How to make a Facial Cleansing Soap Bar

Do you want create your handmade Facial Cleansing Soap Bar, in just a few simple steps? Here, Ashley, one of our partner bloggers shares how!

"I’ve had problem skin since I was a teenager. I’m 28 now, and I never thought I’d still be covering blemishes with makeup at my age. It’s never been bad enough that I wanted a prescription medication for it. I’ve had mixed results with drugstore skincare, so I finally decided to take the matter into my own hands. After some research, I decided it was time to try making my own face wash".

This homemade facial bar recipe includes 2 key ingredients that I felt safe for use on my face:

• tea tree oil

• lavender

According to free radical researcher Dr. Anitra Carr (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w98/teatrees.html), tea tree oil has been shown to be “active against all three categories of infectious organisms: bacteria, viruses and fungi.” The bacteria-fighting properties of tea tree oil are what I am counting on to help clear blemishes.

In addition to the tea tree oil, ground lavender blossoms are being used not only to compliment the scent of tea tree oil, but to act as a gentle exfoliant. It is the ground lavender which gives this soap its lovely shade of green. Lavender doesn’t usually stay purple when used in soap making.

*Please note: tea tree oil can irritate the skin of certain individuals – please use with care and patch-test your own skin with tea tree oil before making this soap and applying it to your face.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Stephenson Crystal OMP melt and pour soap base

• 1 teaspoon tea tree oil

• 1 tablespoon lavender buds, finely ground

The soap base I am using is organic Crystal OMP melt and pour from Stephenson. I found that it is the best organic base in the market certified by COSMOS. It is made in the UK and uses fully organic oils.

Directions

1. Prepare your ingredients

Prepare your tea tree oil and lavender. Measure out 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil, ready to pour. Grind the lavender blossoms as finely as possible; I used a coffee grinder.

2. Cut your Crystal soap base

Before melting the soap base, I recommend cutting the blocks into cubes 1/2” – 1” in size it just makes it easier to melt. Place the soap base in a microwave-safe bowl or dish or use the soap base packaged tub. Microwave for 30-second intervals; stir well between each interval. A silicon spatula is great for stirring the soap base, since it is easy to clean.

3. Melt your Soap and Stir

As soon as the soap base is smoothly melted and free of lumps, please remove it from the microwave. Pour in the tea tree oil and stir in the ground lavender. Stir well until the mixture is even.

4. Shape it with molds of your choice

Quickly pour the soap mixture into the soap molds while it is still hot. Allow the soap molds to sit for an hour at least, or until the soap has completely cooled and set.

Top tip: Having trouble with bubbles on the surface of your soap? It is said that spritzing the still-warm soap in its mold with rubbing alcohol will get rid of those little air bubbles.

5. Unmold your soap creations and wrap them

Remove from soap molds, and package in paper wrappings, plastic wrap or plastic baggies. These bars can also be cut into thin soap sticks, which are convenient for traveling.

For more recipes, check our Recipes section on the website.