There was a time in history when almost everyone crafted their own soap. The Earth is coming full circle and once again soap making has made itself a welcomed and rewarding past-time. But a few things have changed in the past 300 years of soap making.
For one, you can custom tailor soaps to your specific beauty needs while adding herbal elements to make the end-product more therapeutic. Moreover, milling soaps does not take all day or even months as it did for our ancestors. Now you can combine the healing and beautifying powers of soap into an organic skin lightener with just a few minutes of work. Here’s how:
Short-cut soap milling
A major time saver in the world of soap making is using premade, all natural soap bars. Soap making from scratch can get messy and greasy. You can spare yourself, and your kitchen, such untidiness by buying an organic, creamy soap bar from your local health or drug store.
Ingredients
- 1 bar of organic soap (3.5- to 4-ounce bar)
- 1 navel orange
- 2 tablespoons of safflower or almond oil
- 4 tablespoons of filtered water
- 2 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
Utensils
- Spoon
- Large, microwave-safe bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Freezer-safe and flexible plastic cup
- Cheese grater
- Paper towels
Creating a Skin Lightening Soap
Prep work
Shredding
Shred the bar of soap into a bowl, using the cheese grater. Next, into the same bowl, with the cheese grater, shred the orange peel. Grate the orange until you reach the white-yellowish area of its peel.
Soap molds
To prepare the molds, dip a paper towel into the vegetable oil and coat the cup with the oiled towel.
Melting the soap
In the bowl used above, to the shredded soap and orange peels, add the water and safflower (or almond) oil.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the microwave on high for 30-45 seconds. (Note: Watch the soap as it melts because it could bubble over into the microwave.) If the soap has not completely melting after 45 seconds, place it in the microwave for another 30 seconds.
Mixing the soap
Once the soap has melted, remove it from the microwave and take off the plastic wrap.
Add the cinnamon and lemongrass essential oil to the melted soap and stir the mixture with a spoon for one to two minutes.
Molding the soap
Option 1: Cup mold
After you have mixed the soap, pour it into the cup. Use the spoon to pack the soap in and remove large air bubbles.
Option 2: Hand-molded
Alternately, you can just scoop the soap with your hands and mold the soap into balls or patties.
Hardening the soap
Now, top the cup of soap with plastic wrap to save it from possible freezer odors. If you made soap patties, just wrap them in plastic wrap.
Place the soap in the freezer for 1-2 hours to let it harden, then remove the bars. Once the soap is hard, slide it out of the cup. You can slice the cup-molded soap bar into smaller pieces using a knife.
You can store the soap in wax paper or plastic wrap.
The results
Let the soaps set at room temperature for one day before using. Then, enjoy cleansing your skin with a unique, organic skin lightening soap. The elements in the orange peel and safflower oil help promote the skin brightening effects of this soap.