No Kidding: Homemade Goatsmilk Soap

I have thought about making soap plenty of times before, but never actually got around to it.  However, after my purchase last year of Essential Oils (one of the best crafting purchases I have EVER made) to make Bath Fizzies, what better way to use up glorious scents such as Lavender and Lemon?  Truth be told, I have looked down on Melt and Pour soaps in the past as an easy "cheating" version of a DIY craft… but after realizing just how many things you can do with it (without giving yourself a chemical burn from working with Lye), I'm honestly very pleased with the possibilities!)

Materials:

2 pounds Goatsmilk Soap Base (Readily available at any craft store)

Essential Oils

Loaf Pans or Molds (You can get loaf pans specifically for soap making, but I got one made for baking, and it worked like a charm!)

Extra's!  (Honey, Shea Butter, Oils, Oatmeal, Salts, Dried Flowers, the sky is the limit!)

Crinkle Cutter (Optional)

Instructions:

Cut your soap base up into chunks, and melt in the microwave in 30 second increments.  When melted, mix in your essential oils (I used about 45 drops), along with any extra's you'd like to add to your soap. If you are adding any oils, be careful to not overload your soap so it can still set up properly.  

I made two kinds of soap - Lemon with Honey and Oatmeal, and Lavender with Himalayan Sea Salt that I layered when pouring the soap.

Pour your melted soap mixture into the loaf pan, and let sit for at least a couple of hours.  Mine took anywhere between 2 and 4 hours to set up completely.  Once your soap has set up, release it from your loaf pan (or mold), and slice it with your crinkle cutter (or a regular knife).  

Voila!  Homemade Goatsmilk Soap. I'm still deciding how to package these before giving them as Christmas Gifts, so I may revisit that topic here.  Mostly, I just love how rustic these soaps look… I feel like I could have found them in a farmer's market, and yet I just made them in my kitchen!

Note:  I purchased my Essential Oils here.  Trust me - one of my best purchases!  I might just have to make more bath products with them…!  :)  I also followed Martha Stewart's instructions for the Lavender with Himalayan Sea Salt soap.