10 Minute Gift Idea: DIY Natural Citrus Antibacterial Soap

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:

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