I came across a wonderful LYE-free DIY recipe for pumice soap! For those who do not know what pumice is, it is a volcanic rock that is commonly used as an abrasive (for scrubbing toilets and cleaning ovens and cleaning hands/removing dead skin, etc..) It works wonderfully to get dirt and grime off of your hands after working in the garden, changing your oil, or cleaning the house!
Below is a recipe for basic pumice soap, you may add your choice of nourishing oil and fragrance to make it your own!
What you need:
1 1/2 cups grated white unscented natural or castile soap
1/2 cup pumice (or oatmeal, crushed almonds, etc)
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons almond oil (or any nourishing oil of your choice)
5ml-15ml essential oils or fragrance
Here is what you do: grate soap in a heat resistant glass bowl adding 1/4 cup of water. DO NOT STIR! stirring adds too many air bubbles in your mix. Place heat resistant bowl in a pot of simmering water, until your soap melts. After your soap is completely melted, remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Fold ingredients in very gently, as you would when baking, careful not to add any bubbles. Next you will pour your soap into mold of your choice, tapping the sides gently to release any air bubbles. Place in fridge to set.
*important note, after soap is set enough to release from mold, place it on cooling rack to dry fully (may take up to 3 weeks to fully cure)
Cut and wrap in cute papers to store away for future use, or to give away as gifts!