Are you ready to learn how to make your own soap using essential oils? What’s better than not only getting the satisfaction of creating something with your own hands but also providing yourself and your family members with naturally made products full of helpful ingredients? Essential oils can add different health benefits as well as atmospheric aromas that turn a regular bar of soap into a luxurious spa experience. Making soap is an art form and choosing the right essential oil blend requires both skill and patience. Below I will share my top choices for the 15 best essential oils for soap making plus some helpful tips. So let’s get started!
Best Essential Oils for Soap + Recipes
Lavender Essential Oil
Aroma: Fresh & Floral
Lavender Essential Oil is an excellent choice for soap makers—it has natural skin-soothing properties that help promote youthful skin and create a feeling of restfulness and well-being. Plus, its beautiful floral scent will help to uplift your spirits each time you use your homemade soap creations.
Lemon Essential Oil
Aroma: Sweet & Citrusy
Whether you want to reduce the appearance of breakouts, detoxify, or brighten your skin, Lemon Essential Oil does the job! Plus, the fresh and citrus scent is happy and uplifting.
Sweet Orange Essential Oil
Aroma: Sweet & Citrusy
Not only does Orange Essential Oil make for an invigorating, uplifting fragrance, but it’s also perfect for cleansing. It’s been known to help promote rest and clarity, as well as enhance the appearance of the skin. Best of all? Its brightening properties can contribute to a more youthful complexion that you will love!
Peppermint Essential Oil
Aroma: Sharp & Minty
Have you ever wished that washing yourself could give you a mental boost? Well, with the addition of Peppermint Essential Oil to your soapmaking, it can! Not only is this oil known for its invigorating scent, its intense menthol aroma also gives off an energizing effect.
Rosemary Essential Oil
Aroma: Herbal & Woody
Not only can Rosemary Essential Oil detoxify the skin, but its aroma is wonderfully calming. Plus, its balanced aroma pairs perfectly with other classic soapmaking scents.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Aroma: Medicinal & Herbaceous
Got a problem with annoying breakouts? Forget harsh chemicals and pick up some Tea Tree Essential Oil! Not only will this natural ingredient help reduce the appearance of blemishes, but it can also keep skin looking and feeling healthy. Tea Tree Essential Oil soothes itchy skin while cleansing any impurities that settle on your face.
Cedarwood (Atlas) Essential Oil
Aroma: Dry & Woody
Cedarwood Essential Oil is an incredibly versatile and effective oil when it comes to soapmaking. Not only does it help support awareness, but it also reduces the appearance of breakouts and cleanses skin so perfectly!
Patchouli Essential Oil
Aroma: Earthy & Musky
Patchouli Essential Oil stands out for its unique and deep fragrance of earthy musk, sweet fruit, and herbaceous notes. Not only does this oil lend a delightful scent to soaps, but it’s also known to have amazing skin benefits and uplift one’s spirit – making it perfect for a morning shower!
Clary Sage Essential Oil
Aroma: Herbaceous & Floral
This hardworking oil not only cleans and soothes the skin, but also encourages restful relaxation. Whether you take a long soak in a bath or lighten up a tough day with some aromatherapy, Clary Sage Essential Oil has all the properties to promote rest and calm while simultaneously stimulating better circulation.
Bergamot Essential Oil
Aroma: Citrusy & Floral
Looking to add a bit of zing to your soaps? Bergamot Essential Oil oil is here to save the day! Its natural fragrance will give your soaps a huge lift while providing deodorizing properties. Plus, it has calming and uplifting aromatherapy benefits, which make it great for special occasion gifts or spa-themed soaps.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Aroma: Clean & Herbaceous
Eucalyptus Essential Oil provides great levels of cleansing and is perfect for putting some extra oomph into your recipes. Not only that, but your customers will love the cooling and soothing effects it has on the skin! And if that’s not enough to convince you, this herbaceous oil also uplifts moods.
Grapefruit Essential Oil
Aroma: Sweet & Citrusy
Not only does grapefruit essential oil have an invigorating citrusy smell that will add an exceptional aroma to handmade soaps, but it also has fabulous skin benefits too. It may help detoxify the body or cleanse the skin, making it a great ingredient for many different kinds of homemade soaps. In addition, it also helps deodorize and promote youthful skin.
Spearmint Essential Oil
Aroma: Sweet & Minty
When it comes to essential oils for soapmaking, Spearmint Essential Oil really packs a punch. The sharp, sweet scent of this powerhouse oil energizes the senses and acts as an invigorator – perfect for those looking for some aromatic inspiration! On the other hand, it has a cooling effect that’s great if you’re needing to slow down and savor the moment.
Lime Essential Oil
Aroma: Fresh & Citrusy
Another one of our favorites has to be Lime Essential Oil – it’s works wonders for refreshing and energizing your skin. It naturally cleanses and brightens the skin, while its revitalizing effects help you feel centered and balanced. Talk about an aromatherapy experience!
Anise Star Essential Oil
Aroma: Spicy & Licorice
Soapmaking doesn’t have to be a dull task – especially when you add Anise Star Essential Oil into the mix! Truly special and packed with natural benefits, this heavenly-scented oil is ideal for cleansing skin, promoting circulation, and supporting awareness. Plus, its light licorice scent makes it all the more noteworthy.
How Much Essential Oil to Use in Soap
When crafting handmade soaps at home, it’s important to know how much essential oil to use for optimum aroma. We recommend about 2 teaspoons (0.3 oz) of essential oil per pound of soap base for a subtle yet captivating fragrance. If you prefer a stronger scent, add 4 ½ teaspoons (0.7 oz) of essential oil per pound of soap. So get those measuring spoons out and get ready to blend some beautiful scents in your homemade soaps!
When To Add Essential Oils to A Soap
Adding essential oils to your soap is like finding the Goldilocks of traces – not too hard, not too goopy, just right. If you pour them in at too early a stage, you might find the scent gets lost in the process. Instead, add enriching essential oils when you’ve achieved light to medium trace – think runny honey all the way up to stiffer-than-custard consistency. That way, your soaps will be scented and rich with natural goodness, and everyone will be happy.
Other Things to Remember When Adding EO’s to Soap
- Make sure that you evenly mix the oils into your soap base and double-check for any “hot spots” – because if there are any, it strikes the danger zone! Not only will soap with hot spots burn and potentially cause rashes, but it could even ruin all your hard work in the end.
- While it may be tempting to want to move your soap around to speed up the drying process, resist the urge! Essential oils are a great addition to soap but can cause some unwanted streaks or cracks if you’re not careful while they’re setting. It’s better to be patient and let them harden before touching them – your patience will pay off when your soap ends up looking gorgeous!
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