Homemade Soap-In-A-Box

Making my own soap has always been on my "bucket list" of things to try.  Yet, for one reason or another, I've never actually gotten around to doing it.

Enter.... (drum roll) ta-da-da-dum...

.... the HOMEGROWN COLLECTION!  What is this, you may ask?  Well, if you'd like to visit their website, check out this link here for more information.

I happened on this new company by chance a couple of months ago and signed up out of curiosity, and because they were running a special.  I was over-the-moon ecstatic when I opened the box to find what was inside.  How it works is this, every month a box is delivered to your door, and inside is a surprise! You never know what project awaits you, but you can be assured it will be season appropriate, and full of all kinds of goodies to help you get started on an amazing DIY project!

Instructions are clearly provided on how to use every item in the box you've received.

This particular month, the "box" contained all that I needed to make my very own soap!  First I read through all the directions to acquaint myself with what I needed to do.  Then, because the instructions were SO simple, and easy to follow, I got started right away.  To make the particular kind of soap included in this box, the first thing to do was to grate the soap bar.  Included in the box was the lovely stainless steel grater, and 3 bars of 4-oz soap base.

 I wasn't sure how hard it was going to be to grate that bar of soap but all I can say is - WOW! It grated like a dream, just as easy as cheese, if not easier!

Then the directions called to place the jar in the microwave for 30 seconds, which melted the soap base.

After melting the soap base, next step was to add the essential oil (included)  - Tuber Rose - about 5-10 drops with the pipette (included).

The next step was to mix in the rolled oats.

The recipe called for using part of this loofah in the soap mixture.

The loofah was to be cut about 1/2" to 1" in diameter and placed inside the soap mold.

The loofah cut very easily, and was placed into the soap mold.

Here is a peek at the final mixture.  I gave it all a good stir, and then...

 ... poured it into the mold.

Making your own soap can't get much easier than this!  And oh my - the tuber rose smelled absolutely divine!

Moving on to the next bar of soap... This soap had the additions of chamomile and dead sea salt... and a few drops of cedarwood essential oil - again... the scent was absolutely marvelous!

And the last soap bar was made with activated charcoal!  Now this sounded rather difficult, and a bit strange to include charcoal in a bar of soap, but the insert that came with the soap described the activated charcoal as an ingredient that pulls toxins from your skin, and that this bar of soap would be perfect to cleanse your face or hands of unwanted toxins.

The three finished bars of soap.  This whole process took less than 30 minutes from start to finish.  I was so impressed with the thoughtfulness and detail that went into putting this box together.  I emailed the owner of the box to ask him how I might go about getting more organic soap bases to continue making more soap with the extra ingredients left over from the original kit.  He gave me the website, which is www.brambleberry.com  I have checked this website out and found bulk goat's milk base (which was my favorite out of the soaps) can be purchased here.  I had so much fun making this soap, that this may just turn into another hobby of mine!  I wish I could let you "scratch and sniff" to smell just how wonderful these bars of soap smell.  Even my hubby, who prefers to have just ordinary "clean smelling" soap, commented on how nice the soap smells.  I'm already anticipating and wondering what the next "box" will contain.... I'll keep you posted!