Gardeners Soap Recipe Melt and Pour

We have a large vegetable garden, and I also have an herb garden on the patio. Our garden did really well this year, so I've been busy harvesting and canning.

Not only am I dealing with the dirt from weeding and harvesting vegetables, but I'm also dealing with getting my hands dirty from all of the prep work for canning and freeze drying.

Last week, I did 5 flats of strawberries plus zucchini and green beans. My hands were an interesting combination of red from the berries and green from the vegetables.

I've made an exfoliating bar soap recipe before, but I needed to make a new one for this year. This scrubbing hand soap is gentle enough to remove the dirt and debris, but it's still gentle on your skin.

I used walnut shells and dried lemon peel. Lemon peel is pretty gentle, but the walnuts shells are more abrasive to scrub away dirt.

For more soap recipes, check out these posts:

• Pink Himalayan Salt Soap Recipe
• Calendula Soap Recipe
• Honey Soap Recipe
• Loofah Foot Soap Recipe
• Gardener's Loofah Soap Recipe
• Homemade Turmeric Soap Recipe
• How to Make Melt and Pour Soap With Embeds
• Tips for Layering Melt and Pour Soap
• Exfoliating Orange Slice Soap
• Pumice Melt and Pour Soap Recipe

A gardeners soap recipe is a soap that has some type of exfoliant in it. I used dried lemon peel and ground walnut shells, but you can also use other exfoliants.

You can use one of the following in place of the dried walnut shells to make a scrubbing hand soap:

• Coffee grounds
• Loofah
• Poppy Seeds
• Pumice
• Oatmeal

To use one of these other exfoliants to make exfoliating handmade soap, use the same amount in place of the lemon peel or walnut shell.

I also have an exfoliating bath bomb recipe that is also made with lemon peel and ground walnuts to exfoliate your skin while you bathe.

This walnut shell soap recipe is very easy to make since it uses a melt and pour soap base. One thing to keep in mind is that as the soap base cools, the additives can sink.

You can use a suspension soap base to keep them suspended. However, I just use a regular clear melt and pour soap base.

If you use a regular soap base, then you would add the lemon peel and walnut shell and stir well. Then let cool until it's still thin enough to pour but the base is thickened.

The dried lemon peel and the dried walnut shells in this exfoliating bar soap recipe physically remove dirt and debris from your skin while the soap cleanses your skin to life away dirt.

This walnut shell soap recipe also helps remove dead skin cells to exfoliate your skin for softer hands.

Yes, used in moderation, an exfoliating soap recipe is good for your skin. I formulated this as an exfoliating hand soap, but you can use it anywhere on your body (but avoid your facial skin).

The exfoliants slough off dead skin cells anywhere on your body, so you can use a walnut shell soap for your arms, legs, or feet.

You can use this gardeners soap recipe melt and pour as needed for your hands. There are days that I use it twice a day because I was gardening and then canning.

Using a scrubbing hand soap too often can irritate your skin, so be mindful of that if you have sensitive skin.

If you use a walnut soap recipe on your body, I suggest using it once or twice a week so you don't irritate your skin.

Walnut shell powder is made by grinding the shell of walnuts. It's a physical exfoliating, which means that a walnut shell soap will physically lift dirt and dead skin cells.

It's one of more abrasive additives for an exfoliating hand soap. However, it's generally well tolerated by most people.

If your skin gets sensitive, then reduce using it to once a day or every other day as needed.

You can use this exfoliating soap recipe just like you would any soap. I recommend only using it when your hands are really dirty because the walnut shells can be too abrasive to use all the time.

You can also use this walnut shell soap on your body. Again, it might be too abrasive, so stop using it right away if your skin gets sensitive.

This exfoliating soap recipe is also great for your feet. You can use one bar for your hands and one for your feet.

I made my own cleansing blend for my exfoliating hand soap with geranium, grapefruit, and lavender. You can use a different blend if you'd like.

You'll use about 1/2 tablespoon of essential oils or 150 drops per pound of soap. This is on the lower end of the usage rate for using essential oils in soap.

You can either create your blend in an empty amber bottle or add the drops directly to the soap. You can use essential oil blending factor worksheets to help you create a blend.

I wanted a cleansing blend for my exfoliating soap recipe. Here are some good oils to try:

• Tea tree oil
• Geranium
• Frankincense
• Sweet orange
• Blue tansy
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Tangerine
• Grapefruit

Here are some tips for making your exfoliating hand soap:

• You can use a regular soap base or a suspension soap base. Suspension soap base will help keep the walnut shells and dried lemon peel suspended.
• To use a regular base, let the soap cool slightly before pouring so the exfoliants stay suspended in the soap.
• You can substitute the dried lemon peel and walnut shell for the same amount of another exfoliant.
• Melt and pour soap dissolves when it sits in water. For a longer shelf life, set it on a metal soap dish between uses.

You will need the following to make a gardeners soap recipe melt and pour:

• 1 pound clear melt and pour soap
• 1/2 tablespoon dried lemon peel
• 1/2 tablespoon ground walnut shell powder
• Blue mica powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil
• 67 drops grapefruit essential oil
• 58 drops lavender essential oil
• 25 drops geranium essential oil
• Soap mold

  
  

• Spray bottle with rubbing alcohol
• Large mixing bowl
• Heat resistant measuring cup

Cut the melt and pour soap into small 1 inch cubes. Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir at each interval.

Add the sweet almond oil, mica, and essential oils. Stir well.

I wanted the walnut shells and lemon peel to be at the top of the soap, so I sprinkled some in the bottom of the molds. Then I added 1 tablespoon of each to the melted soap and stirred well.

If you are using a suspension base, you can pour the soap into the molds immediately. If you are using a regular base, let the soap cool a little bit to thicken and then stir and pour. Spray the tops of the soaps with rubbing alcohol to remove bubbles.

Let the scrubbing hand soap sit until completely cool, about 2 hours. Then unmold. You can use your exfoliating soap recipe right away.

I hope you enjoy this walnut shell soap! It makes a great gardeners soap recipe, or you can use it for exfoliating your body or feet.

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Gardeners Hand Soap Recipeprep time: 15 Mperform time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 H & 15 MHow to make an exfoliating hand soap for gardeners.materials:

• 1 pound clear melt and pour soap
• 1/2 tablespoon dried lemon peel
• 1/2 tablespoon ground walnut shell powder
• Blue mica powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil
• 67 drops grapefruit essential oil
• 58 drops lavender essential oil
• 25 drops geranium essential oil

• Soap mold
• Spray bottle with rubbing alcohol
• Large mixing bowl
• Heat resistant measuring cup

1. Cut the melt and pour soap into small 1 inch cubes. Place in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir at each interval.
2. Add the sweet almond oil, mica, and essential oils. Stir well.
3. I wanted the walnut shells and lemon peel to be at the top of the soap, so I sprinkled some in the bottom of the molds. Then I added 1 tablespoon of each to the melted soap and stirred well.
4. If you are using a suspension base, you can pour the soap into the molds immediately. If you are using a regular base, let the soap cool a little bit to thicken and then stir and pour. Spray the tops of the soaps with rubbing alcohol to remove bubbles.
5. Let the scrubbing hand soap sit until completely cool, about 2 hours. Then unmold. You can use your exfoliating soap recipe right away.