Easy Loofah Soap Recipe (Melt and Pour)

This soap recipe is an easy way to get into soapmaking. All you need to do is melt and pour! The finished bar is exfoliating and refreshing. Feel free to add your favorite colors and fragrances to make it your own.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s easy! Cold process soapmaking is great, but this recipe doesn’t require you to work with lye.
• Fun to customize. Pick your favorite colors and fragrances to personalize this bar.
• Exfoliating and refreshing. This loofah soap recipe has an exfoliating loofah sponge in the middle, which makes it perfect for travel since there’s no need to pack a washcloth or scrub brush. If you’re looking for something extra refreshing in the morning, this soap is perfect. Pink colorant and a bright citrusy fragrance help make it even more cheerful.

🧼 Ingredients and equipment

• Microwave safe mixing bowl or large measuring cup
• Spatula
• Individual cavity soap mold (round is best)
• 2 pounds clear melt and pour soap base. (I use this base from Nurture Soap which is super clear.)
• 8-12 loofah slices (This package from Amazon is enough for 3 batches of this recipe.)
• 2 tablespoons fragrance oil such as grapefruit
• 1/2 teaspoon colorant (pick your favorite mica from Nurture Soap)
• 1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol (if using powdered colorant such as mica)

📖 Instructions

Step One: Prepare your ingredients

Place the loofah pieces into each cavity of the soap mold, cutting into smaller pieces if necessary. It’s best to do this before preparing the soap so that it doesn’t begin to cool as you get everything ready. Measure out any color or fragrance oil you are using.

Step Two: Chop and melt the soap base

Using a sharp knife, chop up. the melt and pour base. This is just to make the melting process faster, so there’s no need to be precise.

Step Three: add Color and Fragrance

 If you are using powdered colorant such as mica, mix it into the rubbing alcohol to help it disperse better. (If using liquid color, just add directly to the melted soap.). Mix in the fragrance and stir well with a spatula

Step four: Pour and let cool

Pour the soap batter over the loofah sponges. If they stick out a bit on one side, that’s okay. You can use a toothpick to hold down the loofah as you pour if you want it fully covered.

Let the soap cool for 4-8 hours, then remove from the molds.

Variations

Of course, you can pick any fragrance and color you like! I loved the bright, fresh combination of pink and a grapefruit fragrance. But a sweet or floral fragrance would be great with this recipe as well.

If you don’t want to add any color, the soap will still be pretty with just the clear melt and pour base.

Tips for Success

Melt and pour soap needs to cool at last 4 hours before being removed from the mold. After it is hardened, it doesn’t need to cure the way cold process soap does, but it will last longer if you wait a week before using it.

Sometimes the loofah slices will be larger than your soap mold. You can cut them down to fit easily, either by cutting them in half or trimming them into a smaller circle.

Be sure not to overheat the soap when you are melting it! Heat it in bursts, stirring in between. If the soap gets too hot it will become hard and rubbery and you won’t even be able to mix things in.

If you make soap regularly, you’ll want a separate spatula and measuring cups. At the very least, be sure to soak the tools you used in a solution of vinegar and water to remove any lingering fragrance.

More lye-free bath and body projects

• Beeswax and Shea butter body cream is a shelf-stable body cream that rivals anything professionally made.
• One of the easiest homemade projects is this easy homemade hand cream: just melt, whip, and store!

Recipe

I hope you enjoy this easy, beginner-friendly soap recipe!