Making soap from scratch can be a messy and time consuming process if you do it the old fashioned way using lye. There's a faster, cleaner, and safer way to make soap by forming unscented soap into soap balls. These sweet smelling soap balls can be displayed in containers and used to add a decorative touch to your bathroom. Best of all, you won't need lye for this quick soap making technique. Here's how to make soap balls quickly and safely:
Ingredients
- A cheese grater
- Microwave oven
- Microwave safe bowl
- Plain, unscented soap bars
- Essential oils of your choice
- Fresh herbs
- Food coloring (optional)
Gather Your Supplies
Most of the ingredients needed to make this type of soap are already in your kitchen cabinets. You can use any plain, unscented soap bar found at your local supermarket or drug store. Essential oils and herbs are available at your local health food store or natural food market. Before selecting essential oils and herbs, read up on the characteristics and properties of each so you can customize your soaps to give the scent and benefits you're looking for. If you want to add color to your soaps, use food coloring in the shade of your choice.
Prepare Your Unscented Soap
Using the cheese grater, grate your unscented soap into thin strings. Add a half cup of your freshly grated soap to a microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle your chosen herbs on top of the grated soap. If you'll be using food coloring add two to three drops of your chosen color and distribute it evenly through the soap strings.
Heat the Soap
It's time to use the microwave to heat the soap so you can mold it into soap balls. Place the ingredients from the last step into the microwave and turn it on high for thirty seconds. At the end of thirty seconds, open the microwave and check to see if the soap is foaming. If not, return it to the microwave and microwave it again for fifteen seconds. Keep microwaving for fifteen second intervals until the soap foams completely. Once the soap has foamed, quickly add twelve drops of the essential oil of your choice to scent the soaps.
Form Your Soap Balls
While the soap is still warm from the microwave and after the scent is added, quickly form it into a ball shape using the palms of your hands. Once you have a rough ball shape, allow it set for three minutes. You can now roll it over a smooth ceramic or glass surface to smooth it into its final shape.
Experiment by varying the herbs you add, the essential oils you choose, and the food coloring you add. You can also add other inclusions to give the soap varying textures and properties. Some suggestions are coconut, oatmeal, ground almonds, corn meal, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds. Have fun creating your handmade soap balls!
