Many beauty bars and soaps have exfoliant properties. The scrubbing action in the soap removes dead skin cells, which in turn reveals a healthy, fresh layer of skin. Scrubbing soaps also are good for removing blackheads and other impurities, and removing ground in dirt from, for example, a gardener's hands. Different abrasive ingredients are good for different purposes.
Making Soap
Learning to make soap at home is highly recommended for people who wish to control the quality of and ingredients in their soaps.
Hand Milling Soap and Adding Exfoliants
All of the recipes below are based on the best method for hand milling soap after curing.
12 ounces grated soap are melted with 9 ounces water in a small pot. Too much stirring creates excessive suds and should be avoided. After the soap is melted it is brought to 100 degrees F. and removed from heat. Additives, such as oatmeal, are added just before pouring the liquid soap into molds to harden.
Oatmeal is such a popular additive in soaps that it deserves its own article.
Almond Meal Soap
Almond meal soap is an excellent scrub for both the face and the body. It is best to start with just one cup of almonds, and increase the amount of almonds by a quarter or a half a cup each time you make it. Two cups of almonds will make the most abrasive scrubbing soap. The sweet almond oil both soothes the skin and adds to the almond scent.
Almond Meal Soap Ingredients
- 12 ounces grated soap
- 9 ounces water
- 1 to 2 cups unshelled almonds
- 3 teaspoons sweet almond oil
- To make almond meal soap, first prepare the almonds. Place raw, unshelled almonds in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover, and simmer for five minutes.
- Remove from heat, drain hot water, and cool the almonds by running cold water over them. Remove flaking skin by rubbing. Grind the nuts in a blender until fine.
- Melt the soap and water in a pot. Remove from heat and stir in almond meal. Stir gently until the almond meal is integrated into the soap, then stir in sweet almond oil. Pour into molds.
Bran gives a light exfoliation. It is good for regular use on skin that is not highly problematic.
- 12 ounces grated soap
- 9 ounces water
- 1 cup bran, wheat or oat
Melt together the grated soap and water. Remove from heat and stir in bran just before pouring into molds.
Cornmeal Soap
Cornmeal is a vigorous abrasive; this soap is great for cleaning clogged pores. Start with 1/2 cup of cornmeal to see what it is like. Use more next time if desired.
- 12 ounces grated soap
- 9 ounces water
- 1/2 - 2/3 ground cornmeal
Melt the grated soap in the water, remove from heat and stir in cornmeal. Pour into molds and proceed as usual.
Honey & Wheat Germ Soap
The wheat germ in this soap is mildly abrasive, and the honey has skin-softening properties. This recipe makes a nice soap for people with dry skin who want a gentle scrubbing soap.
- 12 ounces grated soap
- 9 ounces water
- 1 cup wheat germ
- 1/4 cup honey
Melt the soap and water together in a pot. Stir in the wheat germ, then the honey. Remove from heat and continue to stir gently until the soap is cool and thick enough to prevent the honey from settling on the bottom. (Be careful to stir gently so you don't make lots of suds.) When the honey is well incorporated into the soap, pour into molds.
Gardener's Soap
This soap is very abrasive and is to be used on hands and feet, but not the face. This soap is a supreme scrubbing cleanser for people who work with their hands. Notice that the lemon juice in the recipe takes the place of some of the water.
- 12 ounces grated soap
- 7 ounces water
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) lemon juice
- 1/2 cup clean sand
- 1/4 cup finely ground pumice
Melt the soap, water, and lemon juice in a pot. Remove from heat and stir in sand and pumice. This recipe requires much gentle stirring because the sand is heavy and will sink to the bottom. Once the sand stays evenly distributed throughout the liquid soap, pour into molds.
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