Homemade Shea Butter Soap with Roses and Vanilla

These pretty floral shea butter soaps are so beautiful and fragrant, and not to mention easy, that you’ll want to make extras to give all the ladies in your life. It's the perfect way to use fresh blooms from the garden or make a store-bought bouquet do double duty. And since cold spring air can still be pretty brutal, soothing shea butter soap helps nourish parched skin until summer comes around.

For homemade gifts, it doesn't get much easier than making your own melt & pour soap recipe. Once you buy a soap base—I like shea butter base because it's so creamy—you can go wild making different flavors. Last time I experimented with cocoa & mint; this time I'm going with what every mom wants—flowers!

Mixing dried flower petals into the soap base adds a touch of elegance to your daily cleansing routine and it makes for a lovely gift for someone special.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Troubleshooting
• Substitutions
• Shea Butter Soap Variations
• FAQ

Ingredients

• 32 ounces shea butter melt-and-pour soap base
• Fresh or dried flowers of your choosing
• Soap mold
• Essential oils (I used rose and lavender)
• Pretty paper and ribbon for wrapping

Shea butter soap

Shea butter is one of my favorite beauty DIY ingredients. We've made a ton of shea butter recipes because of its many skin and hair benefits. Because it is mega moisturizing, it is excellent in body butter, soap, and lip balm recipes.

If your skin is dry, start by replacing any harsh soaps and cleansers with recipes that include natural butters and oils. Shea butter has vitamins A and E to naturally protect and nourish damaged skin.

Shea butter soap provides a creamy, moisturizing lather, leaving your skin super soft instead of stripping away your body's natural oils.

Rose petals

The petals in petal soap are not just for show, as they can also provide a gentle exfoliating effect that helps to remove dead skin cells, leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth. The use of natural ingredients in petal soap can provide additional benefits, such as nourishing and hydrating the skin. If you're looking for a unique and indulgent way to pamper your mom, petal soap is definitely worth trying.

Soap molds

You don't need fancy soap molds, either. They're not a huge investment, but if you don't happen to have them around, use any kind of food storage container or even something from the recycling bin. I've found old creamer cartons make excellent soap loaves that can then be cut into bars.

Instructions

Step 1 | Dry flowers

If you're using fresh flowers, dry petals in a 200°F oven for 1–2 hours before you get started. They'll hold their shape and color much better than fresh petals. Just keep an eye on the oven while they dry to keep them from burning.

Step 2 | Chop soap base

Chop your soap base into small chunks. The amount you need depends on the size of your soap mold, but I used all 32 ounces for mine.

I chopped up and melted about ⅓ of a 2-pound chunk of shea butter soap base to make about 3 bars of soap. You might get more or less, depending on how thick you make your bars.

No melt and pour soap base? Cut up a regular bar of soap then add 2 ounces of water and melt it like usual. It will take on a chunkier texture than the melt-and-pour stuff but will still be perfectly usable.

Step 3 | Melt soap

Place soap chunks in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted. Stir to make sure all chunks have been incorporated.

Step 4 | Add flowers to soap

Place flower petals of different shapes and sizes in the bottom of your mold.

Or you can crumble the roses into small pieces and add to the soap with the vanilla extract. Start with 1 tablespoon of vanilla and add more if you want a stronger scent. Stir together until combined.

Step 5 | Pour in melted soap

Spoon melted soap into each of the molds until full. Top with more flowers, then let cool for 1–2 hours.

Step 6 | Gift wrap

Wrap each bar in gorgeous paper and tie with a pretty ribbon, or place it in a special box with tissue paper inside. 

Troubleshooting

Settling

You might find that your rose pieces settle to the bottom of each bar. If that happens, wait until the soap is more firmly set but still wet then stir the rose pieces into the soap and pour into the molds.

You can also sprinkle a few more pieces on top of the soap. Press down on them gently to make sure they stick to the soap.

Bubbles

One other troubleshooting note: if you're getting bubbles on the top of your soap, give it a spritz of rubbing alcohol to remove them.

Substitutions

Dried Flowers: Try dried lavender, calendula, or chamomile. You can also experiment with dried herbs and citrus peels.

Soap Base: There are lots of melt and pour soap base options these days! You can choose from glycerin, goat's milk, honey, or any other preferred base.

Shea Butter Soap Variations

Luxury Spa Soap: Add pink Himalayan salt and a blend of lavender and chamomile essential oils for a soothing, spa-like soap bar.

Morning Boost Soap: Incorporate coffee grounds and orange essential oil to invigorate the senses and exfoliate the skin, making it perfect for morning showers.

Sensitive Skin Bar: Mix in finely ground oatmeal and aloe vera gel for a soap that’s extra soothing and gentle on sensitive skin.

Detox Soap: Use activated charcoal and tea tree oil for a detoxifying facial bar suitable for oily or acne-prone skin.

Men’s Shaving Bar: Add bentonite clay for its slip properties, which help the razor glide smoothly, along with a masculine scent like sandalwood or cedarwood.

FAQ

This post was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Haley, a board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience in medical, cosmetic, and surgical dermatology. Learn more about Hello Glow's medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice, and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

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