We had a fun activity accompanying our science curriculum: soap making!
The kids all know that we use parts of plants in skin care, but this was a fun project.
We first measured out the soap base.
Tori melted the soap down in a glass bowl over a pot of water.
We added oatmeal and vitamin E to the melted soap base.
Last, we added lavender essential oil to the soap.
Dad ladled out the molten soap into the rose-shaped molds.
The soap set up pretty quickly on the counter. Our house is always cold!
We popped the finished soaps out of the mold after a couple hours, just to make sure they were all set.
The soaps turned out so pretty with the oatmeal and rose shapes. They smell great!
These little soaps are perfect presents for all sorts of occasions.
Soap Recipe:
I chose to omit the use of lye since the children were completing this assignment. I’m sure the soap would be improved with its addition, but it is dangerous and I’m unfamiliar with it.
- 10 oz soap base (goat’s milk, glycerin, shea butter)
- 3 oz vitamin E
- 1/2 cup oatmeal
Optional add-ins: 20 drops essential oils, 3-4 oz honey, 1/4 cup dried flowers
Directions:
Measure soap base with a kitchen scale.
Melt soap base in a double boiler. Remove from heat.
Stir in oatmeal, vitamin E, and any optional items.
Add essential oils, if using.
Pour or ladle into pretty soap molds.
Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.
Pop out of molds carefully.
Wrap with cellophane, ribbons, labels, and give as gifts!
How fun! I always wanted to try making my own soap but I know that some methods are super difficult – this looks so easy!
I’m all about easy projects! :)
oh I wanna try this!! Thanks for sharing! I would love it if you would come and share your posts at my Monday of Many Blessings Link Up!! http://ourhomeofmanyblessings.com/
So much fun to see pics of other parents and their children doing fun activities together. My daughter and I bake together.
Sounds like a very interesting activity to do with young children. (ps: Is the purpose of a soap base to make soap? can the soap base be replaced by a soap itself for this method?)
Pinning to the Practical Mondays board:)
I’m sure you could chop up regular soap and melt it down instead of the base. It was more for the process, but our soaps turned out lovely.
I am sure your children enjoyed this project as much as you will enjoy that lovely soap! I am visiting from Coffee and Conversation. Have a lovely week! :)
What a fun project! I have soap-making on my bucket list of things I would like to try. :)
It looks like your kids enjoyed the process!
I bet this makes skin so soft and smells so good! How fun!
When I was younger I tried to make soap by melting a soap bar in the microwave and we had to evacuate the house for a couple hours from the smell. Your experience seems much more fun than mine! ha.
Thank you for sharing with Everything Kids!!
How fun! I love to make soap, I haven’t made it since we moved. I never made cold process soap with my son around because I was always scared he would come in and need something while I was working. Now that he’s older and knows the danger, I think I may have to pick up some things tomorrow and make some soap. Thank you for sharing with Thankful Thursdays.
I recently just made soap with my daughter! We has so much fun. Thanks for sharing with Thursday Favorite Things Blog hop!
This looks like such a fun activity! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Jennifer! I’m so glad you linked up with us on the Hop last week! :) I’ve been considering trying out soap-making. I thought it would be much messier and harder, but it looked like you had a good time and didn’t wreck the whole house in the process! ;) We may give it a try.