Making your own lavender soap is not only fun, it is also a great and thoughtful idea as a gift. Lavender Soaps are very calming and aromatic and I am going to teach you how to make lavender soap 3 ways. The easy way is the melt and pour method which is as you might have guessed as simple as melting the soap base here and pouring it into molds. The second method is the cold process and the last method is the hot process.
The main difference between the hot and cold process is using heat vs not using any heat, the time it takes to saponify, curing time and the finish of the soap.
How to make lavender soap with melt and pour is the easiest method that you can use in creating your own organic lavender soap. This is because all we ever need to do is use a pre-made soap base, add your very own magic, and slather away!
It’s quick and easy. This is perfect for those who are busy and who want to make their own lavender soap fast. The base is already pre-made and you don’t have to deal with lye! It’s similar to having a quick-mix versus starting from scratch when you are trying to bake a cake.
Lye is the ingredient needed for soap making that causes a chemical reaction called saponification. It is a caustic liquid that is corrosive and can cause burning if it comes in touches the skin. Lye fumes can be very annoying too and if you make soap in an apartment, make sure you open the windows as the fumes can be irritating. Also, since you don’t have to deal with lye with the melt and pour method, you don’t really need to wear goggles.
For this lavender melt and pour soap recipe, I’ve used organic white goat milk soap base, alkanet root, lavender essential oil and dried lavender buds.
A Melt and Pour soap base is like skipping some steps in the hot process because we already have the base pre-made. It combines the base oils and lye solution. Basically, the hard part is done for us!
Not only lavender smell divine but lavender essential oil has many known benefits in skin care on top of being a natural soothing and calming ingredient. It has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antidepressant properties. It soothes your mood, your skin, body, and soul!
Thankfully, there are natural ingredients that can be used as colorants instead of chemical dyes. For the purple color in lavender soap, I use Alkanet root powder.
Alkanet root powder is primarily used as a natural dying color with purple hues. In the past, it has been made as a natural agent to improve the color of poor quality wines, but are now primarily used on skincare and cosmetics such as soaps and lip balms. it comes from a herb in the borage family with beautiful bright electric blue flowers. The root has been used as a dye in the Mediterranean region since antiquity.
In soap, Alkanet root will yield shades of pink, blue, and purple, depending upon the amount used, types of oil used, and the alkalinity of the soap.
Cold process will allow you to add and mix all the best moisturizing and nourishing oils and essences that will surely give your skin a treat. It can cost you more time than the melt and pour process because of cure time needed, but it’s a great way to make soap from scratch if you have the patience!
Here are the ingredients you will need for a lavender soap cold process:
Liquid & Lye Portion:
Wearing proper safety gear (gloves, goggles, long sleeves), carefully measure, pour, and stir the lye (sodium hydroxide) into the cooled lavender tea. I work in my kitchen sink, to contain any spills. Let this cool to around 90 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
Oil Portion (29 ounces total):
Find the full recipe here on the nerdy wife blog.
What is soap hot process? This is somewhat similar to cold-processing in a sense that it also allows you to combine all your preferred oils and essences, but this method doesn’t have a long cure time and the resulting soap can be readily used as it hardens.
What You’ll Need:
2 lb Loaf Mold
2.1 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
1 oz. Avocado Butter
4.2 oz. Coconut Oil
8.4 oz. Olive Oil
4.2 oz. Palm Oil
1 oz. Shea Butter
2.9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
6.9 oz. Distilled Water
Spirulina Powder
Green Zeolite Clay
Lavender Buds
.8 oz. Lemongrass Essential Oil
.6 oz. Lavender Essential oil
You can find the full recipe on the soap queen blog here.
If you are making lavender soap from scratch with either the hot or cold process, make sure you wear goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Also make sure kids, pets, and other distractions don’t have access to your soap making area. And always soap in a well-ventilated area.
I am curious to know if you have ever tried how to make lavender soap? If so which method did you use and why? Please share, rate this lavender soap recipe and add a comment below!
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View Comments
Hello,
What about using lavender water (the water which is received by the process of producing lavender oil) instead of distilled water (in the cold process)? What do you think about that?
you can definitely use lavender hydrosol (flower water) instead of the distilled water!
Dear eve thanks with the great recipe & a wonderful concept of ideas, I haven't made soap yet because I'm afraid of lye but will get to it someday soon.its great to find a group of a community that is interested in the same things as me & open to share
Hi!
I had made other melt and pour recipes similar to yours and when I used it I feel that my skin got very dry. Also I added lavender flower and I made a light tone of lavender and now the soap looks like have stains from the lavender petals. Does not look good or feel good. Do you add oils to the melt and pour to make it creamy?
Nice article! I can make a best product to pamper my skin naturally by following your blog. Thanks for the recipe.
On the cold press lavender soap recipe, can you substitute meadowfoam oil for another oil of choice? I have not heard of this oil before and do not have it on hand.
yes, almond oil or sunflower oil.
Dear Eve,
Thank you very much for all the precise recipes. I would like to start my business on organic Sanitary-cosmetic. do you have any videos in this matter. I am looking for plant cream formula as well. If you can help me please let me know.
Regards
Mansoureh