Essential oils, herbs, and other ingredients can be added to melt and pour soap bases for unique combinations and inspiring aromas. Plus, you can customize your melt and pour soap using silicone moulds to make fun shapes.

Herbal mint hand soap Body Soap Recipe (makes 4 bars)

• ½ cup dried peppermint or spearmint leaf
• 1 lb melt and pour soap
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops spearmint essential oil
• glass Pyrex measuring cup
• small saucepan or microwave
• silicone moulds

1. Add soap to a glass Pyrex measuring cup, and place in a small saucepan of water on low heat or place in the microwave for one minute at a time until melted but not boiling. Try to avoid stirring too much as it can cause bubbles.
2. Once the soap is melted, remove from heat and allow to cool for a minute or two.
3. Crush dried mint and add to soap, stirring gently.
4. Add in essential oils and stir to combine.
5. Pour into a soap mould.
6. Allow it to completely hard and then pop the soap out of the mould.

Body Soap Recipe (makes 4 bars)

• 1 lb melt and pour soap base of your choice
• 50 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 teaspoons dried lavender
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Silicone soap mould

1. Cut the soap base into small chunks and place them into a double boiler.
2. Melt over medium heat stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
3. Once it is completely melted; remove from heat.
4. Add in dried lavender, honey, and lavender essential oil. Mix together.
5. Pour into a soap mould.
6. Allow it to completely hard and then pop the soap out of the mould.

Here are some oil blends to adapt this recipe.

CALMING RELAXING

• Lavender
• Roman Chamomile
• Clary Sage

CITRUS BLISS

• Wild Orange
• Bergamot
• Lemon

SENSITIVE SKIN

• Lavender
• Frankincense
• Sandalwood

SOOTHING

• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus
• Siberian Fir

EARTHY

• Sandalwood
• Cedarwood
• Bergamot

You can also add in other dry ingredients as follows: Dried flowers, oatmeal, coffee grinds, oatmeal, zest, dried chamomile, rose petals. Some are exfoliating.

COLD-PRESSED TALLOW SOAP

This cold-pressed tallow soap is made using pure tallow and coconut oil. It is the perfect soap bar to use for dry, sensitive skin.

• 18 ounces of beef tallow
• 12 ounces of coconut oil
• 42 ounces lye
• 89 ounces of water
• Digital Scale
• Immersion blender
• Kitchen thermometer
• Soap molds

1. Using a digital scale, measure out your water and pour it into a heat-resistant glass. This is important because when you add in the lye, it will get very hot very quickly.
2. Measure out the lye and add it to the water. Stir the lye until it dissolves. Note, the chemical reaction will cause it to heat up quickly.
3. Measure out the tallow and coconut oil, add to a saucepan. Melt over medium heat.
4. Once the ingredients are melted, allow them to cool back down to 100 degrees. This may take a couple of hours.
5. Once the fats reach 100 degrees, it is time to mix the lye water with the oils. Slowly add the lye and water to the oils and mix with an immersion blender. This will take a couple of minutes. You will know it is the right consistency when the soap from the blender drips and pools up on top of the soap in the saucepan. This is known as the trace.
6. If using essential oils or color, add those in now. Stir well.
7. Pour the soap into the soap molds. If using silicone soap molds, you don’t have to do anything to them before adding the soap. Other molds may require parchment paper.
8. Allow the soap to harden and sit in the molds for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days.
9. Remove the soap from the molds and allow it to cure for 3-4 weeks before using.

NOTES

Proper caution must be taken when working with lye. Wear safety goggles, gloves and work in a well-ventilated area.

Fizzing Bath Salts

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup Epsom salt
• 1/2 cup coarse pink salt
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1 tablespoon carrier oil
• 30 drops essential oils
• 1 tbsp Herbs of choice such as lavender, rose petals (optional)

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
2. Slowly add in the fractionated coconut oil and essential oils stirring about halfway through.
3. If using colour, add 1-2 drops at a time and stir into the mixture.
4. Store in an airtight container or glass mason jar
5. Add 1/4 cup of the bath salts to a very warm bath.

Here are some alternative oil blends for bath salts.

Shea Butter Bath Bombs

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
• 2 Tbsp shea butter
• 2 tsp witch hazel(or water)
• 10-15 dropsessential oils

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Add essential oils and shea butter.
3. Add the witch hazel very slowly (you can even use a spray bottle). You may find that you don’t need it at all. Stop when the mixture sticks together when squeezed.
4. Add to mould (you can use muffin tins), adding any topping if desired (see below).

Himalayan Salt Bath Bombs

• 1-1/2 cups Baking Soda
• 1/2 cup for citric acid
• 1/2 cup Himalayan Pink Salt
• 2-3 tsp witch hazel(or water)
• 10-15 drops essential oils

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Add essential oils.
3. Add the witch hazel very slowly (you can even use a spray bottle). Stop when the mixture sticks together when squeezed.
4. Add to mould (you can use muffin tins)

Herbal Tea Bath Bombs

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder(or organic cornflour)
• 1/2 cup epsom salt
• 1 bag or 2 tsp of your favourite herbal Tea
• 1 Tbsp sweet almond oil(or other carrier oil)
• 10-15 drops essential oils

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Add essential oils.
3. Add oil very slowly. Stop when the mixture sticks together when squeezed.
4. Add to mould (you can use muffin tins)

Homemade deodorants

Solid Deodorant

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons mango butter
• 2 tablespoons beeswax
• 5 drops vitamin E oil
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 10 drops of one or a combo of the following essential oils: frankincense, lemon, peppermint, or orange
• Deodorant container

1. Melt coconut oil, mango butter, and beeswax in a double boiler. I make my own by placing a glass bowl over a pot of water.
2. Remove from heat and add in vitamin E oil, arrowroot powder, and essential oils.
3. Store in a glass mason jar with an airtight lid or pour it into an empty deodorant container.
4. Once the mixture sets up and becomes solid it is ready to use. This will take about an hour in the refrigerator.

3 Ingredient Solid Deodorant

• ½ cup of baking soda
• ½ cup of coconut oil
• 30-40 drops of essential oil of your choice
• 1 empty deodorant container

1. Combine baking soda and coconut oil and mix well.
2. Add 30-40 drops of essential oil of your choice and mix well.
3. Add this mixture to an empty deodorant container and allow to harden before use.

Deodorant Spray

• ½ cup of witch hazel
• ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
• ¼ cup of aloe vera gel (aloe vera juice will also work)
• 10 drops of clary sage essential oil
• Spray bottle

1. Combine all ingredients into the spray bottle and shake well.
2. It’s immediately ready to use. Just spray, allow to dry, and you’re all set!

3 Ingredient Spray Deodorant

• 3 tablespoons of witch hazel
• 2 teaspoons magnesium oil
• 15 of one or a combo of the following essential oils: frankincense, lemon, peppermint, or orange

1. Using a funnel, add witch hazel and magnesium oil to a glass spray bottle.
2. Add in essential oils of choice.
3. Put on the bottle cap and shake well
4. Apply to underarms.

Homemade Toothpaste

Kids Toothpaste

• 4-ounce mason jar (with lid)
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of castile soap
• 1 tbsp of water
• 5 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1-2 drops of peppermint oil
• Can add stevia if desired. (Add a little at a time until you get the desired taste.)

1. Combine all ingredients together.
2. Use the peppermint oil sparingly. You can always add more if desired.

Easy Toothpaste

• 5-6 tablespoons of organic coconut oil
• 5 tablespoons of baking soda
• ½ tablespoon of sea salt
• 5 drops of tea tree oil
• 10 drops of wild orange essential oil
• 5 drops of peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops of stevia

1. Mix all ingredients into a bowl. It will be a little thin so, if you want a thicker consistency, you may add more baking soda.
2. Next, put it in the fridge for 15 minutes. It will thicken even more in the fridge.
3. Take it out and it is ready to use!

Whipped Body Butter

• 1/3 cup shea butter
• 1/3 cup cocoa butter
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 30-50 drops essential oil(s) of choice

1. Place shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil and olive oil in a double boiler and heat until melted together (the mixture will look like a giant bowl of olive oil).
2. Remove from heat and stir in your essential oils if using (the more drops, the stronger the scent).
3. Chill in the refrigerator for about 90 minutes or until the edges begin to harden just slightly.
4. Whip the mixture using a stand or hand mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is light, fluffy and resembles buttercream frosting.
5. Scoop into a wide-mouthed glass jar and chill for another 30 minutes to set.
6. Store at room temperature and use whenever you need to give your skin some love.