How to Make Home Made Shaving Soap

There are quite a few all-natural shaving soap recipes floating around on the internet, some a lot better than others.

If you are interested in taking the fully natural approach and creating your own shaving soap the path may be full of trial and error until you find the recipe that works for you. Some recipes do not lather enough; others may dry out the skin.

Shaving soap does not contain the same ingredients as regular soap, so if you just base your recipe on regular soap you will probably not obtain the results you are looking for.

The recipe that we have found below actually provides both skin protection and a good lather, both important for a clean and close shave

All ingredients can easily be purchased a convenience store or chemist and the final product will last for months.

How to Make Home Made Shaving Soap

This recipe yields 5 pounds of soap. For a smaller of larger batch divide or multiply the measurements accordingly.

Consumer Warning

This recipe calls for the use of lye – if you are not comfortable working with lye you may want to try your hand at making your own shaving creams instead of soap.

Ingredients

  • 23.9 oz Olive Oil
  • 10.6 oz Coconut Oil
  • 10.6 oz Castor Oil
  • 4.2 oz Palm Oil
  • 3.7 oz Almond Oil
  • 3 tablespoons Bentonite Clay
  • 4 tablespoons Colloidal Oatmeal
  • 20 oz Distilled Water
  • 7.269 oz Lye

Utensils

  • 1 large saucepan
  • 1 container to mix the lye
  • 2 mixing bowls
  • Thermometer
  • Stick blender
  • Blender or coffee grinder
  • Spatulas and wooden spoons
  • 5lb soap mold

Directions

1

Use your gloves for this part. Pour the water into the container, add the dry lye and combine. Do this in a well-ventilated area as the solution heats up fast and creates distinct fumes.

Do NOT pour the water over the lye as this will create a volcano effect and can be dangerous. Place the thermometer in the container and put to one side.

You do not want to use the substance until it has cooled down to around 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

2

Combine the oils together in your saucepan and melt them down on a very low heat. Too high of a heat will scorch them so it is important to remain vigilant. Put to one side to cool.

3

Measure out the 3 tablespoons of Bentonite Clay and 4 tablespoons of Colloidal Oatmeal into separate containers.

The clay will provide your soap with slip and a layer of protection on your skin, and the oatmeal will provide soothing properties.

You can create your own Colloidal Oatmeal by grinding regular oatmeal in a blender or a coffee grinder.

4

Check that your lye and oil mixes are around 110 degrees. If you need to heat them a little you can place the containers in hot water, if they need to be cooled more you can place them in ice.

5

Pour the lye solution carefully into the oil and combine using a utensil that will not be damaged by the lye (silicone spatula or stainless steel whisk work well).

Mix slowly for about a minute until the solution is of a paste-like consistency.

6

Remove a small portion of the soap paste and mix it with the clay. Once the ingredients are well combined pour the solution into the rest of the soap paste and blend well.

7

Add the oatmeal to the soap paste and stir until trace is reached.

In the soap-making world “trace” is when all elements are completely combined and the paste is thick enough to leave a trace when you let some drop from a mixing utensil back into the bowl.

The consistency should be like that of mayonnaise.

8

Pour the soap mixture into your mold and allow to solidify.

This can take between 12 and 24 hours.

9

Once the soap has solidified, remove from the mold and cut into bars. Then allow the bars to naturally air cure in a cool, dry and well-ventilated area for 4-6 weeks. The longer the cure time, the longer your bars will last.

10

And there you go: 5 pounds of shaving soap ready to use!

If creating the soap from scratch is a little too much for you, you can also melt down a hand-made natural cake of soap and 1 tablespoon of olive or almond oil or aloe vera gel and 1-2 tablespoon white clay, French clay, kaolin, or cosmetic clay.

Pour into molds and leave to solidify.

Conclusion

In the end creating your own soap may not be more cost effective, but at least you know that what you put on your skin is 100% natural and handmade. Not only that, a 5 pound mold will yield enough soap to last well over a year.

This soap is also good enough to be a gift! Have you tried your hand at making your own shaving soap? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!

Sue
 

For the past 12 months, I have been testing and playing with all sorts of hair removal products for Hair Free Life. My goal is to provide the most accurate and up-to-date hair removal consumer information on the internet. When I'm not photographing, reviewing and researching hair removal products I play the drums in a samba band and am a volunteer for the Swindon Lions! Got any questions? Write to us below:

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