I admit it, I am a bit of a DIY junkie. Truth be told, I think most of us home-fermenters are. While there are tons of reasons to make homemade breads, cultured veggies, and myriad other foods and personal care products, there are some things I would still make just for the fulfillment it brings. And sometimes these little activities not only ground us, but are just great fun.
Recently I had the opportunity to develop some recipes for homemade soaps that are both fun and so, so easy to make. No mixing lye and fat while donning goggles and gloves, no weeks of curing before use. Instead there is melting and coloring and mixing in essential oils.
And then there is the simple enjoyment of these soaps – fragrant and completely personalized.
Melt and pour soaps are designed with a base that melts down, can be colored, and can then be mixed with various botanicals or natural essential oils.
Some favorite seasonal soaps include this Coffee with Cream bar which mixes whole and ground coffee beans right into a creamy, dreamy bar.
Others include Orange and Clove, Oatmeal and Cinnamon, and super refreshing and simply beautiful Candy Cane. And trying to convince my husband that the above Chocolate-Mint bar was, in fact, soap and not a completely edible fudge was a hard sell.
The melt and pour soap making experience has been fun and fulfilling and a great way to introduce myself to the world of soapmaking without having to jump into the deep end with the old-fashioned methods I hope to one day explore. After all, I wouldn’t be much of a DIY junkie if I didn’t want to try it all.
