DIY Oatmeal Soap Recipe: Easy And Beginner Friendly - The Outdoor Apothecary (2025)

I started making this DIY oatmeal soap recipe years ago because my daughter has extremely sensitive skin. Store-bought soaps often left her skin irritated and dry, so I decided to create a gentle, nourishing alternative. Oatmeal turned out to be the perfect ingredient—it soothes, hydrates, and provides mild exfoliation without being harsh.

For my daughter, I leave this soap fragrance-free, which you can easily do if you or a loved one have sensitivities. But if you enjoy a light, natural scent, adding essential oils like sweet orange can give it a refreshing, uplifting aroma. This recipe combines skin-loving ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, and olive oil to create a rich, moisturizing lather.

If you’re looking for a natural way to pamper your skin or make a thoughtful homemade gift, this oatmeal soap recipe is a great place to start. Let’s dive into the benefits and step-by-step process!

Why Oatmeal Soap? Benefits for Your Skin

Oatmeal has been a popular skincare ingredient for centuries, thanks to its gentle cleansing and nourishing properties. It’s a great addition to homemade soap, especially if you’re looking for a natural way to keep your skin feeling soft and refreshed.

1. A Gentle Cleanser for All Skin Types

Oatmeal provides a mild cleanse without stripping away natural oils. It works well for different skin types, including those that are easily irritated or dry.

2. Light Exfoliation for Smoother Skin

Finely ground oats help buff away dead skin cells, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth. Unlike rough scrubs, oatmeal offers a mild, soothing exfoliation that’s easy on the skin.

3. Helps Maintain Skin Hydration

Oatmeal is often used in skincare because it helps the skin feel hydrated and comfortable. When combined with moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and olive oil, it makes for a rich, creamy soap that feels luxurious on the skin.

4. A Balanced Feel for Everyday Use

This soap cleanses the skin while leaving it feeling fresh—not too oily or too dry. It’s a great choice for those looking for a balanced, natural soap for daily use.

5. Customizable & Family-Friendly

Homemade oatmeal soap is free from artificial additives, making it a simple, natural choice. It’s easy to customize by adding essential oils or keeping it fragrance-free, depending on your preference.

Ingredients for DIY Oatmeal Soap Recipe

After 20 years of making homemade soap, I’ve experimented with countless oil combinations to find the perfect balance of lather, moisture, and cleansing power. This is one of my favorite formulations because it covers everything you want in a good bar of soap—rich lather, great conditioning, and long-lasting bars—without using palm oil. Many soapmakers use palm oil because it helps harden the soap, but I choose not to because of its environmental impact. This recipe works beautifully without it!

Base Oils & Butters

These oils create a balanced soap that’s cleansing yet gentle on the skin:

• 9 oz coconut oil – Helps create a bubbly lather and provides cleansing power.
• 9 oz olive oil – Adds moisture and a silky feel.
• 4 oz shea butter – Gives the soap a creamy, moisturizing texture.
• 3 oz castor oil – Boosts lather and adds a conditioning effect.
• 3 oz sweet almond oil – A lightweight oil that keeps skin feeling soft.

Lye & Liquids

Lye is essential for turning oils into soap (saponification). Always handle it with care and follow safety guidelines.

• 3.9 oz lye (sodium hydroxide) – Necessary for the soap-making process.
• 9 oz cold water – Helps dissolve the lye safely.

Additions for Texture & Scent

• 1/4 cup pulverized oats – Adds a mild exfoliation and a silky feel.
• 1 1/2 oz essential oil (optional) – I love using sweet orange essential oil for a fresh, citrusy scent, but you can customize this with other essential oils like lavender, peppermint, tea tree, or eucalyptus. You can also leave it fragrance-free, which I often do when making soap for my daughter’s sensitive skin.

Before You Begin: Safety First

Trust me, I know from experience that it’s important to exercise caution when working with lye. Over the years, I’ve had my fair share of skin burns when I mistakenly thought I didn’t need gloves. (Spoiler: I did!) I’ve also damaged my countertop by not realizing how caustic lye can be. So if you have nice counters, consider laying down a tablecloth or protective covering in your workspace—your future self will thank you!

Here are some key safety tips to follow:
✔ Wear gloves and safety goggles to protect your skin and eyes.
✔ Work in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling lye fumes.
✔ Use heat-resistant containers (glass or plastic) when mixing lye and water.
✔ Always add lye to water, never the other way around, to prevent dangerous splashes.

Soap-making is a fun and rewarding, but safety comes first. Once you’ve got your setup ready, you’re good to go!

Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients

Before you start, gather and measure all your ingredients. It helps to have everything ready so you can move smoothly through the process.

1. Weigh out all oils, butters, and additives.
2. Pulverize the oats in a blender or food processor, pulse the oats until they are a bit broken up.
3. If using essential oils, measure them out now so they’re ready to add later.

Step 2: Mix the Lye Solution

1. Put on your gloves and goggles.
2. Slowly add lye to cold water (never the other way around) while stirring gently. The mixture will heat up and release fumes, so be sure to do this in a well-ventilated area (I do this outside on my porch).
3. Let the lye solution cool to around 100-110°F.

Step 3: Melt and Mix the Oils

1. Gently melt the coconut oil and shea butter in a stainless steel pot until just melted.
2. Add the olive oil, castor oil, and sweet almond oil to the melted mixture and stir well.
3. Let the oils cool to about 100-110°F, matching the temperature of the lye solution.

Step 4: Combine the Oils and Lye

1. Slowly pour the lye solution into the oils, stirring with a spoon or spatula.
2. Use an immersion blender to mix until the batter reaches “trace”—this is when it thickens to a light, pudding-like consistency.
3. At trace, add the pulverized oats and essential oils (if using). Stir well to evenly distribute.

Step 5: Pour Into a Mold and Cure

1. Pour the soap batter into a mold, smoothing the top if needed.
2. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let it sit for 24-48 hours until firm.
3. Unmold and cut into bars. Place them in a cool, dry area to cure for 4-6 weeks, allowing excess moisture to evaporate for a harder, longer-lasting soap.

Customization Tips: Essential Oils & Other Ingredients

One of my favorite things about homemade soap is how customizable it is. While this recipe includes sweet orange essential oil for a fresh, citrusy scent, you can easily swap it out for another essential oil or leave it out entirely if you prefer an unscented bar.

Choosing the Right Essential Oils

Essential oils not only add fragrance but can also enhance the soap’s feel. Here are a few options you might love:

• Lavender – Classic and calming, great for a relaxing shower.
• Peppermint – Cool and refreshing, perfect for a morning wake-up.
• Tea Tree – A crisp, clean scent often used in skincare.
• Eucalyptus – A spa-like aroma that pairs well with oatmeal’s natural scent.
• Lemon or Lime – Bright and uplifting, similar to sweet orange.

I’ve tried so many different combinations over the years, and I find that citrus oils (though I still love them) tend to fade more quickly in cold process soap, so if you want a long-lasting scent, go for lavender, tea tree, or peppermint.

Swapping Out Oatmeal: Other Exfoliants & Add-Ins

While this recipe uses oatmeal for its gentle exfoliating properties, you can easily swap it out for other natural exfoliants to customize your soap’s texture and feel. Here are some great alternatives:

• Ground coffee – Adds a little grit for extra exfoliation.
• Poppy seeds – A gentle, natural exfoliator with a mild scrubbing effect.
• Coconut milk or honey – Helps create a creamy, moisturizing lather while adding a touch of luxury.

If you want a smoother soap, you can also leave out the exfoliants altogether and still get all the benefits of this nourishing oil blend.

Just be mindful that some ingredients, like honey and milk, can speed up trace (when the soap thickens), so work quickly if you decide to add them!

The beauty of soap-making is that you can tweak the recipe to match your preferences. Whether you keep it simple or experiment with different scents and textures, you’ll end up with a beautiful, handmade bar of soap that suits your needs perfectly.

Storage & Usage Tips

After spending time making a beautiful batch of homemade soap, you’ll want to store it properly so it lasts as long as possible. Handmade soap doesn’t contain synthetic hardeners like store-bought bars, so a little extra care will help preserve its quality.

How to Store Your Soap

✔ Let it cure for 4-6 weeks – This allows excess moisture to evaporate, creating a harder, longer-lasting bar.
✔ Keep it in a dry, ventilated area – A wooden soap dish with drainage holes works best. Avoid letting it sit in water, or it will become soft and melt away quickly.
✔ Store extra bars in a cool, dry place – If you’ve made a big batch, keep extra bars in a linen closet or cardboard box to allow airflow.

If you enjoyed this article for DIY Oatmeal Soap Recipe, you might also enjoy these other articles about crafting your own natural skincare and soap products:

• Easy Homemade Lavender Soap –Learn to create luxurious lavender soap with this comprehensive guide, from harvesting and infusing lavender to crafting calming soap bars perfect for your skin.

• Easy Recipe for Moisturizing Face Cream–Discover how to craft your own rich, hydrating face cream using natural oils and butters, leaving your skin feeling soft and rejuvenated.

• Easy Small-Batch Dandelion Soap Recipe–Explore the benefits of dandelions in skincare with this step-by-step guide to making nourishing dandelion soap.

• Easy Recipe for Lotion Bars with Only 3 Ingredients–Learn to make moisturizing lotion bars using just three essential ingredients, perfect for natural skincare enthusiasts.

• How to Make Gingerbread Soap for the Perfect Handmade Gift –Create festive gingerbread-scented soap, an ideal handmade gift that captures the cozy aromas of the holiday season.

• Dandelion Lotion Bars: Easy DIY Recipe – Combine the skin-soothing properties of dandelions into a convenient lotion bar with this straightforward DIY recipe.

• Craft Your Own Rose Hydrosol: A Step-by-Step Tutorial –Learn to distill your own rose hydrosol at home, capturing the essence and benefits of roses for your skincare routine.

• Plantain Soap Wonders: Crafting Natural Shampoo Bars _ Discover how to create natural shampoo bars using plantain-infused olive oil, offering a nourishing hair care solution.

• Easy Whipped Magnesium Body Butter Recipe – Whip up a luxurious magnesium-infused body butter to nourish your skin and promote relaxation with this easy-to-follow recipe.

• Herbal DIY Facial Steam Recipe for Natural Skin Support–Enhance your skincare routine with a herbal facial steam, using aromatic herbs to cleanse and rejuvenate your skin naturally.