Soap Balls are easy to make from either leftover soap bits or those undersized soaps distributed in hotels or in gift baskets. I like a soap that fits comfortably in my palm and won’t slip down the drain. The addition of the essential oil is not only for the lovely scent but to kill any bacteria that may be hiding in reused soaps. I recommend using one of the following antibacterial essential oils:
Ingredients
- leftover or undersized soaps
- warm water
- essential oil (see recommendations above)
Equipment
- 1 cheese grater
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 stirring spoon
- a nonstick surface for drying the soap
Procedure
- Chop the leftover soap into 1/4 inch bits or smaller or grate the soap if it is too hard to chop.
- Collect the soap bits in the mixing bowl.
- Add just enough warm water to barely moisten the soap – 1/4 cup of water per 1 cup of chipped soap works best.
- Wait 10 minutes for the soap to absorb the water.
- Add 5 drops of your chosen essential oil per approximately 1 cup of soap mixture.
- Stir the mixture gently and completely.
- Wet hands with cold water.
- Grab a fistful of the soap mixture and squeeze it into a ball without air pockets.
- Lay the finished soap ball on a nonstick surface to dry.
- Smooth the exterior of the soap ball using wet hands until it has a round but slightly lumpy shape.
- Repeat steps 8, 9 and 10 until all the mixture is gone.
- Allow the soap balls to dry for at least two weeks in a warm, dry area while giving them a squeeze every few days to remove extra air pockets.
Storage
Keep the soap balls wrapped in plastic or sealed in glass jars to keep them clean until they are ready for use.
