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Minimalist Beauty

living simply with grace, discretion and faith

Minimalist Beauty

DIY Liquid Soap From A Bar Easily–Zero Waste

January 16, 2018 by Dawn Michelle

Finding simple solutions to create less waste are often easier than we think.  At the same time some methods just work better than others.  The first time I tried to create liquid soap from a bar was a pointless disaster.  Finally I figured out exactly why it wasn’t working, and exactly what I needed to do differently.  Today I want to share what makes this simple zero waste solution work.

What you will need…

  • 3 cups purified water
  • 1  1/2 cups soap flakes
  • 20 drops of essential oil (optional)
  • Cheese grater
  • Container of choice (I prefer a glass jar)

1. Use your cheese grater to break down the soap bar into tiny pieces.

2. Add soap flakes to your glass jar and fill with hot water to dissolve the soap flakes.

3. Once cooled and soap flakes dissolved, add essential oils of your for scent and additional cleansing properties.  Lemongrass, lavender, lemon, or peppermint essential oil are all great options.

4. This recipe make 32 oz of liquid soap.

I use this simple DIY Liquid Soap for cleaning as well as shampoo and body wash.

Liquid soaps tend to cost more as well as contribute to excessive plastic bottles.  The most important aspect to making a great DIY Liquid Soap is to use a bar soap that has a high glycerin content.  The easiest way to know if a soap bar is high in glycerin is when it is wet it gets soft around the edges and is gooey once it is almost gone.  I love using the Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap.  I purchase 8 oz bars packaged in recyclable paper.

If you try this please let me know how it works for you. Find more zero waste articles here.

One Love!

(Image by Dawn Michelle)

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  1. Janine says

    January 18, 2018 at 10:25 am

    This is cool. Didn’t know it was that simple. I’d like to do this with the Sappo Hill Oatmeal unscented soap. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      January 23, 2018 at 9:22 am

      Hi Janine,
      Let me know how it works out for you. I haven’t tried it with the oatmeal soap so I’m curious.

      Reply
  2. Tam says

    January 18, 2018 at 11:51 am

    This recipe seems much simpler than what I’ve found on pinterest. I’ve been wanting to do this to Lykas papaya soap which I find too drying in bar form. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      January 23, 2018 at 9:23 am

      Hi Tam,
      I like to keep things as simple as possible. Let me know how things turn out.

      Reply
  3. Shelly says

    January 24, 2018 at 9:55 pm

    I used my African Black soap and it turned out fantastic. I added 2 tsps of vegetable glycerin, unpasteurized honey and a bit of avocado oil for added moisture (Canadian winter is drying).

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      February 3, 2018 at 5:34 pm

      Hi Shelly,
      This sounds amazing. Using African Black Soap to create liquid soaps are always a winner. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  4. Rahima says

    February 1, 2018 at 1:39 pm

    Hi Dawn,

    Thank you for sharing this information. I was wondering how fine the grating needs to be?

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      February 5, 2018 at 6:24 pm

      Hi Rahima,
      The soap I chose for this actually crumbles pretty easily. Some soaps have even more moisture in them. As long as you use a cheese grater you will find that this is pretty easy regardless of how fine it grates and the soap will dissolve without much effort.

      Reply
      • Rahima says

        February 12, 2018 at 8:02 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
  5. Linda says

    February 16, 2018 at 1:54 am

    I just wanted to let you know that it was through your blog over a year ago I first heard about zero waste living. I then read a book about it and honestly thought it was both fascinating & a bit crazy. I got on Instagram and through the community there have been going zero waste for about 8 months now. It’s definitely a process & sometimes slow but great, so thanks for blogging on this important topic and introducing me to it!

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      February 26, 2018 at 6:25 pm

      Hi Linda,
      This is so awesome to hear! I am hoping to get back into more zero waste again myself. It has been a serious struggle with a baby since you must buy some things new, and also you receive gifts that are definitely not zero waste. It can seem crazy at first, yet by incorporating this type of mindfulness into your life you become more conscious in how you live and why.

      Reply
  6. Naya says

    March 23, 2018 at 10:29 pm

    Contemplating trying this but have you ever run into issues with mold? I feel like 32oz would take a while to get through.

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      March 26, 2018 at 1:03 pm

      Hi Naya,
      I think because we use so much soap we have never had any experience with mold. You can make smaller batches though if you are concerned. I keep shredded soap ready to go when I need it.

      Reply
      • Naya says

        March 28, 2018 at 10:18 pm

        Smart! I’ll do that then. I loved the KMF bar as a shampoo bar per your recommendation. I also recently tried a goat milk bar from Trader Joe’s which is super nice from head to toe. It actually smells the same as the KMF bar since it too is mostly olive oil. Don’t be fooled by the packaging though. I thought I found a cool zero waste find because it comes in a pouch but the bar was actually wrapped in plastic inside. I want to try to find something similar maybe among the package free soap at Whole Foods.

        Reply
        • Dawn Michelle says

          April 2, 2018 at 12:27 am

          Hi Naya,
          It’s so crazy how you have to literally inspect items for secret plastic wrapping. It is a learning curve.

          Reply
  7. Laura says

    March 28, 2018 at 9:31 am

    Thank you for sharing! I have been working towards zero waste for a few months now. I didn’t every buy bar soap previously and while I have been buying it now (in recyclable paper of course) it’s just not my preference! I’ll definitely be giving this a try!

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      April 2, 2018 at 12:26 am

      Hi Laura,
      I hope this works out the way you’d like it to. Good for you for working towards zero waste!

      Reply
  8. Prima Donna says

    July 30, 2018 at 3:12 pm

    Do you have to store the finished product in the fridge? Than you for this DIY!

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      July 31, 2018 at 10:55 pm

      Hi Prima Donna,
      I don’t personally store this soap in the fridge because we use it for so many things and use it up rather quickly. If you feel more comfortable to do so go for it.

      Reply
      • Prima Donna says

        August 2, 2018 at 10:02 am

        Thanks for the reply. I will surely try this recipe soon with my African Black Soap!

        Reply
  9. Jo says

    April 21, 2019 at 8:28 pm

    Thank you for the recipe! I divided the quantities by 4 to make a smaller amount and it was a little watery, but I also shook it and created bubbles… ^.^ whoops! Will be doing next time with slightly more soap. I also added eucalytpus oil. Great idea!! 🙂 🙂

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      April 25, 2019 at 4:48 pm

      Hi Jo,
      There is always some trial and error with DIY’s. I’m sure your next batch will be perfect. This is a more liquidity soap though.

      Reply
  10. Kimberly says

    August 19, 2019 at 3:58 am

    Hi followed your recipe exactly and it turned into a solid goo inside the jar. Why would it do that and is there a fix or do I have to throw it out? Did anyone else have that issue?

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      August 25, 2019 at 7:04 am

      Hi Kimberly,
      Try adding more water and see if that helps. Depending upon the soap used, there can be varied results on how much water is needed. I hope this helps some.

      Reply
  11. Poppy says

    May 8, 2020 at 4:08 am

    Hello Dawn,

    I hope you’re well, I love your website. I would love to try this recipe, but are you not worried about the ph being too alkaline?

    Look forward to hearing from you.

    Best wishes,

    Poppy

    Reply
    • Dawn Michelle says

      May 13, 2020 at 1:06 pm

      Hi Poppy,
      Soap usually is alkaline. Many commercial pH balanced hand and body washes are made with surfactants instead of soap. If you are using a natural soap for shampoo you can follow up with an acidic rinse such as aloe vera juice or a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse. I hope this helps and thank you for the compliment.

      Reply
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