Making soap using lye can feel overwhelming. Dip your toes in soap making by starting with melt and pour soap. This easy homemade lavender soap recipe takes all the hard work out of the process. Customize with your favorite oils for a truly unique and thoughtful gift!
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Homemade gifts are the best kind to receive, and this Homemade Lavender Soap is no exception. There is something about the love that goes in to a hand made gift. Whether you make this lavender soap for yourself or for a friend, it will be beautiful and the shea butter and lavender will feel great on your skin and even have a calming effect.
Make sure to check out even more easy, homemade bath gift ideas!
Ingredients
Melt and Pour Soap Base: I chose to use shea butter because I like the moisturizing feeling. Use your favorite: oatmeal, glycerin, goat’s milk, olive oil, even hemp.
Essential Oil: For this recipe, we will use lavender essential oil, but feel free to get creative and try different oils for different applications. Lavender is very calming so it is great for showers and baths when you are looking to wind down. Something like an orange essential oil is bright and refreshing and good for waking you up.
Optional Dried Lavender: This one really is only for visual effect. The dried lavender buds not only tell us what scent this soap is, it looks beautiful. Pro Tip: dried flowers can turn brown when mixed with the soap, so I recommend just sprinkling on top and bottom – don’t actually mix into the soap base.
Equipment
- Medium microwave-safe mixing bowl
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Silicone Soap mold or other mold (like ice cube trays)
How to Make Lavender Soap
The method I have included in this recipe is the easiest way to make soap. Rather than mess with caustic lye, we are using melt and pour soap base.
- To create your homemade lavender soap, you’ll simply cut the soap base into pieces and melt in the microwave or over a double-boiler until it is liquid. Take care to microwave in 30 second intervals to ensure you don’t scorch the soap.
- Then, you’ll add your essential oils. You can also add soap colorant or even body safe glitter here if you’d like to change the color or give some sparkle.
- Sprinkle some dried lavender into each of your soap molds. Then, you’ll pour the soap base into the molds and sprinkle a little more dried lavender on top. You can use a toothpick to stir the lavender into the soap if you want it incorporated.
- Let it sit on a level surface until it sets completely, about 4 hours.
Once set, you can remove the soap from your molds and use as you wish or wrap with parchment paper and tie some twine around it for an easy, frugal homemade gift. One major difference with melt and pour soap base is that it does not need to cure like lye based soaps. You can use it immediately.
Variations
Adding exfoliants to your soap can help remove dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling smooth and soft. Some great exfoliants to add to your lavender soap are:
- Coffee grounds
- Sea salt
- Sugar
- for more ideas, check out this list of exfoliants great for homemade soap
To add any of these ingredients to your soap, simply mix them into the melted soap base before pouring it into the mold. Pay attention to your skin type and select the appropriate exfoliant to ensure it is not too harsh on your skin.
More DIY Recipes
- Easy Homemade Bath Bombs
- DIY Dry Shampoo
- Homemade Clove Mouthwash (just 2 ingredients!)
- DIY Clarifying Shampoo
Homemade Lavender Soap
Ingredients
- 16 ounces shea butter soap base or other melt and pour soap base
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
- 1/2 cup dried lavender buds
- silicone soap mold or other mold
Instructions
- Remove soap base from container and cut into pieces.
- Place in a microwave safe container and heat according to the package directions.
- Add 10 drops of essential oil and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle dried lavender petals into the soap mold.
- Pour melted soap into the molds and add additional petals to the top, if desired.
- Allow soap to sit and harden for 4 hours.
- When the soap is set, remove from the molds and store in a cool, dry place until ready to use or package for gifts.
Notes
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I was wondering about how many bars of soap do you get out of this recipe?
Never mind I see it now I apologize.
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for reaching out! The number of bars will really depend on how much you fill each mold. I was able to get 6 bars filling each mold to about 3/4 inch deep. You can make your bars thicker or increase the amount of soap base used.
Thanks,
Sarah
We just made this and it came out fantastic! Thank you! Do you think it would be an issue to send it via mail to someone?
Hi, Jocelyn! I’m so glad you made it and like it! I don’t see any reason why you can’t mail it. I would use a bubble mailer envelope just to be safe, but you shouldn’t have any issues at all! Thanks, again!
Hi
Is this suitable for face ?
Hi Rangika,
Yes, shea butter soap base is safe to use on your face. If you have sensitive skin, feel free to use a melt and pour soap base that you know works with your skin (oatmeal, glycerin).
Thank you..
Can I make this using a coconut milk soap base?
Hi, Angie. As long as the coconut milk soap base is “melt and pour,” I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use it. Let me know how it turns out! It sounds amazing!
Hi there
Was wondering how much of the essential oil i would need to purchase to make the six bars of soap? New to this venture!
Thanks
Recipe looks super easy for beginners , like me!
Hi, Donna. You’ll only need 10 drops for this recipe, so you will have plenty from a 10 mL bottle. Enjoy!!
Hey I am going to try this soap making in my home should I include lavender dry petals compulsory into it because I do not have lavender dry petals
It is a pleasure worth reading this article as it is stating about the homemade lavender soap.This is one of the best write up. Such illustrations are given that a layman could even understand. It is an easy to comprehend blog which can be instigated by all at least once. This is a great post; I will share as much as I can.
Hi! Thanks for much for all of the helpful information you write!
You’re welcome, David! Thank you for taking the time to comment. I love hearing from readers!
Can I use lavender leaves instead of the flower/buds?
Do these have a used by date.Like how long do these last?
Hi, Evie. These bars are safe to use for 1-2 years.
I made melt and pour added lavender buds into
The melted soap and poured into molds. Two things happened that have not happened before. Each 2 x 2 bar has pitting in it and all the buds are brown and soaps are ugly. I threw them away
Any idea what is wrong ? The mold was brand new silicone I did several pours and they all pitted.
Help!!!
You didn’t do anything wrong. Lavender and most other botanicals rehydrate when added to the soap base and then mold and/or turn brown within a short amount of time. To avoid the pitting just spray with rubbing alcohol after pouring into the mold and make sure not to bump it until fully hardened.
Do you have any suggestions for preventing the soap from browning?
Hi, Roxanna. Unfortunately, the brown color from the dried lavender is natural. You can spray alcohol on the soap before sprinkling on the dried lavender to help slow the browning, but it is the nature of using dried flowers.
Can I mix goat milk and shea butter melt and pour soap together for this recipe?
Hi, Cheryl. As long as both are melt and pour, you shouldn’t have any issues. I would melt them separately and then stir them together once melted.
Which Lavender EO do you use for this recipe and does it matter? I have True Lavender (lavandula angustifolia) but I have noticed many soap making recipes call for lavender 40/42.