay, untouched for the next few hours.

Pour your soap into the mould. 

I let my soap sit for around 6 hours, allowing it to harden up before popping it out of the mould. With a silicon mould, the soap should pop out easily, once set.

Lemon Soap Tips

• To make the top of the soap bars free from bubbles, you can spray with rubbing alcohol straight after pouring the mixture into the moulds. This will help the bubbles disperse.
• With the smaller mould, you should make 6 bars, while with the larger moulds, you will only make around 3 bars.
• For those in Australia, I purchase my soap supplies from Aussie Soap Supplies in Western Australia.
• Citrus oils can cause photosensitivity, so I do not recommend exposing the skin to direct sunlight after topical application of these essential oils. However, essential oils in the soap bars are found in small, appropriate amounts that will not cause any photo-toxic harm.

The above lemon poppyseed soap was made with Goats Milk Soap Base  while the soap bars below are made with glycerin soap base.

More Soap Bar Recipes

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DISCLAIMER: THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THE INFORMATION ON THIS SITE IS NOT INTENDED OR IMPLIED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON THIS WEBSITE.

This lovely and easy to make homemade healing calendula soap is a great way to reap the benefits of the calendula plant.

Calendula 

Calendula officinalis, also known as pot marigold is a beautiful and easy to grow skin-beneficial plant that can be used to make healing salves, skin creams, and soap. When used in soap, these flowers retain a lot of their yellow colour, which not a lot of other flowers do.

Parts of this bushy, annual herb has traditionally be used to heal rough, or damaged skin. In this recipe, the flower petals of this plant are used. 

I used dried calendula petals as they can be added, or scattered on top without introducing any moisture to the soap bars which could create issues with preservation, causing the soap to go moldy or rancid. Learn more about how to grow, harvest and dry calendula here.

Ingredients for Making Calendula Soap

To make this soap, you will need:

Making Calendula Soap

Cut the soap base into cubes that are around 1 inch in size.

Place into a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir, then heat for additional 30 second increments, until fully melted, stirring well between each heating session.

If using, add mica powder and stir well until colour is fully combined.

Add the infused oil or essential oil, and stir.

Add calendula petals, reserving a bit for the top of the soap. Stir to combine.

Pour soap base into soap mold.

Sprinkle remaining calendula petals on the top, pushing them into the soap.

Allow soap to set overnight.

Remove soap from mold and cut into 1 inch bars.

More Soap Recipes

Storing Calendula Soap 

When set, remove soap from the moulds and store in an airtight container.

DISCLAIMER: THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THE INFORMATION ON THIS SITE IS NOT INTENDED OR IMPLIED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON THIS WEBSITE.

These eco-friendly homemade dish soap bars are a simple and natural way to wash your dishes. They last a long time and when you make them yourself, you know the ingredients that go into them – no more chemicals!

Homemade Dish Soap Bars

While it is easy to run to the store and grab some dish soap when you run out, once you start making your own natural products, you will find there are many benefits to add this to your list.

And just so you know, this isn’t like the liquid dish soap that you have probably been using. It is a bar that creates a bubbly lather that works wonders on the dishes. It also comes with no packaging, can be made in bulk, saving money and trips to the store.

Goat’s Milk Soap Base

Having a child that is allergic to certain ingredients found in many commercial soaps, I like to make my own soaps. Using a melt and pour soap is easy, especially when I don’t have a lot of time. Though there are many different types of melt and pour bases, the one I use the most is goat’s milk soap.

Some benefits of using goat’s milk soap base include:

• Has less allergenic than commercial soaps and detergents and has the closest PH level to our skin
• It is known to reduce skin inflammation and soothe dry and damaged skin
• Can help slow down the effects of aging, reducing wrinkles while moisturising the skin
• Is loaded with essential nutrients and vitamins including A, B6, C, B12, D and E
• Is easily absorbed into the skin
• Acts as a gentle exfoliator
• Soothes the skin helping with skin inflammation such including eczema and psoriasis

Essential Oils

Essential oils are potent, and need to be diluted. Make sure to do your research first and use with extreme care. As this soap is being used on your body, you will need to use essential oils that are gentle enough to be applied to your skin – and use in the correct quantities. Be careful to avoid sensitive areas like your eyes. Also, make sure to use oils that are safe for kids if using this soap on your kids.

Be careful when using some essential oils such as lemon. This is a photosensitive oil, which means that you can have a reaction if you go out in the sun within a few hours of using it. For this reason, when using Lemon essential oil in body care products, I use this Steam-Distilled Lemon Essential Oil as it is not phototoxic, which means you don’t have to worry about phototoxicity.

More Soap Bar Recipes

Storing Soap Bars

The best way to store soap bars is to wrap the tightly and store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.

Variations

• For these bars, I used Goat’s Milk Soap Base, though you can use any soap base that you want.
• I used lime peel powder for these bars, though you can also try using lemon, grapefruit or orange or a mix.

Ingredients for Dish Soap Bars

To make 2 bars, when using the same mould, you will need:

• 5 Ounces Goat’s Milk Melt and Pour Soap Base
• 2 TBSP Lime Peel Powder
• 20 Drops Essential Oils (Optional)
• Dish Soap Bar Mould

Making Dish Soap Bars

Cut up the melt and pour soap base into small, equal-sized pieces.

Place the squares in a large microwavable mason jar or glass jug.

Heat on high in the microwave for 30 seconds. When done, remove and stir.

Continue heating for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the soap base is melted. This process can also be done in a double boiler.

Let the soap base cool a little before adding in the lime peel powder and mixing through.

Then add the essential oils, if using and stir through.

Gently pour into the mould. 

Let sit for a few hours or overnight the bars are set hard.

Remove from mould and store.

Using Dish Soap Bars

Place the soap bar in a small container on your sink.

Wet the soap bar and then rub the dish scrub on it until you see bubbles.

Scrub dishes clean.

Repeat as needed.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnose or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on this website. This is for informational purposes only, you should always check with your medical provider before using anything medicinally.