Easy Citrus Basil Aloe Soap Tutorial

We used up the butter maple shea butter soap I made and colored with kitchen spices. A ton of people asked if the turmeric I used to color the soap turned our skin yellow. I’m happy to say, nope not a bit.

I have a bunch of  soap making supplies left from making my first batch of melt and pour soap. I also have some end of the season basil from our garden that doesn't taste that great in cooking. I put them together and made an orange citrus basil soap using an Aloe Vera vegan glycerin melt and pour soap base.

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The result is scrubby dubby good and something I plan to make now for holiday gifts later. Hint: Citrus Basil soap makes great stocking stuffers and teacher gifts!

How Make Aloe Soap

 

The herbs in this soap will float to the top and sink to the bottom of the soap mold. To make sure the basil is throughout the soap, melt and pour the basil infused and scented soap in individual layers. Don’t worry, it is easy. I’ll walk you though it.

My aloe soap base is light green. I chose not to color it to see what would happen after I added the basil. If you want a more pronounced green color or to do something crazy like color it blue or whatever color floats your boat, you can add a drop or two of soap color to the melted soap after you add the scent in Step 3.

You will need:

4 cubes (each cube equals 1 ounce) of  this aloe glycerin melt andpour soap base

Orange citrus fragrance oil  - WARNING: Some people have a skin reaction to pure orange essential oil that is why I’m using a blend.

Approximately ¼ teaspoon dried basil

Cooking oil and a pastry brush

Soap mold like these

Glass measuring cup

Metal fork

Microwave oven or stove and double boiler full of water

Small spray bottle full of rubbing alcohol

Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.

You can use anything that will hold hot soap and not melt as a soap mold. I use a glass dish, repurposed yogurt cup and purchased soap mold with equal results.

Make it:

  

1. Spread a thin layer of cooking oil with the pastry brush in your soap mold. I used a glass Pyrex dish as an experiment for my plastic free readers. You can use anything that will hold hot soap and not melt. I tried a plastic yogurt cup and purchased soap mold with equal results.   

I use olive oil because it has moisturizing properties and was at the front of the pantry shelf.

2. Melt one to two cubes of soap base in the microwave or double boiler on the stove. Since I am using as using such a small amount of soap base, it took 5 to 10 seconds in the microwave to melt the soap base to make one bar of natural soap.

3. Add a few drops of orange citrus fragrance oil to the melted soap base. How much you use depends one how heavily scented you want your soap. The general rule for a heavily scented bar of natural soap is to add 4 to 5 drops of fragrance oil (less if you are using a concentrated pure essential oil) per ounce of soap base.

4. Add a pinch of dried basil to the melted soap base and stir gently with a fork to reduce the chance of creating air bubbles in the soap. Use a light hand when you are putting additives in your soap. If you add too much the soap may not clean and lather as well as you might like. 

Stirring!

5. Pour the soap into the mold.  Caution: The basil will sink to the bottom and float to the top of the soap mold. That’s why we are doing this in one to two ounce pours. 

6. Spray the soap in the mold with rubbing alcohol to remove any air bubbles from the top of the soap if needed.

Spritz! Spritz!

7. Allow the soap to set for 10 to 20 minutes.

8. Repeat Steps 2 through 7 with for the next layer of soap base.   

9.   Spray the soap mold with rubbing alcohol to allow the next layer of soap to stick to cooling soap in the mold, and pour the next layer of soap to the mold.

A little spritz will make it stick!

10. Allow the soap to set for another 10 to 20 minutes. Repeat Steps 8 and 9 for as many layers of soap you need to fill the soap mold.

11. Allow the soap to set for several hours until hard. I let mine set overnight.

12. After the soap sets release the soap from the mold by press on sides of mold to loosen the soap from the soap mold. If you are using a glass dish, you may need to carefully run a knife around the sides of the mold to release the soap.

Orange Citrus Basil Soap

13. Scrub it up with your homemade soap!

If you'd rather buy than DIY, check out the following options - and more! - below!

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