The world of personal care can at times be tricky to navigate if you are looking for something that’s natural/ organic/ cruelty free/ vegan/ ethically sourced … the list could go on.

That’s why I decided to look into making my own soap and given that I’m an absolute beginner I was pretty happy with the results.

I was surprised by how simple the process was too!

First you will need to buy a melt and pour soap base which I recommend buying from Stephenson Personal Care. There are a couple of reasons for this: no animal fats were used to make this product nor were animals tested on, making it suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. Plus the company is extremely committed to driving a sustainable business through ethical sourcing and responsible product development – you can read more here.

Next you should think about what botanicals and essential oils you want to use in your soaps. It’s worth experimenting (or doing some very thorough research online) because not everything will work. For example I tried using dried rose petals but they went black when I poured them into the hot soap mixture.

The combinations that did work well however were: lavender + chamomile essential oil, rosemary + lavender essential oil, lemon zest + poppy seed + lemon essential oil.

I bought my organic essential oils from Neal’s Yard but there’s lots of other companies you can buy from and it’s worth shopping around because the prices can vary wildly.

For my soap moulds I recommend a silicone tray which makes it easier for popping out the soap than a rigid mould.

You will need:

• Melt and pour soap base
• Botanicals
• Essential oils
• Soap moulds

Method:

1. Cut the soap base into pieces and place into a microwavable bowl.
2. Microwave until the soap has melted (~ 2 minutes).
3. Gently stir in the essential oils and botanicals.
4. Pour the mixture evenly into the moulds.
5. Place the moulds in the fridge for up to an hour.
6. Once the soaps have set remove them from the moulds.

They’re ready to use immediately or perfect to give away to friends and family on special occasions.

Please note – they should be perfectly imperfect!