Our 10-Minute DIY soaps and sugar scrubs are some of our readers’ favorite posts, and I’ve had a few requests lately to add more tutorials for additional scents and varieties. Since cold and flu season is upon us, I wanted to try my hand at making an antibacterial soap that wasn’t laden with all kinds of funky and unpronounceable chemicals. I used of a couple of my favorite essential oils, both of which are natural disinfectants and have immune boosting properties, and the result is a natural antibacterial citrus soap that you can whip up in under 10 minutes!
What You’ll Need:
- Shea Butter Soap Base (2 lbs of soap base will yield eight large 4 oz. bars of soap)
- Soap Mold
- doTerra On Guard Essential Oil
- Lemon Essential Oil
- Microwave Safe Measuring Cup w/ Spout
- Dried Orange Peel (optional)
- Yellow Soap Colorant (optional)
I use about 1 lb (half the block) of shea butter soap base at a time which makes 4-5 large soaps depending on the size of the mold I’m using. The block of soap base is smooth and silky, and it cuts easily with a kitchen knife. I slice the soap base into cubes, place them inside a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup, and melt in the microwave in 20-30 second increments, stirring well after each microwave session. For 1 lb of soap, I microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for another 30 seconds, stir again, and microwave a final time for 20 seconds.
When the soap is completely melted, stir in 8-10 drops of On Guard essential oil and 8-10 drops of lemon essential oil. You can also add a few drops of yellow soap colorant and dried orange peel for texture if desired. There is no need to worry about the color coming off on your body in the shower since the colorant is designed specifically for soapmaking. Pour the melted soap into the soap mold, and allow to sit undisturbed until cool and firm (about 30-60 minutes). Remove & enjoy!
I like to wrap my soaps with a strip of patterned scrapbook paper or a piece of pretty ribbon for gifting. There’s nothing better than the gift of health during the holiday season! (Note: if you don’t plan on using the soap within a few weeks, I would advise wrapping it in plastic wrap or storing in a plastic zipper bag. The shea butter soap is water based, so over time it can lose a small amount of water and shrink just a bit if left unwrapped).
These white soaps are from a batch that I made without any added color or orange peels. Its antibacterial properties work just as well (and it smells just as good!), but without any cosmetic additives. Perfect for soap purists!
You may also enjoy our other DIY bath & body product tutorials:
Steph @ Crafting in the Rain says
February 2, 2015 at 4:50 pmI’ve always wanted to try making soap–this sounds so easy!
Chastity says
May 30, 2015 at 8:13 amI just followed this recipe. Waiting for them to cool now! This is my first time making soap. I was wondering, what makes this an antibacterial soap? Is it the lemon EO?
Heidi says
June 1, 2015 at 11:24 amYes, both the lemon essential oil and the On Guard (or Thieves if you’re using Young Living brand oils) contain antibacterial properties. 🙂
Carlos Alvarez says
August 31, 2015 at 6:44 pmHi Heidi:
I love this idea – it sounds so refreshing. I will send you a quite note to see if we can do something similar together?
Carlos
Erin says
September 28, 2016 at 10:38 amDoes the soap come out the same, or with the same antibacterial properties if you use a goats milk soap base instead of Shea butter?
Heidi says
October 2, 2016 at 8:23 pmYes, you can substitute the shea butter base for goats milk base and still retain the soap’s antibacterial properties (which predominately come from the essential oils added). Thanks for stopping by!
Vic Beaudoin says
February 25, 2017 at 3:47 pmAny recipies that do not contain Shea Butter?
My wife is alergic.
Or is there a substitution?
Heidi says
March 4, 2017 at 9:02 amHi Vic, you can substitute goats milk or coconut soap base instead of the shea butter base.
Willow says
August 23, 2017 at 7:22 amwhat if I don’t have the on guard? Can I put drops of eucalyptus EO, orange EO, rosemaryEO & cinnamon EO? I have the lemon EO too
Kelly Woolen Strang says
January 21, 2018 at 3:04 pmis soap base merely the shea butter, almond butter, etc?? i have chunks of each, can i use either as soap base?
elaine smith says
July 24, 2018 at 11:09 amhello Heidi. I would like to make your anti bac soap, but I dont want to use the on guard oil as I think its quite expensive. Can you use the lemon oil on its own or add another oil that’s not so expensive?
Thankyou
Elaine Smith.
Heidi says
July 28, 2018 at 5:41 pmHi Elaine, this oil is similar to On Guard, but not quite as expensive (https://amzn.to/2AksXSP). The blend of oils really helps boost up the antibacterial properties, so I wouldn’t skip it.