This moisturizing soap recipe with aloe vera and nettle leaves soothes, moisturizes and protects your hands from drying and cracking.
Dressed up on a rope makes this DIY moisturizing hand soap a great gift too.
Dry skin soap recipe
Aloe vera is one of my favorite plants to have on hand around the house and this soap recipe is a great way to utilize it. This Aloe vera cream with vitamin E and coconut oil nourished and healed my dry hands but with frequent washing of my hands these days it is not sufficient protection anymore.
Adding nettle and aloe vera to the moisturizing soap recipe is a great way to hydrate, moisturize and repair dry skin. It’s nice knowing that my dry hands can get a little extra loving every time I wash them again!
If you’re looking for a soothing and hydrating soap, this dry skin soap recipe is made for you!
Aloe vera soap benefits
One of the oldest plants, Aloe vera always finds its place on my windowsill. Just a little bit of gel on small burns or sunburns provides immediate relief.
Aloe vera contains antibacterial and antiseptic properties and is very useful in the treatment of wounds and scars (1)
While its gelly like consistency allows easy absorption and makes it the ideal ingredient in skin care products for oily skin, aloe also enables the sealing of moisture and serves as an efficient moisturizer for dry skin.
It works also really well in toners or creams.
Its anti-inflammatory properties also allow aloe to calm inflamed skin and treat acne successfully (2)
Moreover, aloe vera can is super effective in homemade mouthwash for healthy teeth and gums.
Aloe Vera juice vs Gel
In this recipe, I was using fresh aloe vera leaves but you can also use a pre-packed aloe vera gel . The advantage of using gel are that it has a longer shelf life as it contains preservatives. On the other hand, its effectiveness is reduced due to the processing steps. The decision is yours. I prefer growing my own aloe vera plant but store-bought aloe vera gel might be a more convenient alternative.
Nettle soap benefits
Stinging nettle soap possesses healing and anti-inflammatory properties that make it a very valuable herb in this moisturizing soap recipe, as well as in creams, salves or lotions.
Nettle soap also provides relief for inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, psoriasis or eczema.
Its advantages are explained in more detail in the article featuring nettle oil.
How to make melt and pour soap more moisturizing?
Careful selection of ingredients for the dry skin soap recipe is essential.
- herbs – for this moisturizing soap I selected nettle and aloe vera. While aloe vera enables the sealing of moisture and serves as an efficient moisturizer for dry skin nettle is hydrating, moisturizes, and repairs dry skin.
- melt and pour soap base – Donkey Milk melt and pour soap base is a natural vegetable-derived soap made from fresh donkey milk. Using donkey milk in beauty rituals has been used by Queen Cleopatra in ancient Egypt where she added donkey milk to her bath. Very rich in vitamins Donkey milk melt and pour soap is rejuvenating, healing, and nourishing for the skin. High in glycerin, this moisturizing soap base is stable at even higher temperatures and gives a gentle feel on the skin. This soap base makes for excellent foaming and is a great moisturizer too.
- In addition, adding vegetable butter such as shea butter, cocoa butter, or mango butter help to make the final soap more moisturizing. Their nourishing and hydrating properties enhance hydrating abilities of final dry skin soap bars. Add it during the heating of donkey milk melt and pour soap base and no more than one tablespoon per one pound of soap base.
I got so many positive responses when I made this rose and rosehip soap. A few of you asked that they would love to make their soap; however they are really scared of the lye.
So this dry skin soap recipe is for those that are not comfortable dealing with chemicals and prefer a clean, natural and easy way to make herbal soap that is moisturizing and soothing for your skin.
melt and pour soap vs cold process
While making cold process soap requires using sodium hydroxide lye to go through the process of saponification, melt and pour soap already went through this process so you don’t need to deal with lye. All you need to do is melt the soap base that you can combine with various herbs and colorants to create something unique and tailor-made for your skin.
Just recently I made these spice soaps that feature various spices.
My hands are dry and cracked from all the washing we have been exposed to lately so I though of adding a healing aloe gel with the nettle into my herbal soap bars to make a perfect match for my dry hands.
Moisturizing soap recipe for dry skin
First step
Cut the soap base into small cubes
Second step
Place the donkey milk melt and pour soap base in a double boiler with a few inches of water
Third step
Heat over medium heat until the soap is melted
Fourth step
Stir in fresh aloe vera gel and mix it well. Use a spoon to press out any lumps, we want to have a very smooth mixture
Fifth step
Add 3 tbsp of dried nettle leaves and remove the melted mixture from the heat and let it cool to 60 C (140 F)
Sixth step
In the meantime, prepare the molds and spray them with alcohol
Seventh step
Fill all mold cavities about one-third of the way full with the hot soap and spritz with alcohol to remove air bubbles. Pour the rest of the melted mixture into the molds and spray it again to avoid making air bubbles.
Eight step
Let the mixture cool down for 15 minutes to start developing a thin skin
Ninth step
Take a plastic straw and cut it into 3 smaller pieces. Position one piece of the straw where you want to make the hole for the rope.
Tenth step
Keep these moisturizing soap bars in the molds until they’re completely cooled and hardened, 4 to 5 hours.
Eleventh step
Keep in the mold for several hours, or until cooled and hardened.
Twelfth step
Remove the bars from the mold, and push each piece of straw in and out a few times. Once completely removed, use your fingers to smooth the edges of the hole.
Thread a piece of rope through the hole making a knot at the top
Thirteenth step
Wrap them tightly. Store these DIY moisturizing hand soap bars in a cool dry place like an airtight container.
I like to use dandelion flowers, violet, or calendula. Plantain leaves or chamomile also have great benefits for the skin.
If you feel that your melt and pour base is too soft you can harden it by adding a 1 tbsp of beeswax/1 pound of soap. Alternatively, leave it out a few days to dry before wrapping it and it may harden.
Sure, you can remelt them multiple times.
You can either add some oils that contribute to bubbly lather such as coconut oil or kernel oil or use additives such as sodium citrate, sodium lactate or sugar that increase lather.
how to make moisturising soap for dry skin
This moisturizing soap recipe with aloe vera and nettle leaves soothes, moisturizes and protects your hands from drying and cracking.
Materials
Instructions
- Cut the soap base into small cubes
- Place the melt and pour soap base with donkey milk in a double boiler with few inches of water
- Heat over medium heat until the soap is melted
- Stir in 8 table spoons of fresh aloe vera gel and mix it well. Use spoon to press out any lumps, we want to have very smooth mixture
- Add 3 tbsp of dried nettle leaves,
- Remove the melted mixture from the heat and let it cool to 60 C (140 F)
- In the meantime prepare the molds and spray them with alcohol
- Fill all mold cavities about one-third of the way full with the hot soap and spritz with alcohol to remove air bubbles.
- Pour the rest of melted mixture into the molds and spray it again to avoid making air bubbles.
- Let the mixture cool down for 15 minutes to start developing a thin skin
- Take a plastic straw and cut it into 3 smaller pieces. Position one piece of straw where you want to make the hole for the rope.
- Keep the bars in the molds until they’re completely cooled and hardened, 4 to 5 hours.
- Keep in the mold for several hours, or until cooled and hardened. Remove the soaps from the molds and push each straw piece forward toward the front of the soap. Remove the bars them from mold push each piece of straw in and out a few times. Remove it completely and use your fingers to make smooth edges of the hole.
- Thread a piece of rope through the hole making a knot at the top
- Wrap them tightly.
Notes
Store them in a cool dry place like airtight container.
Recommended Products
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Round Flower Craft Silicone Soap Bar Mold for Handmade Melt & Pour Soap 3.25 Oz -
1.5" Inch Round Natural Kraft Homemade with Love Stickers / 500 Labels per roll
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U-Taste Silicone Spatula Set with 600 Degrees Fahrenheit Heat Resistant (Teal/Aqua Sky)
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Pompeian USDA Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Non-Stick Cooking Spray, Full-Bodied Flavor, Perfect for Salads and Pasta Drizzling, Naturally Gluten Free, Non-Allergenic, Non-GMO, No Propellants, 5 FL. OZ., Single Bottle
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here is a collection of my favorite natural beauty products made of herbs that you can easily make at home. Free of any chemicals, efficient, and affordable these carefully selected beauty items make beautiful gifts too.
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Rose lip balm
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I love this idea. I wnat to use it myself but think they’d also make great gifts. Thank you!
Can you use aloe vera juice instead of gel?
Hi Jemiel, both juice and gel are derived from the inner gel of the aloe vera leaf and possess similar medicinal properties however the consistency differs. Considering the quantity you need I think it should work out. Let me know the result.