DIY Simple Oat Soap

If you walk into any well-stocked supermarket, you could count just about as many types of soaps as there are flowers in the fields outside. There are so many brands these days they all bring different things to the table and there is a flood of advertising about what is best to use as a daily cleaning soap. Over the years, I have used plain white Dove soap, very successfully.

Lately, I have found that I need to use something milder and I have been looking for something that relieves the itch and is also soothing to my skin. So I decided to start making my own soap.

I decided to get an easy base idea of what to do as I did not want to go out and buy bulk ingredients and all sorts of equipment. So I did some research and chatted with my mum who has made a lot of soap before, the easy way.

I share this recipe with you, with a lot of love. It is a great everyday soap. There are some important tips below, please take note of them and read through them carefully. Do not use any ingredients that you have allergies to.

Equipment needed for DIY soap

All equipment that I use is only used for soap making. It is all stored in a different place from my regular food equipment. I would not like to get my soap bits in my mac and cheese. I chose to use silicone utensils as they remain clean and there is no cross-contamination.

1. A face mask for while you work and gloves if you have psoriasis on your hands that is easily triggered
2. Microwave (you could also use a double boiler method if you don't have a microwave)
3. Cheese grater
4. Microwave-safe dish
5. Heat-safe silicone spatula/something to stir with
6. Stick blender or food processor
7. Moulds for soap shaping and setting.

Ingredients needed for DIY soap

• 4 plain white Dove soap bars
• 10-20 tablespoons of water
• 1 cup of organic steel-cut oats (Please note, do not use instant oats)
• 10 drops peppermint oil (for body soap), you'll want to omit this ingredient for face soap

How I make my DIY soap

1. First, process your steel-cut oats, into fine flakes. They should not be quite as far as powder, but they do need to be smaller flakes. Set this aside for now. I use a stick blender for this.
2. Next, you will need to grate all your Dove soap bars into your microwavable dish. I used the medium side of the grater.
3. Add 10 tablespoons of water and pop it into the microwave, just long enough for it to start melting. Take it out and stir, return to the microwave until it is totally melted. Please note, you can make a judgment call on how much water to add, the consistency needs to be soft and pourable soap, but not watered down. I haven't needed to use more than 15 tablespoons.
4. Be careful that the mixture does not bubble over in the microwave, rather take it out more often and stir in between. Once your mixture is smooth and all the grated soap bits are melted.
5. If you are making body soap, this is where you would add the peppermint oil. 10 drops of essential oil is enough for this recipe. If you are making face soap, do not add the peppermint oil.
6. Stir in your processed oat flakes and stir well.
7. Fill your moulds, to the size that you would like. I use a mini loaf pan and I fill them roughly halfway.
8. Allow them to cool and set. I store mine in brown paper in an air-tight container and use it as needed.

I hope you enjoy!