DIY Buffalo Check Rosemary Soap

I love making soap for myself and to give to others! And after receiving my first few Oui Fresh essential oils, I was inspired to try my hand at a little holiday scented soap to give to my sisters-in-law this holiday. The rosemary oil was so fragrant and has so many beneficial properties like reducing stress, fatigue, and tension, aiding digestion, and toning and removing dryness from skin, not to mention it has antimicrobial properties, so it really is well suited to a cleansing soap bar! And of course I want my soap to be as cute as it is useful, so I tried my hand at creating a buffalo check pattern and they turned out so cute! I am sure my family is going to be so excited to get these!

Materials:
–white melt and pour soap
–clear melt and pour soap
-rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle (helps remove the bubbles from the soap and lets the different layers adhere to each other)
–black oxide pigment
-Oui Fresh rosemary essential oil (you can easily swap this for your favorite oil though!)
-microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, spoon, and knife
–square silicone pan

Step 1: Use the knife to cut up about 1 cup worth of the clear soap into 1/2″ to 1″ pieces (no need to be precise). Place the soap pieces in your bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir until all the soap is melted. Feel free to heat again for another 10-15 seconds if needed. Once your clear soap is melted, add a bit of the black oxide powder to a small bowl or container and spray in rubbing alcohol to create a paste. Stir with another spoon and then add roughly 1/4 tsp of this paste to your melted soap.

Step 2: Stir your soap to create a black tinted clear soap (you want to add just enough that the soap is still slightly gray and not completely opaque). Then pour your soap into the square mold. Spray with the rubbing alcohol to remove any bubbles and then let cool until hardened.

Step 3: Once cool, remove the soap and cut into 1/2″ strips. You can see below how the soap is thin and still semi-transparent.

Step 4: Now you will need to clean out your bowl and dry it, then add 2 cups of cut up clear soap into the bowl. Microwave for one minute, stir, and then heat again if needed to melt all the soap. Be sure not to let the soap boil!

Step 5: Pour the clear soap into a thin 1/2″ layer into the bottom of the mold, spray with rubbing alcohol, and then press your black soap strips into the clear soap leaving 1/2″ gaps between each of them. Then let cool.

Step 6: Once the soap has hardened, remelt the clear soap still in the bowl (add more if needed). Spritz the top of the soap in the mold with the rubbing alcohol and then pour in another 1/2″ layer of clear soap. Spray the top with the rubbing alcohol and press in the second layer of black soap strips in the opposite direction of the first layer.

Step 7: Once the soap in the mold has cooled, begin to melt your white soap base. You will need about 2-3 cups of melted white soap for the final layer. Once the white soap is melted, add in 3-4 drops of rosemary essential oil and stir to combine, then spritz the soap in the mold with more rubbing alcohol and pour in the melted white soap.

Step 8: Once the white soap has cooled and is hard, remove the soap block from the mold and use a sharp knife to cut it into bars. You can also use cookie cutters to cut out shapes like ornaments, bells, and reindeer.

How adorable will these be wrapped in a little cello bag with a pretty green or pink ribbon? And by making the soap in this large square mold, you can easily get 6-8 bars of soap from one batch—enough to give all your friends with just one or two batches. Plus, not only does it look pretty, but it has those added benefits from the essential oil. Sounds like a pretty perfect gift, if you ask me! xoxo. Kara

Credits // Author and Photography: Kara Whitten. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.