Super-Easy Homemade Honey & Oatmeal Soap Recipe

I finally made that honey and oatmeal soap I'd been meaning to try for months. You know how it goes - you pin the idea, buy the supplies, then they sit in your craft closet judging you. Well, last weekend I actually did it, and honestly? The whole thing took about 20 minutes of actual work plus some waiting around time.

The finished bars don't feel anything like store soap. They're softer somehow, creamier. The lather is different too - not those big commercial soap bubbles but these tiny, dense ones that feel really nice. Plus they smell like actual honey instead of "honey fragrance #47" or whatever they use in regular soap.

What I Used (And What Happened)

I went with a goat's milk soap base because I read somewhere it's gentler than regular soap base. One pound made exactly four bars, each about the size of a normal bath soap (3.1" x 2.2" x 1" and weighing 3.4 oz if we're being precise about it).

Here's what went into my batch:

• 1/2 lb of that goat's milk soap base
• 1 tablespoon of honey (I used the regular stuff from my kitchen)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (also from the kitchen)
• 1 tablespoon of porridge oats that I blitzed in my Nutribullet for literally two seconds

For equipment, I used my silicone soap mold (this set came with a spatula too), a glass Pyrex jug for melting, and some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle.

I was actually surprised this lathered as well as it did. I'd heard goat's milk soap doesn't bubble up much, but mine got pretty foamy in the shower.

Making the Soap (The Actual Process)

So I started by cutting the soap base into roughly one-inch cubes. The stuff cuts really easily - like cutting through cold butter but less messy. A regular kitchen knife went right through it.

Into the microwave it went. I did 30-second bursts and stirred between each one. It took about three rounds total before everything melted into this smooth, creamy liquid. The first time I was paranoid about overheating it, but the soap base is pretty forgiving.

While that was melting, I got my add-ins ready. The oats I'd ground up earlier - not into powder but just enough so there were still some visible flakes. I figured complete powder would just disappear into the soap, and where's the fun in that?

Once everything was melted, I stirred in the honey, olive oil, and oats. The honey mixed in immediately (probably because the base was still pretty warm), and the oats distributed evenly without clumping, which I was worried about.

Pouring into the mold was the satisfying part. The mixture flowed really nicely - not too thick, not too thin. I filled each cavity evenly, though honestly they probably would have self-leveled anyway.

The rubbing alcohol spray trick actually works. I had some bubbles on the surface, gave them a quick spritz, and they disappeared like magic. It was weirdly satisfying. I also sprinkled a few oat flakes on top of each bar just because it looked pretty.

Then came the waiting. Two hours of leaving them completely alone to set. I kept wanting to poke them to see if they were ready (they weren't, until they were). When I finally popped them out of the mold, they came out perfectly - the silicone mold made it super easy, just pushed from the bottom and out they came.

What I Learned (And What Surprised Me)

The biggest surprise was how different these feel from store-bought soap. They're denser but somehow also softer? Hard to explain. They don't dissolve as fast either - I've been using the same bar for three weeks now and it's still going strong. Commercial soap usually lasts me maybe two weeks.

The oatmeal gives it this gentle scrubby texture that's actually really nice. Not scratchy at all, which I was worried about. The honey seems to make the soap feel more moisturizing, though that might just be in my head. Either way, my hands don't feel stripped after washing like they do with regular soap.

I wrapped some in brown paper and string for gifts. Looks properly fancy and homemade without trying too hard. My sister-in-law actually asked if I'd bought them from a farmer's market.

Playing Around with Variations

Since that first batch worked out, I've made a few more with different combinations. Left out the oatmeal once (still nice, just less textured), tried it without honey another time (worked fine but felt less special), and even did a batch with just the soap base and olive oil (surprisingly good actually).

I haven't messed with essential oils or colors yet. The natural creamy color from the goat's milk and honey looks nice enough, and I kind of like that it smells like actual honey instead of perfume.

The olive oil was my addition because I use it for everything - cooking, removing makeup, you name it. Figured if it's good enough for my face, it's good enough for soap. Seems to work well, though any oil would probably do the same job.

Random Observations

The whole process is surprisingly forgiving. I thought I'd mess something up, but soap making with melt-and-pour base is basically foolproof. The hardest part was waiting for it to set without poking it.

These bars last way longer than I expected. That first batch of four bars? I'm still on bar number two after giving one away and using them daily since I made them. They don't get that gross mushy thing that happens with some natural soaps either.

Storage is easy - I just keep them in a basket in my bathroom. No special conditions needed. Though I did notice if you leave them directly in water (like in a soap dish that doesn't drain), they'll get soft on the bottom. But that's true for any soap really.

The cost works out to about $2-3 per bar once you factor in the soap base and ingredients. Not exactly cheaper than store soap, but way less than those $8 artisan bars at the farmer's market. Plus you know exactly what's in them.

Oh, and if you want to make these look properly gift-worthy, I made some free printable labels here. They print on regular paper and look pretty professional once they're on the wrapped soap.

I've also been experimenting with other soap recipes. Made a coffee cinnamon honey version that smells like a coffee shop, and I've been reading about the differences between this melt-and-pour method and actual from-scratch soap making with lye (spoiler: melt-and-pour is way less scary).

Honestly, the whole thing was easier than I expected and way more satisfying than it had any right to be. There's something weirdly pleasing about using soap you made yourself, even if "made" mostly means "melted and mixed stuff together." My bathroom smells like honey now, and I have a stack of homemade soaps that make me feel accomplished every time I look at them. Not bad for a weekend craft project that started with "I wonder if I could make soap."