Ready for a fun melt-and-pour soap project? These easy soaps not only look and smell amazing, but they're also perfect for a bit of exfoliation while you lather up in the bath or shower. Plus, they make perfect homemade beauty gifts!
DIY Melt-and-Pour Loofah Soaps
What You’ll Need
–2 lbs clear melt-and-pour soap base
–1 dropper
–1 spray bottle (for rubbing alcohol)
–2 heat-safe glass containers
–2 spoons
–Scissors
–Paper towels
–Rubbing alcohol
–8 soap molds with lids
–1 oz fragrance oil
–1 electric bubble gum color block
Loofah Soap Instructions:
Loofah Prep
Cut the dry loofah sponge into 8 even pieces by cutting once vertically, then cutting each half into 4 pieces. Next, add the loofah sponge pieces to water to reconstitute and remove any seeds as needed (this is a natural vegetable product, so you may have seeds). Towel dry each loofah piece to remove excess water. Set aside.
Rubbing Alcohol Prep
Add rubbing alcohol to the 2 oz spray bottle. Spritzing the melted soap with rubbing alcohol eliminates air bubbles.
1. Cut the soap base into 1-inch cubes and divide equally into 2 microwave-safe glass containers.
2. Melt the first container of soap in the microwave with 30-second bursts, stirring in between bursts with a spoon until the soap is fully melted.
3. Slice off a sliver of the orange color block, and mix a small amount into the first container of melted soap until you achieve a bright orange hue. What you see is what you get with these colorants, so feel free to add more if you want a brighter color.
4. Add 4 droppers full of fragrance oil to the melted orange soap base, and stir until the fragrance oil is fully distributed (about 12 mL).
5. Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 using the electric bubble gum color block and your second container of soap.
6. Place 1 loofah sponge in each rectangle mold. It’s okay if the loofah sponges are still a little damp. Trim the sponges if needed.
Ideally, we want both containers of soap at about the same temperature when we pour. If you have a thermometer, the magic temperature is about 130°F.
If you don’t have a thermometer, no problem. Let the soap cool down until it gets a little bit thicker and starts to form a “skin” on top.
The soap should not be hot. If the soap cooled down too much, just pop it back in the microwave for another couple of 30-second bursts.
7. The color fusion technique is all about the “pour.” Pour the pink soap into 4 molds, filling the molds only halfway.
8. Next, pour the orange soap on top of the pink soap to fill the mold all the way to the top. Repeat this step for the remaining 4 soap molds, pouring the orange soap first and the pink soap second. Spritz all of the soaps with rubbing alcohol to eliminate bubbles.
9. Let the soap harden for 12–24 hours before unmolding. The soap is ready to use right away, or add the raffia and labels to the soap mold and give them away as gifts. Your friends and family will love you!
