Project

Oatmeal Soap

Organic rolled oats and honey come together as an all-natural soap that will leave your skin looking radiant and feeling super soft.

Photography: Anusha Rajeswaran

Source: Martha Stewart

Introduction

This idea comes from our friend Anusha Rajeswaran of Fish and Bull. In this homemade soap, oatmeal—known for its naturally exfoliating and skin-soothing properties—is the star ingredient. We recommend using natural whole oats as opposed to quick oats that may turn to mush. A shea butter soap base and raw honey make these bar soaps even more nourishing for the skin. For this project, we used a melt and pour soap base as it is much easier and safer to handle than the traditionally cold-process method with the ingredient lye.

For more ideas, scroll through our entire collection of DIY bath and spa projects.

materials

Shea butter glycerin soap base (Pictured: Stephenson Shea Butter Melt and Pour Soap Base, $6 for 2 lbs., bulkapothecary.com.)

Organic rolled oats (Pictured: Bob's Red Mill Organic Regular Rolled Oats, $3.29 for 16 oz., bobsredmill.com.)

Raw honey

Heatproof bowl

Soap mold (Pictured: ArtMinds Soap Molds, $3.69, michaels.com.)

Knife

Craft stick

Blender or food processor

steps

Blend 1 cup organic rolled oats into a fine powder consistency. (Note: This is to ensure that the oatmeal doesn't scratch your skin or clog the drain when lathering up.) Set aside.
Chop 2 pounds shea butter glycerin soap base into chunks. Place soap into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on high; stir. Repeat at intervals of 10 seconds until completely melted. (Note: Make sure that it does not boil.)
Add powdered oatmeal and 2 tablespoons raw honey to the melted soap base; stir with a craft stick to combine.
Pour the mixture into the soap mold. Allow it to fully cool before popping bar soaps out of the mold.