can i use hand soap to wash my face

THE SIMPLEST COFFEE MELT AND POUR SOAP RECIPE

Coffee Melt and Pour Soap: A Beginner-Friendly Recipe for Quick, Natural Bars

Coffee melt and pour soap is an ideal, easy recipe for beginners. With just a few special ingredients, you can create a large batch of healthy, moisturizing soap free from harmful chemicals. These bars come together so quickly, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought soap!

Making useful things from scratch really gives you that “winning” feeling when it comes to homemaking. Swapping a homemade creation for a store-bought one brings you one step closer to living like a homesteader—at least, that’s what I like to tell myself. There’s something deeply satisfying about it.

Check out my homemade orange blossom face wash and honey oatmeal soap with pink clay.

One of the main reasons I started making soap for my family was to avoid harsh chemicals found in store-bought options and save some money. Last Christmas, my girls and I decided to make gift baskets filled with useful, handmade items for their teachers. We tried soap making, and we were instantly hooked!

This coffee melt and pour soap recipe is so easy, and you’ll only need to buy a couple of ingredients and supplies to make a batch that can last for months. The process is quick, too—believe it or not, your soap will be ready to use in less than a day!

Homemade coffee soap also makes a fantastic gift for coffee lovers!

Ingredients And Supplies For This Melt And Pour Coffee Soap Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

  • Goat’s Milk Soap Base – Goat’s milk is rich in fatty acids that help promote healthy skin and lock in moisture.
  • Raw Honey – Full of antioxidants, raw honey helps repair skin damage while retaining moisture for a soft, smooth feel.
  • Used Coffee Grounds – Used coffee grounds provide a lovely coffee scent without being too grainy. They also stay suspended better in the soap than fresh ground coffee.
  • Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract elevates the soap, making it smell like a delicious latte. Mmmmmm!
  • Essential Oils (Optional) – While not essential for this recipe (pun intended), essential oils add a delightful fragrance. I love using orange essential oil for an extra layer of scent. This brand is my go-to for projects like this because it’s affordable and has a strong, pleasant aroma!
  • Where to Buy – Hobby Lobby offers the best prices for goat’s milk soap base. Just keep an eye out for their soap-making supply sales!

SUPPLIES:

  • Soap Mold
  • Bowl to melt your soap base in
  • Whisk
  • Scale to weigh the soap base

What Is Coffee Soap Good For?

Coffee soap is fantastic for those with dry and itchy skin, as it helps to hydrate and soothe. It’s also gentle enough for kids to use, making it a family-friendly option for all ages.

Can You Use Coffee Grounds In Melt And Pour Soap Recipes?

Yes! It’s best to use coffee grounds that have already been brewed so that the soap isn’t too grainy. Simply remove the used grounds from your coffee filter and gently pat them dry with a paper towel.

When making melt and pour soap, wait until the soap base has cooled slightly before adding the coffee grounds. As the soap base cools, it thickens a bit, which helps keep the grounds from sinking to the bottom as they would in a hotter, runnier soap. This ensures an even distribution of the coffee grounds throughout the soap!

How Much Coffee Grounds For Melt And Pour Soap?

When using used coffee grounds for your soap, you’ll need about 1/4 cup of grounds per pound of soap base. This ratio ensures the soap gets the right amount of coffee scent and exfoliating power without becoming too gritty.

Can You Mix Honey In Melt And Pour Soap?

Raw honey is packed with antioxidants that are great for the skin, along with deep moisturizing properties. Additionally, raw honey from bees is known for its anti-fungal and anti-viral benefits, making it an excellent addition to melt and pour soaps. Despite its sweet, sticky nature, using honey in homemade soaps won’t make them sticky at all—just soft and nourishing!

What Essential Oils Work Well In Coffee Soap Recipe?

  • orange
  • geranium
  • cedarwood
  • vanilla
  • cinnamon
  • patchouli
  • grapefruit

How To Make This Coffee Melt And Pour Soap Recipe

Prep – Pat the coffee grounds dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.

Melt – Cut the soap base into 1″ cubes and melt it in a bowl in the microwave. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted.

Stir – Whisk in the coffee grounds, vanilla extract, and honey. If you’re using essential oils, add them now as well. Let the soap base mixture cool slightly to help prevent the coffee grounds from sinking to the bottom.

Pour the Mixture into the Soap Molds – Carefully pour the soap mixture into your molds, filling them all the way to the top.

Harden – Allow the soap to fully harden for at least 2 hours. Once set, simply pop the bars out of the molds and they’re ready to use!

Tips

  • Cool Slightly – Wait until the soap base has cooled slightly before adding the coffee grounds. As the base cools, it thickens, which helps keep the grounds from sinking to the bottom as they would in a hotter, runnier mixture.
  • Variations – Experiment with different essential oils in your coffee soap to add a unique fragrance and make it even more delightful.
  • To Store – Use the soap right away or store it in a dry place for later use.
  • Gifting – These homemade coffee soap bars make perfect additions to gift baskets for special occasions like Mother’s Day or Christmas!

conclusion

In conclusion, making your own coffee melt and pour soap is a simple and satisfying way to create a moisturizing, chemical-free product that’s perfect for both everyday use and gifting. With just a few ingredients like goat’s milk soap base, raw honey, coffee grounds, and essential oils, you can craft a batch of soap that’s not only beneficial for your skin but also easy to personalize. Whether you’re treating yourself or giving a thoughtful gift, homemade coffee soap offers a unique, practical, and natural option that’s sure to impress.

DIY TURMERIC & LEMON BRIGHTENING FACE MASK

With the colder months fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to kick off a beauty series to keep our skin glowing and hydrated all winter long. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing my favorite DIY face masks, scrubs, winter skincare tips, and more! For a glimpse into my daily routine, check out my Natural Vegan Skincare Routine.

Wouldn’t it be nice to keep that summer glow all year round? This DIY mask is not only brightening but also perfect for acne-prone skin (or any skin type!) while giving you a healthy, radiant complexion.

Now, a quick disclaimer: the vegan police might be after me for this one… While I don’t consume honey, I’ve always appreciated its medicinal properties for the skin, especially Manuka honey, which has endless healing benefits. I actually picked up a bottle of Manuka honey from Trader Joe’s over the summer without thinking much of it. But then I started feeling guilty, since vegans typically avoid honey. There’s a lot of debate within the vegan community about this, which I dive deeper into in my post about Plant-Based vs. Vegan. If you’re concerned, you can always swap out the honey for agave nectar to get that same sticky consistency!

Normally, I wouldn’t purchase products with honey, but I had this small bottle lying around, and instead of letting it go to waste, I’ve decided to use it for beauty purposes, like in this Brightening Turmeric DIY Face Mask.

A fun fact: Manuka honey comes from New Zealand, where bees feed on the nectar of the Tea Tree Plant. It’s the perfect addition to this mask for an extra glow boost!

THIS POTENT MANUKA HONEY IS ESPECIALLY GREAT FOR:

  • Healing acne and scarring
  • Fighting skin infections
  • Cleaning pores while naturally exfoliating
  • Helping skin retain moisture
  • Rejuvenating radiance and softness

NOT TO MENTION ITS:

  • Anti-bacterial properties
  • Anti-inflammatory effects
  • Anti-fungal qualities
  • High in antioxidants to protect the skin

What makes it even more special is its thicker consistency compared to regular honey, with a cloudy appearance. After soaking up some of this healing Manuka honey, my skin feels totally moisturized, balanced, and soft—it’s magical!

I’m no honey expert (I picked mine up from Trader Joe’s), but I know that higher-quality Manuka honey products are out there, like this one from Manuka Doctor, which has a higher UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) score, indicating more potency. You can really feel the difference with a higher UMF—it’s like a supercharged version of regular honey!

The next essential ingredient for this DIY face mask is turmeric – a true wonder spice, and not just for your curry recipes! This vibrant, golden powder is incredibly beautifying. I was inspired to include it in this mask from my Golden Glow Elixir Juice, which you all seemed to love as much as I did (plus, it’s great for boosting immunity during the winter months!).

Turmeric has been used for centuries in beauty rituals, especially by Indian brides who use turmeric body scrubs and masks before their weddings to achieve that head-to-toe glow. The spice is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which help to brighten and even out skin tone, while also giving you a luminous, radiant complexion. It’s like liquid gold for your skin!

BENEFITS OF TURMERIC:

Turmeric is a powerhouse when it comes to skincare, offering a range of benefits:

  • Reduces redness
  • Treats breakouts
  • Helps with age spots
  • Reduces scarring and hyperpigmentation
  • Helps to heal psoriasis and eczema
  • Brightens and tones
  • Anti-inflammatory properties

While fresh turmeric would be even better for this mask, I only had ground turmeric on hand, which still works wonders. Just a heads-up—turmeric is known to stain, so be sure to wear a shirt you don’t mind getting a little messy and dry your face with a dark towel. The turmeric will leave a slight yellow tint on your skin, but don’t worry! I usually wash my face with my regular sulfur soap once or twice after the mask, and the yellow tint disappears with no problem. Just a little heads-up to ensure you’re prepared!

Next up is fresh lemon juice! Lemon is packed with vitamin C, which is essential for brightening and evening out your skin tone. It’s also anti-bacterial, making it especially helpful for breakouts, while acting as a natural exfoliant to give your skin that healthy radiance. Lemon is also known to help fade acne scars over time, making it a great addition to this mask. Don’t worry though—this mask won’t sting like lemon juice sometimes does on its own! It actually feels soothing and balancing on the skin.

The final ingredient is oats, which are incredibly moisturizing, exfoliating, and softening. I blended my oats a bit in the food processor to make them finer, but you can also use oat flour if that’s easier. Just a heads-up, the mask can get a little messy depending on how finely ground your oats are, so be sure to apply it over the sink to make cleanup easier. The oats will help lock in moisture while gently sloughing off dead skin, leaving you with smooth, soft skin.

CONCLUSION

And there you have it—this Brightening Turmeric DIY Face Mask is the perfect way to keep your skin glowing and healthy throughout the colder months! With the power of Manuka honey, turmeric, fresh lemon juice, and oats, this mask works wonders to brighten, exfoliate, and heal your skin, all while leaving it soft, smooth, and balanced.

Whether you’re dealing with breakouts, acne scars, or just want to keep your skin glowing, this mask has got you covered. Plus, it’s natural, vegan (with the option to substitute for agave), and perfect for anyone looking for a simple yet effective skincare routine.

So, put on your favorite old shirt, get ready for a little mess, and treat your skin to some much-needed love and nourishment. Your skin will thank you, and you’ll be glowing all season long!

Let me know how you like it!