Glycerin with Shea Butter

Ingredients
2 cups glycerin soap base
2 tablespoons melted shea butter
5 drops orange essential oil

Instructions
Mix ingredients thoroughly, pour into molds.
This soap is a good moisturizer. Shea butter has some sun protection qualities, but be sure to still put on the sunscreen!

Marmalade Soap

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups (400g)grated glycerin soap
orange coloring (can use mace powder (2tsp/10ml) mixed with (4 T/60ml) of veg. oil)
1 teaspoon/5 ml sweet orange essential oil
Pinch each of dried marigold or chamomile flowers and pinch of dried orange zest

Instructions
Melt glycerin soap over low heat in double boiler. Add color as melting nears completion and turn off heat. Stir in essential oil. Pour into molds. Mix in flowers and zest with a toothpick as soap cools in the mold.
This soap has a nice fragrance and interesting look. As with all glycerin soaps, wrap tightly as the glycerin will attract moisture from the air.


Strawberry Cream Soap

Ingredients
1 pound white glycerin soap base
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons Sweet Almond oil
2 drops of red coloring
5 drops strawberry fragrance oil
10 drops vanilla fragrance oil

Instructions
Melt glycerin in microwave. Add almond oil, color and fragrance. Stir until mixed. Pour into molds. Cool.
You could also make orange cream by substituting orange essential oil and color for the strawberry.

Aloe and Nettle Soap

Ingredients
1 cup glycerin soap base
1/8 cup aloe vera gel
2 tablespoons powdered nettle leaf (available in capsule form that makes it easier to handle and store)
or you can use simmered, macerated fresh leaf

Instructions
Melt glycerin in microwave. I like using a large pyrex measuring cup. Mix in aloe and nettle. Pour into molds. Cool.
Don't touch fresh nettle leaves without wearing gloves and tranport in disposable bags. When fresh, undried or before being boiled, nettle's have a very fine fuzz on the surface that carries formic acid. Same dissipates after drying or boiling.


Calamine Soap

Ingredients
1 tablespoon calamine powder (or two tablespoons calamine lotion)
1 tablespoon bentonite or cosmetic-grade clay
2 tablespoons liquid glycerin
1 cup glycerin soap base

Instructions
MIx the calamine, clay, and liquid glycerin until smooth, adding a small amount of water, if needed. Whisk the mixture into the soap base, pour into molds, and cool.
Calamine soap is mild and good for skin irritations, such as poison ivy.

Lavender and Rosemary Soap

Ingredients
3 cups glycerin soap base
1/4 cup infusion of lavender flowers and rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons of lavender oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of rosemary oil
1 teaspoon pulverized dried rosemary

Instructions
Melt soap base and add other ingredients. Stir until blended, then pour into molds.
Infusion basically means to make tea. Pour hot water over fresh or dried plant parts. Three tablespoons of herb per cup of water for ten minutes should do fine. Use distilled water, if possible. Nonchlorinated water is best.


Tea Tree Antiseptic Soap

Ingredients
2 cups glycerin soap base
2 tablespoons tea tree oil

Instructions
Melt glycerin base in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Blend in tea tree oil and pour into molds. Place molds in the freezer for ten minutes for a quicker set up. It is also easier to remove soap from the molds after freezing. Set the unmolded soap onto plastic needlepoint sheets for drying-one hour before using. Let dry overnight before wrapping.
Tea tree oil is an essential oil extracted from the leaves of the Australian tea tree. The oil works agains bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and viruses that attack the skin. It is a nice deoderant soap which is effective in cleaning out minor cuts and treating athlete's foot.

Rosemary and Lavender Soap

Ingredients
3 cups glycerin soap base
1/4 cup infusion of rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons lavender oil

Instructions
Take four snips of fresh Rosemary of one teaspoon dried. Pour one cup of boiling water over same. Let sit one hour and strain. Melt glycerin in saucepan on low heat. Add 1/4 cup of infusion (remainder can be stored in refridgerator for another batch). Stir in lavender essential oil and any color desired. Pour into molds and procede as usual.
The lavender and rosemary have a mild stimulating effect on the skin. This soap makes a great gift. It is especially recommended for the bath.


Honey Bee Soap

Ingredients
1 tablespoon beeswax
1 cup melted opaque soap base
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions
Melt beeswax in double boiler and mix with melted soap base. Add honey and stir until melted. Pour into mold. Unmold when hardened. Let cure on a drying rack.
Try using a bee skip (hive) mold. This is a smooth, light fragrance soap.


Transparent Soap

This is a basic recipe for "glycerin" soap. Actually, all homemade soaps are glycerin soaps because the natural glycerin in them has not been removed. This recipe is for what we think of when we say glycerin soap.

Ingredients
1 pound 9 ounces distilled water
12 ounces lye
2 pounds 8 ounces palm oil
1 pound coconut oil
1 pound 9 ounces castor oil
1 pound 12 ounces ethanol
8 ounces glycerin
15 ounces distilled water with 1 pound 4 ounces sugar dissolved into a solution

Instructions
Measure and mix the lye and water. Allow to cool until between 135 and 145 degrees F. (57-62 Celsius)
Heat the oils and bring to the same temperature as the lye solution.
Once the lye and oils are the same temperature, mix and stir for five minutes.
Add the alcohol and stir another five minutes. This should form a clear solution.
Prepare a plastic cover for the soap pot. A large piece of 4 ml plastic should be secured with a bungee cord. Make sure there is some extra plastic draping over as this will need to expand a little and must stay secured. Secure a second piece of plastic in the same manner to reduce the evaporation of alcohol during boiling.
Set the soap pot in a larger pot filled with three inches of softly boiling water.
Within five minutes the soap mixture should begin to boil and the plastic will puff up. Adjust the temperature on the stove to keep this gently boil going inside the soap pot. This solution need two hours to saponify/neutralize. Check the plastic to make sure it doesn't escape from the bungee cord.
After two hours, stir in the glycerin and the sugar solution. Stir for about three minutes. To test put a spoonful of soap onto an inverted glass. Once cool, is it clear? If not try adding two ounces more of alcohol, which may have escaped during boiling.
Cover and let sit for 15 minutes before adding dye or fragrance.
Use caution when adding alcohol to simmering soap. Be certain the soap is not too hot. Do not boil.


Translucent Soap

This is another basic recipe for "glycerin" soap.

Ingredients
16 ounces (454 g) coconut oil
6 ounces (170 g) tallow
2 four-ounce (113 g) bottles of castor oil
4 ounces (113 g) lye
10 ounces (283 g) water
8 ounces (227 g) granulated sugar
10 ounces (283 g) 80 proof vodka

Instructions
Take the oil, fat, lye and water and Follow Basic Soap instructions.
Allow soap to set up for two days.
Slice/grate the soap into small pieces. Use gloves during this process because the lye may be still active.
Melt over low heat until gently simmering.
As the soap is melted, add the sugar and the vodka. Mix in gently to avoid sudsing which can make final bars murky instead of clear.
Continue to simmer for 10 minutes to boil off the alcohol. A layer will form on the top but underneath should be clear.
Remove from heat and skim off top coating. This can be used to make soap balls.
Pour the soap into individual molds.
Use caution when adding alcohol to simmering soap. Be certain the soap is not too hot. Do not boil.