melt and pour soap recipe Archives

Rubber Ducky Soap Tutorial for Kids Who Love Sesame Street

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June 25, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 1 Comment

Learn how to make fun DIY rubber ducky soaps for children’s gifts or party favors with this easy rubber ducky soap tutorial. They’re the perfect bath time treat for kids who love Sesame Street!

Growing Up with Sesame Street

I was born in the 70s. So, like many other Genexers, I grew up watching Sesame Street. My favorite character was always a toss up between Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster. However, my mom bought me a Cookie Monster plush – which is hiding out somewhere in my parents basement right now – that I absolutely adored. I’d make him paper chocolate chip cookies as a child to feed to him. And occasionally I’d even try to feed him real chocolate chip cookies. While they certainly created a crumbly mess, I was determined to never let my Cookie Monster go hungry.

And then of course, there is the famous pair, Bert and Ernie. Their unique sibling like relationship reminded me, that while we may not always get along, at the end of the day we make up with one another and move forward. It’s also hard to forget Ernie’s rubber ducky song. Tub treats, whether it’s a rubber ducky soap or a bath bomb, definitely make bath time more fun – even in adulthood. Thus, Sesame Street was the inspiration for this rubber ducky soap tutorial.

No matter who your favorite Sesame Street character is, or was, they are all amazing and unique individuals. I love that the characters are all so very different from another. Yet they still find ways to connect, come together and help each other out. Looking back, Sesame Street was educational in many ways. The show helped me excel not just through teaching letters, words and numbers. It also offered a social education. Sesame Street is, and always has been, a safe space where every child can find acceptance and learn kindness. And that is why I’m so excited about Sesame Street’s Yellow Feather Fund.

Sesame Street Yellow Feather Fund

Sesame Street started was created almost 50 years ago as a way to help level the playing field for underprivileged children. They have since continued to do that in a multitude of ways, and in more than 150 countries around the world. The Sesame Street Yellow Feather Fund is a continuation of this goal. A grassroots avenue for fans and supporters, this charity is working to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children wherever they are.

I actually just learned about this charity last week. However, I found their mission to help every child meaningful to me on a personal level.

Education is so important. It teaches us more than just reading, math and facts about the world around us. It also teaches us how to think for ourselves, reach for goals and strive for success. The mission of the Sesame Street Yellow Feather Fund is really an extension of the show’s goals. It’s objective is to bring education to children in need. Not just to kids in the United States (where we are so fortunate to be afforded so many opportunities) but also to children around the world.

Some of their work includes the following.

Their “See Amazing in All Children” initiative helps reduce stigma and misconceptions about autism which affects 1 in 68 kids.
They help military families cope with tough situations like deployment, injury or even returning to civilian life.
Their girl Muppet characters, such as Zari in Afghanistan and Chamki in India, show both girls and boys the importance of educating and empowering girls, while also encouraging them to dream big.
To help young refugees who have had to flee homes and schools, this charity also works with the International Rescue Committee to bring education directly to children affected by this humanitarian crisis.

You can learn more about the Sesame Street Yellow Feather fund on their website here.

Rubber Ducky Soap Tutorial

If you have a Sesame Street fan of your own at home, then add this rubber ducky soap tutorial to your project list! Not only are these melt and pour soaps a cute gift idea for a child or grandchild, you can also make them for rubber ducky party favors for a child’s birthday party or baby shower.

Rubber Ducky Soap Recipe

This recipe rubby ducky soap recipe yields six 3.5-ounce bars with approximately 1.5-2 ounces of whipped soap.

Ingredients for Rubber Ducky Soaps:

3/4 pound of clear suspension melt and pour soap, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons banana fragrance oil
Blue mica soap dye
1 tablespoon blue eco-friendly fine cosmetic glitter
2 teaspoons white eco-friendly fine cosmetic glitter
1 cup whipped soap base
2 tablespoons liquid vegetable glycerin
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Materials & Supplies:

Oval silicone soap mold
Small rubber ducks
Spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
1 microwave safe measuring cup
Reusable piping bag
Large frosting tip

Rubber Ducky Soap Making Instructions:

To make these DIY rubber ducky soaps, you’ll start by adding 1/2 pound of the clear melt and pour soap to a measuring cup. Melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring and repeating until completely melted.

Next, mix in banana fragrance oil, blue mica and blue cosmetic glitter.

Spray your soap mold with the rubbing alcohol to prevent bubbles on the bottom of the soap.

Then pour the soap mixture into your mold.

Now spray the tops of soap you just poured with rubbing alcohol to prevent air bubbles on the tops of the soap.

Allow the soap to harden at least 3 hours or until completely firm. Then gently remove from the mold.

Once the oval soaps have hardened, you’re ready for the next step.

Add whipped soap base and glycerin to mixing bowl. Mix for 1 minute using an electric hand blender.

Then fold the cornstarch into mixture. (This will help to avoid having the cornstarch dust up when you use the mixer.)

Now add the remaining 1/4 cup of melted clear soap base to mixture. Mix for 1 minute.

Follow with the white cosmetic glitter. Add the glitter to the mixture then beat until the mixture forms peaks. (This is the same process as basically making meringue.) If your frosting is not stiff enough, add a bit more cornstarch and mix in. Repeat until the mixture is firm.

Now add the soap frosting to your piping bag.

Spray the tops of the oval soaps with rubbing alcohol. (This will help the whipped soap adhere to the soap.) Then, working quickly, pipe the frosting onto your soap. (The frosting will begin to harden after about 5 minutes, so you may want to practice before hand.)

Once you’ve piped on the soap frosting, add a rubber duck to the top of each bar of soap.

You can then package your cute rubber ducky soaps as desired. I recommend using large cellophane treat bags with a ribbon to tie the top closed.

The kids will LOVE these fun rubber ducky soaps at bath time! The ducks even squeak when you squeeze them.

Don’t have time to make these DIY rubber ducky soaps? Then be sure to pin this easy melt and pour soap making project for later!

More Soap Making Ideas Kids Will Love

If you like this rubber ducky soap tutorial, then you may also enjoy some of my other melt and pour soap recipes. The following soap making tutorials use melt and pour soap bases and make great DIY gifts for kids!

For more homemade soap recipes and ideas be sure to follow my boards on pinterest. You can also find me on your favorite social media platforms! Follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up to receive my newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: crafts, diy, gift idea, gifts for kids, kids, melt and pour soap, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, party favor, soap tutorial, soapmaking

Summer Beauty Recipes: An Easy Seashell Soap Tutorial & More Ways to Care for Skin This Summer!

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May 23, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 9 Comments

Celebrate summer with nine summer beauty recipes from top bloggers. Easy recipes for DIY seashell soaps, mermaid fizzing bath salts, an aloe vera face mask and more!

Summer Beauty Recipes

Summer means more time outdoors, vacations and fun! So to celebrate the excitement and opportunities of summer, I wanted to share an amazing collection of summer beauty recipes. Not only will you enjoy making these summer skin care products (on a rainy day perhaps?) you’ll also love using them! Keep reading to discover how to make a super easy seashell embed soap. Plus find eight more summer beauty recipes you can make from some of my favorite fellow bloggers.

Summer Beauty Recipe Inspiration

I grew up on trips to Myrtle beach every summer until I was sixteen. Most of those years, we saved money by camping out in a campground. Not only did it give me a greater appreciation for the outdoors, I also learned that you should ALWAYS wear flip flops when using a campground shower. (Thanks, Mom!)

One of my favorite things about staying on a beach campground was the lack of hotels. Sure, there were lots of people, but there were no hotels to mar the skyline. Just beach and plants and trees. It was easy to make daily discoveries of beautiful shells, sand dollars, tiny crabs and clams in the sand.

Much like my early adventures in a hometown creek that fed into our river, I always tried to take at least one of my live discoveries home with me. While at home, I tried to create a habitat for crawdads I caught. At the beach, I took baby clams and other small (yet to be identified) creatures home in a bucket of sand and water.

Being that Myrtle Beach is a good 8-9 hour drive from my home in Virginia, these tiny sea creatures never managed to survive the trip. However that didn’t stop me from trying. Being the stubborn girl that I was (and still am apparently) I tried again year after year, until the camping trips ended. My parents, probably in their wisdom to never argue with a strong willed little girl over something so simple, never protested. Although I’m not sure how they DIDN’T looking back. An eight hour drive in an old school Dodge van with zero air conditioning and sea water left quite the lingering aroma.

Making Beach Themed Seashell Soaps

My DIY seashell soaps are a nod to those carefree summer beach trips of days past. They are reminiscent of time spent outdoors in the sun and sand. Long days hunting for seashells and mysterious creatures hidden just under the sand as the waves roll in and onto the beach.

What makes this summer beauty soap project so easy?

Made using a melt and pour soap base, this soap making tutorial incorporates pre-made soap embeds into the recipe. This eliminates some of the challenges that come with working with embeds as a beginning soapmaker. It also saves you money, as you’ll only need one soap making mold for this soap tutorial. This helps reduce the otherwise more expensive costs of investing in multiple soap making molds. There’s also no need to work with lye. So if you’re still not ready to make cold process soap, then this soap making project is perfect for you!

Save on materials & time by purchasing pre-made elements for your summer beauty recipes.

While you can make your own melt and pour soap embeds for my beach soaps, this can be challenging and time consuming. Therefore I chose to use pre-made seashell soap embeds that I purchased from a fellow soapmaker. I used seashell soap embeds that I purchased from Spruce Mountain Soap to make this soap making project both simpler and faster.

My seashell soap is the perfect summer beauty recipe for cleansing your skin on hot summer days. Made with a blend of fresh litsea cubeba and peppermint essentials oils, these fun beach inspired soaps help to brighten and energize dull skin. Discover my summer soap making tutorial and recipe below. And don’t forget to check out the other summer beauty recipes for everything from an aloe vera face mask to mermaid fizzing bath salts after the recipe!

Summer Beauty Seashell Soap Recipe

Soap Ingredients:

21 oz. clear melt and pour soap base
3 mL litsea cubeba essential oil
1 mL peppermint essential oil
12 drops amyris essential oil
1-2 oz. white melt and pour soap base
skin safe blue mica powder, of choice

Soap Exfoliate Ingredients:

1 teaspoon calendula flower powder
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon cornsilk powder

Additional Materials & Supplies:

seashell, beach rocks or sea glass soap embeds
rectangle silicone soap mold
digital scale
graduated transfer pipettes
glass measuring cups or bowls
spray bottle with 99% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
utensils (for mixing) and a large Chef’s knife
cutting board
measuring spoons
microwave
your imagination

Instructions:

Being by weighing out the clear melt and pour soap base. Cut the base into chunks and combine in a large Pyrex glass measuring cup. Heat the cubed soap the microwave in 30-second increments until melted.

Once melted, use the graduated transfer pipettes to measure out and add the litsea cubeba and peppermint essential oils to soap. Follow with the amyris essential oil. Then stir the soap to mix in the fragrance.

Now pour a few ounces of the clear melted soap base into a separate measuring cup. Stir in a pinch of the blue mica and set aside.

Position your soap mold at an angle on a stable surface on a cutting board. (I used a cardboard box I cut at an angle for this step. I place the cutting board on the box, then put the mold on top of the cutting board for easy transport.)

Next, measure out the exfoliants into a small bowl. (You can make substitutions as desired for this step. The purpose of the exfoliants is to mimic the look of beach sand.) Mix to combine.

Then add a small amount of the mixture to each of the cavities of your soap mold.

Now slowly pour the clear melt and pour soap base onto the exfoliants and into the soap mold. Be sure to leave room for the seashell embeds by only filling each cavity about 1/3 of the way.

Use a utensil to reposition the exfoliants along the bottom of the mold as desired. Then spritz the top of they poured soap with alcohol to remove any air bubbles. Allow the soap to cool and harden before proceeding to the next step.

Once the first layer of soap has hardened, place the mold flat onto your work surface.

Now weigh out the white melt and pour soap base. Cut into chunks then heat in a microwave safe container in 20-30 second increments until melted. Set aside.

Spritz the tops of the soap in the mold with rubbing alcohol. Then place your seashell soap embeds onto the hardened soap, arranging as desired.

If necessary, gently reheat the remaining clear melt and pour soap base as well as the blue soap base. Then pour the clear soap base into each of the mold cavities leaving a small amount of space at the top.

Add a drizzle of both the blue and the white soap base into the melted clear soap base in each of the cavities. Use a utensil to gently swirl the white and blue bases as desired.

Spritz with rubbing alcohol to remove any air bubbles. Then allow the soaps to cool completely.

Once the seashell soaps have fully solidified, gently remove the soaps from the mold. You can clean up the tops or edges of your soap bars with a small knife or a potato peeler.

All that’s left is to tightly wrap your seashell soaps in foodservice film. They’re now ready for use or gifting!

Like my easy seashell soap tutorial? Then be sure to pin it (along with the other summer beauty recipes you’ll find below) for later.

Alternative Ways to Make Seashell Soaps

Of course, you don’t have to make your seashell soaps the same way I did. The great thing about artisan soap making is that is unique to the creator. So don’t be afraid that you’ll mess up or get it wrong. There really is not right or wrong way to craft your own artisan soaps for summer.

If you have a loaf mold, you can go into more detail creating water designs. Pictured above is a slice from the ocean portion of my mermaid soaps I made two years ago. You can find the tutorial for my melt and pour mermaid soaps here.

Alternately, Spruce Mountain Soap sells a beautiful Island Dreams Soap (pictured) that you can draw further inspiration from.

More Summer Beauty Recipes to Try

Ready to try your hand at even more summer beauty recipes. Following you’ll discover eight more gorgeous skin care recipes that are perfect for your summer skin care routine!

After Sun Aloe Face Mask Recipe

This easy DIY aloe vera face mask recipe from A Life Adjacent is a wonderful addition to your summer beauty routine. It’s not only moisturizing — it can also soothe sunburn, irritation, and redness, as well as aid in calming the inflammation caused by acne breakouts. (Also be sure to check out my own aloe after sun lotion bar recipe for natural after sun skin care!)

Beach Body Coffee Scrub Recipe

Coffee scrubs are by far one of my favorite summer beauty recipes for summer skin care. This beach body coffee scrub recipe from Botaneri is great for exfoliation and gives a teeny hint of color to the skin.

DIY Mermaid Fizzing Bath Salts

These DIY fizzing mermaid-inspired bath salts by Creative Green Living are easier to make than a bath bomb but just as fun to use! Your kids will love using this fun bath fizz as they splash and play in the tub.

Mermaid Whipped Soap Summer Beauty Recipe

This mermaid whipped soap recipe from Everything Pretty is so light and fluffy! Learn how to use a melt and pour soap based to make a creamy whipped soap that’s perfect for the shower or as a shaving soap before you head to the beach.

All-Natural Sunscreen Lip Balm Recipe

While you get chapped lips in winter, you can get burned lips in summer. Making this project from Garden Therapy a must for your to-do list of summer beauty recipes! Protect your lips with a homemade sunscreen lip balm. It will keep your lips safe from sunburn, make them kissably soft, and it’s made of all-natural ingredients!

Natural Solid Perfume Recipe

Learn how to make this solid perfume recipe at Life-n-Reflection. This natural perfume DIY is a luxurious multi-layered scent of the heady, rich florals jasmine and geranium with a top note of sweet, citrusy grapefruit. Blended with natural beeswax and oil and poured over delicate dried jasmine flowers into zero waste tins, this makes a lovely natural beauty gift.

DIY Melt & Pour Cactus Soap

Make these adorable shea butter melt and pour cactus soaps from Lydi Out Loud in just minutes for last minute gifts or party favors. Boasting a refreshing natural lime scent, these easy DIY soaps are perfect for an invigorating summer shower! (Discover more succulent soap inspiration and recipes at Soap Deli News here.)

DIY Strawberry Lip Scrub

This strawberry DIY lip scrub with coconut oil is another of my favorite summer beauty recipes. Perfect for exfoliating, this recipe from Country Hill Cottage makes dry, chapped lips feel and look smooth, soft, and supple. The scrub removes dead skin and moisturizes your lips at the same time. (You may also enjoy my own pink lemonade lip scrub recipe.)

Summer Beauty Recipes & Inspiration on Pinterest

I’m always amazed by the creativity of others. Pinterest is a great way to expand on that creativity and find inspiration. If you’re looking for more summer beauty recipes for your next DIY adventure, then be sure to follow my boards on Pinterest. You’ll discover great DIY ideas for making 42 homemade sugar scrubs, 12 summer skin care recipes for dry skin, 17 whipped sugar scrubs you can buy or DIY, 10 magical summer skin care recipes for your inner child, a foaming strawberry salt scrub recipe and a unicorn glitter butter recipe (pictured.)

For more DIY soap making ideas and summer beauty recipes, make sure to follow me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up to receive my semi-weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Homemade Gift Ideas, Soapmaking Tagged With: after sun, bath and beauty, bath salt recipe, beauty recipes, body scrub recipe, face mask, lip balm recipe, lip scrub, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, natural beauty, perfume recipe, soap tutorial, solid perfume, summer, summer skin care, sunscreen, whipped sugar scrub

Creative Cactus Soaps (To Buy or For DIY Soap Making Inspiration)

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

May 13, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

Cactus soaps are all the rage these days. Now that unicorns and mermaids seem to be trending down, cacti and succulents are trending up. While it may seem strange to bathe with a soap that mimics a plant with sharp needles, that doesn’t seem to be off putting where artisan soaps are concerned.

Buy them to add a touch of summer to your guest bathroom or to give as simple housewarming or hostess gifts. Or simply gather inspiration for crafting your own unique DIY cactus soaps at home. Plus discover 7 soap making tutorial for making homemade succulent soaps as your next weekend soap making project.

Creative Cactus Soaps for Succulent Lovers

If you love cacti and other succulents, then be sure to shop these amazing artisan soap finds from Etsy. Beautiful cacti and succulent soaps for handmade gifts or DIY inspiration. Here are just a few of my favorite handcrafted cactus soaps. For more soapy inspiration, be sure to visit my collection of artisan soaps on Etsy here.

Clockwise: Desert Blooms Cactus Soap by Grouchy Owl Soaps / Cactus Flower Soap by Skyline Soapworks / Blooming Cactus Soaps by Joan’s Garden / Succulent Garden Soap by Sinfully Scented Shop

Clockwise: Succulent Soap Gifts by BeeUtifully Organic / We’re Rooting for You Succulent Soap Gift Box by Sunbasil Soap / Southwest Succulent Soaps by Soap Etiquette Inc. / Cactus Succulent Soap Favor by Seaside Soap Kitchen

Clockwise: Green Cactus Calendula Infused Soaps by Calendula Skin Soaps / Cactus Succulent Soap Favors by So Cute Soap / Artisan Succulent Soaps by Wild Poppy Soap Co. / Cactus Flower Soaps by Honey Butter Bath Co.

Clockwise: Desert Rose Cacti Soap by Moon Shine Suds / Potted Succulent Soap by Seapoint Trade / Fresh Succulent Soap Garden by Joan’s Garden / Sedona in Bloom By Trinity Soaps

Clockwise: Cactus Succulent Desert Bloom Soap by Land of Soap / Tequila Sunrise Eagles Inspired Soap by A Sea of Soaps / Margarita Cactus Gardeners Soap by Grounded Sage Skincare / Unscented Mini Cactus Goat Milk Soap by Soap Nerd Shop

Clockwise: Rustic Cactus & Sea Salt Soap by The Little Soap Store / 3D Crafted Cactus Soap by Nerdy Soap / Cactus Soap Favors by Sunbasil Soap / Cactus Flower Soap Bar by Wild Elephant Soap

Make Your Own DIY Cactus Soaps

Cactus Soap Making Molds

Ready to make your own DIY cacti or succulent soaps? You can find a plethora of unique and interesting soap molds for making cacti or succulent soaps and embeds here. (Including the cactus soap molds pictured above from Gold Miss Craft Supplies.)

Cacti & Succulent Soap Tutorials

Also be sure to check out this collection of cacti & succulent soap tutorials for even more DIY ideas for your next soap making project.

You can also learn how to make your own custom cacti and succulent soap molds with this soap mold tutorial from Soap Queen. Then use your homemade soap molds to make unique one-of-a-kind melt and pour soaps.

Love these handmade artisan soaps and DIY soap making ideas? Be sure to pin this post for later!

Discover more DIY soap making ideas you can craft for handmade gifts by following me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Pinterest, Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Decorating, Homemade Gift Ideas, Shopping, Soapmaking Tagged With: artisan, cactus, cold process soap recipe, cold process soapmaking, crafts, diy, gift guide, gift idea, handmade gifts, handmade soap, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, shopping, soap tutorial, soapmaking, succulent

Homemade Soap Recipes for Every Skill Level

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

April 10, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

130+ homemade soap recipes to make for every skill level. Learn how to make a variety of homemade soaps for three different types of soap making – cold process soapmaking, melt and pour soapmaking and hand milled soapmaking. This huge collection of homemade soap recipes can be made to naturally care for your family’s skin or to gift to friends. Many of these recipe you can also make to sell at your local farmers market, craft fairs or online on sites like Etsy.

I’ve been making my own homemade soap recipes for close to two decades now. I’m constantly amazed by how the craft of soapmaking has changed and evolved over time. I was also a bit stunned by just how many different homemade soap recipes I’ve formulated or shared in that time. (And that doesn’t even count the recipes that never made it to my blog.) So, for those of you interested in trying more of my homemade soap recipes, but aren’t sure what to search for, I’ve compiled over 130 soap recipes all in one place for your convenience. (You can also sort through most of my soap recipes with photos via this Pinterest board.)

Homemade Soap Recipes

Following you’ll find collections of my favorite homemade soap recipes ever made. Whether you want to make melt and pour soap, cold process soap or even hand milled soap, these homemade soap recipes make beautiful gifts as well as everyday skin care products for you and your family.

Homemade Cold Process Soap Recipes

I supply a basic overview of the cold process soapmaking method, along with homemade soap recipes suitable for beginners, here. You can also learn how to customize your own cold process homemade soap recipes via my easy to understand tutorial here.

Creative Melt & Pour Soap Recipes

Hand Milled (& Other) Easy Soap Recipes

How To Package Your Soaps to Gift or Sell

Now that you’ve made one or more of my favorite homemade soap recipes, it’s time package and label them for sale or to give as handmade gifts! You can find some amazing DIY ideas for packaging your homemade soaps here. (There are even creative ideas for tackling the packaging for round soaps.) You can also learn how to create custom soap labels with this tutorial.

130+ homemade soap recipes to make for every skill level. Learn how to make a variety of homemade soaps for three different types of soap making - cold process soap making, melt and pour soap making and hand milled soap making. A huge collection of homemade soap recipes to make for your family, to gift to friends or to make and sell for extra money online, at your local farmers market, craft fairs or on Etsy.

Pin this post.

Discover more homemade soap recipes along with ideas for DIY bath and beauty products by following me on Pinterest. You can also find me on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to stay updated on new recipes.

Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: cold process soap recipe, cold process soapmaking, hand milled soap making, hand milled soap recipe, homemade soap, homemade soap recipe, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, soap packaging, soap tutorial, soapmaking

DIY Glitter Galaxy Unicorn Soap

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February 20, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 1 Comment

We can all use a little more magic in our lives. Bring some of that magic into your shower with this DIY glitter galaxy unicorn soap. Made with a ridiculous amount of eco-glitter, this unicorn soap recipe offers a fun spin on galaxy soaps. And, because it’s made using melt and pour soap base, anyone can tackle this project as a fun weekend DIY.

Sometimes you don’t FEEL like a unicorn.

It’s easy to forget sometimes, especially in times of emotional turmoil, that we are all magical creatures. Since sneaking into my forties, my life has been wrought with its fair share of chaos. Not only is this (middle?) age thing a tough pill to swallow, it’s also brought with it an array of unexpected side effects. Wrinkles, thinning skin, weight gain – and this crazy thing called perimenopause.

I don’t remember my mom ever going through the change before the change. She had a hysterectomy (due to an abnormally heavy menstrual cycle) when I was in high school. So perimenopause – or even menopause – was not a subject that ever came up in those mother daughter talks. Recently I did garner a discussion with her on the topic. As it turned out, my mother started hormone therapy at some point surround her hysterectomy. “Because I was bitchy all the time. Don’t you remember?” “I mean, no? You’re my mother. It’s your job to be occasionally bitchy.”

Sadly, my mother’s need to always be pleasant and helpful resulted in FIFTEEN years of prescription hormone pills. (Made from horse urine, mind you.) That’s ten years longer than is recommended. Of course, her doctor assured her she’d be fine. She wasn’t.

My mother ended up with cervical cancer.

Luckily, surgery seemed to handle the unfortunate consequence of being over-prescribed hormones. Chemo, thankfully, was decided against due to the high probability of toxicity at her age. And later genetic testing put her at almost zero risk of developing other cancers later in life.

The sheer fact, however, that my mother took a prescription to tamper her mood – up to the point it gave her cancer – has stuck with me. Are we, as women, not supposed to be angry? Because there are days I am outraged over so many things. And when women are angry, men say we’re crazy. But we aren’t crazy. We’re coping with life while there’s a war raging inside us.

Recently I learned that it’s NORMAL for perimenopause to cause difficulty sleeping, irritability, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, irregular periods, mood swings, anxiety and depression. In addition, it can also cause RAGE. And for those of us who had severe PMS growing up, in addition to prior episodes of depression or other mental health problems, perimenopause rage is COMMON. And the science backs it up. (Source.)

When we, as women, transition into perimenopause, we also experience (unfamiliar) changes in estrogen. These estrogen changes then directly affect the serotonin levels in our brains. As I’m sure you’re aware, serotonin is a chemical in our brains that regulates mood. When it’s up, we feel happy and elated. Yet when it’s down, we are sad, irritable and depressed. As our estrogen fluctuates throughout this period known as perimenopause, it throws off our estrogen-serotonin balance. This in turn causes a decline in our emotions. So we feel sad. We cry for no reason. Or we’re just really really angry. (Source.)

So, yes. I’ve had quite a few days, especially when those days are coupled with chronic pain, where I feel like I’m going mad. Some days I feel like giving up. I cry over songs and television shows. Other days I’m just pissed at the whole world. (And yes, my ex-husband in particular.) Days that I forget, yes, I am still as magical as a unicorn, even if I don’t feel like it.

Making my glitter galaxy unicorn soap, then seeing it when I take my shower in the mornings, reminds me I am more than just how I feel in that single moment. And in the end, I’ll survive whatever comes my way. (And so will you!)

Glitter Galaxy Unicorn Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

13.5 oz. white melt and pour soap base
5.7 oz. clear melt and pour soap base
.2 oz. fragrance oil, of choice
purple mica or soap colorant, to suit
eco-friendly biodegradable cosmetic glitter, to suit

Materials & Tools:

Rainbows & Unicorns Silicone Unicorn Mold
Digital scale
Glass Pyrex measuring cups
Utensils, for stirring
Spray bottle with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol

Instructions:

I used the same awesome unicorn mold for my DIY glitter galaxy unicorn soap as my super sparkly DIY unicorn air fresheners I made for Galentine’s Day. So if you already have this mold, you’re all set. Otherwise, you get this mold in two days via Amazon. Or you can simply adjust the recipe to fit inside an existing unicorn mold you already have. (Just fill one of the mold cavities with soap base, weigh once it’s hardened, then go from there.)

Begin by weighing out 13.5 oz. of white melt and pour soap base. Cut the base into chunks, then combine in a large glass Pyrex measuring cup. Heat in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each heating, until melted. Once melted, mix in your choice of skin safe purple soap colorant as recommended by the manufacturer. Then stir in .15 oz. fragrance oil. (I used this vanilla free Pomegranate Noir fragrance oil.)

Now pour the melted soap base into each of the six cavities of your unicorn mold. (Each cavity should be around 3/4th of the way full.) Then spritz the top of the soap with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to remove any air bubbles.

Set the mold aside and allow the soap to fully harden.

Once the base for your unicorn soap has set up, you’re ready to move on to the next step. Weigh out 5.7 oz. of clear melt and pour soap base. Cut into chunks, then combine in a glass Pyrex measuring cup. Heat the clear soap base in the same manner as the white soap base. Then, once melted, weigh out and stir in .05 oz. fragrance oil.

Now dust spritz the top of the soap in your mold with isopropyl alcohol. Dust with glitter as desired.

Spritz with alcohol once more, then gently pour about half of the clear melted soap base into the unicorn mold. Dust the soap with additional glitter, then pour the rest of soap base into the mold. Spray the top of the soap with alcohol to remove any air bubbles.

Next, use a utensil to lift the glitter up into the clear base as it cools to create a layering effect. While still fluid, spray the top of the unicorn soap once more with isopropyl alcohol. Then dust with a final layer of glitter.

Once the glitter galaxy unicorn soaps have solidified fully, remove the soaps from the mold.

Then wrap each unicorn soap tightly in foodservice film until ready to use.

More Unicorn Soap & Beauty Recipes

If you like my DIY glitter galaxy unicorn soap, then you may also like some of my other unicorn bath & beauty recipes.

For more homemade soap recipes, as well as natural beauty and skin recipes, be sure to sign up for my semi-weekly email newsletter. You can also follow me on Pinterest, twitter, facebook and instagram.

Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: bath and body, bath tutorial, crafts, diy, easy, glitter, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, perimenopause, soap tutorial, unicorn