Learn how to make delicious-smelling lemon soap bars using just three ingredients. You can make this melt-and-pour lemon soap in less than 10 minutes, and it should be ready to use in a few hours.
If you’ve never made homemade soap before, you may swear off the store-bought kind once you see just how easy it is. These melt-and-pour lemon soap bars take just 10 minutes to make, and they get their vibrant color from an ingredient you probably have in your refrigerator.
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In fact, your fridge and pantry contain lots of ingredients, such as honey, coconut oil, and oatmeal, that can be used in homemade soap and natural beauty products.
These lemon soap bars are scented with a blend of essential oils and grated lemon zest. The combination makes for an invigorating and refreshing scent. These bars are just the thing to use for a morning wake-you-up shower.
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To make the lemon soap, I used lemon zest, plus items from the a Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box.
This particular box included:
- A silicon soap mold
- Glycerin soap base
- Bay essential oil
- Lemongrass essential oil
- Cajeput essential oil
- Happy Joy Essential Oil Blend
- Recipe cards and stickers for six natural DIY beauty products
Other Simply Earth Essential Oil Box Projects
Don’t miss these other natural products I’ve made using previous Simply Earth subscription boxes:
Supplies to Make Lemon Soap
To make lemon soap, you will need:
- 4 ounces of soap base (You can use clear glycerin or goat’s milk soap base.)
- 4 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest (Use dried lemon zest for soap with a longer shelf life.)
- 24 drops of Happy Joy Essential Oil Blend
- Soap mold – You can make multiple lemon soap bars using this mold,. (Just be sure to adjust the recipe to match the volume capacity of the mold you’re using.)
- Glass measuring cup
- Spoon
- Knife
- Lemon zester or grater
- Microwave or double boiler
- Spray bottle filled with 99 percent isopropyl alcohol
If you use a clear, glycerin soap base, you’ll end up with a soap with a clear, vibrant yellow color. If you use a white soap base, like goat’s milk, the soap will be a paler color, flecked with yellow.
I actually ended up making two different batches of this soap. For the first one, I used the clear glycerin soap base and mold that came in the Simply Earth box. For the second batch, I used some goat’s milk soap base I had on hand, plus a sunflower soap mold.
Please note that the mold that comes in the Simply Earth box only holds about 1.5 ounces of soap.
You’ll need to purchase additional molds or use other containers, like recycled yogurt containers, to make the amount of soap this recipe produces.
How to Make Lemon Soap Bars
- I recommend using organic lemons to make your lemon soap. Wash lemons thoroughly and dry them well. Use a fine grater to zest the lemons, until you have 4 teaspoons of zest. Set aside. You can also used dried lemon zest, although the color might not be as vibrant.
- Use a knife to cut soap into small cubes. Place the soap cubes in a glass measuring cup or a small double boiler. If using a double boiler, melt the soap over low heat until just melted. If using a microwave, heat the soap for 30 seconds, then stir. If it is not melted, return to the microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring between each one, until the soap is melted.
- Stir in the essential oil and lemon zest. To ensure that the lemon zest will be suspended throughout the soap, you don’t want to add it or pour it when the soap is too hot. You want to pour the soap when it’s around 125 and 130 degrees F. A non-contact thermometer, like this one, is useful in soapmaking.
- After you’ve poured the soap, spray the surface lightly with 99 percent isopropyl alcohol to get rid of bubbles.
- Allow soap to cool and harden in the molds for several hours before removing from the silicone molds.
- Wrap lemon soap bars in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container until you’re ready to use.
Not only is this soap pretty, but it smells amazing. The combination of the fresh lemon zest with the Happy Joy Essential Oil Blend is so bright and energizing. The blend contains a mix of geranium, sweet orange, grapefruit, and ylang ylang essential oils. It kind of reminds me a bit of Sunflowers perfume, which is why I made a second batch of this soap in the sunflower mold.
Tips for Coloring Lemon Soap
You don’t need to add any artificial colorants to make vibrant yellow lemon soap bars.
The fresh lemon zest suspended in the clear glycerin soap creates a lovely bright yellow color.
In a white soap base, the color will be a more subdued pastel yellow.
If you prefer a more saturated yellow color, you can add a few drops of liquid yellow soap colorant.
Is lemon soap good for your skin?
The Vitamin C in lemons and other citrus fruits acts as a natural skin brightener. That’s why you’ll find Vitamin C extracts in many commercial skin care products. Lemon is also a good astringent and may help prevent blackheads.
However, when you’re using any new skincare product, whether it’s homemade or store bought, you may experience some sensitivity to the ingredients.
This is particularly true of lemon soap made with lemon essential oil. Lemon essential oil can increase photosensitivity, causing your skin to be more sensitive to light and more easily sunburn.
For that reason, I have opted not to use lemon essential oil in this lemon soap bar recipe. Instead, I used a blend that includes more skin-safe citrus essential oils, including sweet orange and grapefruit.
You still get all the lemon benefits from the zest, without any of the risks.
If you use lemon essentail oil in soap or skincare products, make sure to wear sunscreen and avoid sun exposure as much as possible.
Can you use lemon juice in soap making?
Lemon juice is not recommend for this melt-and-pour recipe. The addition of liquid may cause the soap not to set up properly.
Instead, use lemon zest to achieve the lemon color and fragrance.
What is the best way to store lemon soap?
Wrap soap bars tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight and heat.
Simply Earth Subscription Box
If you enjoy making your own homemade bath, beauty and cleaning products using essential oils and natural ingredients, you’ll love the Simply Earth subscription box.
Every month, Simply Earth sends out a new, themed Essential Oil Recipe Box to subscribers. Each monthly subscription box includes all the ingredients, containers and extras you need to make six natural recipes for less than $40.
Right now, new subscribers also get a big Bonus Box that includes lots of items you can use to make homemade bath and beauty products. The box includes beeswax, which is great for making lip balms or hand salves, solid coconut oil that you can use in lotions, and two carrier oils, plus essential oil blend bottles and rollerball bottles.
Simply Earth is offering a special freebie for Atta Girl Says readers who subscribe to the Essential Oil Recipe Box.
When you sign up using the code ATTAGIRLSAYSFREE, you will also receive a $40 gift card shipped with your first box and bonus box. You just have to be sure you enter the code ATTAGIRLSAYSFREE at checkout.
More Homemade Soap Projects
Once you make your first batch of homemade soap, you’ll be hooked. Here are some other easy melt-and-pour soap recipes to try.
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