Homemade Eco Soap!

Welcome back to our “Homemade Eco-Friendly Gifts Week”! Today you are in for a real treat. For today's homemade eco gift I am going to share two soap recipes that I found with you. The first recipe is by Unplugged Living and the second recipe is by Tree Hugging Family. Both of these soaps would make wonderful gifts. Good luck and have fun everyone!

DIY Eco Chic Soap

Materials:
Herbs, oatmeal, coffee, spirulina, clay, or charcoal
1 pound (16 ounces)Bramble Berry ‘melt and pour’ soap, organic base
1 ounce essential oil (we used lavender and eucalyptus)

Soap mold (or Tupperware, or anything you find like an empty yogurt
container, old tofu container, empty soy milk container, etc.)
Rubbing Alcohol

Directions:

1. Prep your herbs and make sure they are the right size for gentle exfoliation. Sharp herbs may be too abrasive on the skin.
2. Cut the ‘melt and pour’ soap into 1 x 1″ cubes.
3. Using your microwave, heat the soap in 30-second increments until the soap is fully melted.
4. Add .25 ounces to .50 ounces of essential oil. Remember, if
you use a yellow or orange colored fragrance, your soap base will look less
clear and look more yellow/orange.
5. Mix in your herbs or additives. Stir until the herbs seem mostly suspended.
6. Pour your scented and herb’ed soap into the make-shift mold.

7. Tip: Don’t fill your make-shift soap mold all the way up. It helps for easy release to fill 85% of the way to the top and not the entire way.
8. Do one finishing touch of rubbing alcohol to finish off your soap and give it a nice smooth surface

Wait for the soap to harden, pop or unwrap the soap out of the mold, wrap soap with saran wrap, label and enjoy the compliments you get.

Homemade Organic Paint Soap For Kids

Gather together:

• 6 Tbs. cornstarch

• 2 Tbs. water

• Organic food coloring

• Your favorite essential oil - something mild like lavender or orange is good for children.

• 1 oz. unscented organic liquid soap - most natural food stores and co-ops sell clear organic liquid soap in bulk.

• A bottle or bowl for the soap paint

To make the painting soap:

Kids can use this to paint the bathtub and their bodies during bath time. It won’t hurt your kids or your tub.