Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Frugal Home Series Part 4: Homemade Liquid Hand/Body Soap

Frugal Home Series Part 4: Homemade Liquid Soap
Today's tutorial isn't for anything that includes borax, vinegar, or soda of any kind. No, it's liquid soap. Did you know you can make a gallon of liquid soap from just 8 oz of bar soap?  Yep, it works.

My Grandma gave my sister and I a Philosophy gift set with body wash, hand cream, a bar of body soap, perfume, and lotion.  I really wanted the perfume and lotion and Chris wanted the body wash and hand cream, so we split it down the middle and I got the bar, too. I  hate using bar soap.

Have you ever used Philosophy products?  They smell so good.  I can't describe it.  It's not floral or sweet- just clean and beautiful.  But, you know how much that body wash costs?
$17 for 8 OUNCES.

Love it, but I love the food in our fridge and the roof over our head a little more. So, I figured- let's take the bar I won't ever use and turn it into body wash!  Here is how:

You need:
  • 8 oz of bar soap (Any bar.  Read the label to make sure your are using 8 oz.  For some soaps, that's one bar, for others it is 2 or 3!)
  • 2 Tablespoons of Glycerin (found by the bandaids.  You will not find it by the soap.  Trust me on this!  Invest in the $3 bottle and you will have enough for gallons of soap!)

  • 1 gallon (or 16 cups) of water
  • Stock Pot
  • Container for soap (trusty milk jug for me!)

First, Grate your soap like it's cheese.  You can use the same technique I used when I made laundry soap.  My soap was rich and would not grate (okay, I don't own a cheese grater.  I have a micro plane and it wouldn't work).  I chunked it and it worked fine.
Put it in a stock pot with the water and glycerin.  Heat on medium heat until all of the soap is dissolved.  This will go by faster if you grated the soap.

When all is dissolved, you will have what looks like soapy water.  Don't worry- you are on the right track!

Take off the heat and let cool/coagulate for 10-12 hours.

It should be like thick snot now.  Beat with a hand-held mixer, adding as much water as you want in order to get your desired consistency.  At this point, I added extra perfume to smell extra pretty =)

Funnel into container and you are in bid-naz!

I found Dial Men's care bars- $2 for 3 bars for my husband.  Smells super manly and you will only use 2 bars, which means a gallon of men's body wash costs a whopping $1.34.  He loves it.  Hoo-rah.

*Edit 3.26.12
Yes, the soap is going to be a little "snotty", no matter how much water you add.  It also doesn't foam well, but suds does not equal clean.  In fact, some company add foam boosters to soaps and laundry detergents because we, as consumers, have been brainwashed into thinking suds does equal clean!

Skip To My Lou

240 comments:

  1. hi! i found you via pinterest. i love philosophy! my husband bought me pure grace perfume a few years ago for christmas and i've been using it ever since. i love it! this handmade soap looks so fun and easy! thanks. i'm looking forward to looking around your blog!

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    1. Kellie, freaking love Pure Grace. I saw some at Beauty Brands the other day when I was picking up some root booster and the normal sized lotion was $30. I cannot do that!

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    2. so this did not work for me at all. very watery.

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    3. You must let it coagulate for 12 hours. It does look watery right after you make it. Leave it in pot until next day and it will be thick. So thick you will need to add water and use mixer. I also used a blender to grate the soap.

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    4. After 12 hours + it is still watery. Any suggestions?

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    5. I tried this, and it never got any thicker than soapy water. It's been sitting for 2 days... :(

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    6. To the people saying it is runny, you are either not cooking it long enough or you are not using enough soap, it has to be an 8 oz bar.Hope that helps.

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    7. I let it sit over night and it is still very watery what did I do wrong

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    8. I add a tablespoon of salt and blend with hot water. I add a cup of hot water at a time, and keep adding until it comes to the consistency I like.

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    9. whatever soap you use, I have found using about 1/4 cup of sunflower oil, or jojoba, or grapeseed oil helps in the creaminess department. I have made a batch of body wash for me and one for my son. We love it. Mine was $4.00 for a gallon (Kirk's Castile) and I used a small bar of Old Spice Swagger for his and got about 48 oz. and cost about $1.20 - I don't think I did too bad. Plus the oils themselves have added benefits. Look into it more, and find what works for you.

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    10. I did this and it worked just fine. Yes it was a little snotty but that was fine. My problem is that I stored it in a jug and it kind of solidified a bit...How do you keep this from happening?

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  2. Oh my word I love Philosophy too!! I am going to have to do this!

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  3. Where did you find the Philosophy Bar? I can't wait to make this!

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    1. Hey girl. I got it in a giftset. My grandmother purchased it from QVC. From what she says, they run some great sales on Philosophy!

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    2. Ulta and Sephora both sell Philosophy...I swear by it. If you wait for Christmas to come around, Philosophy.com will have some amazing deal (and free samples!). If you buy during the year though, Sephora or Ulta is the way to go because you earn points for other free stuff and as pointed out, Philosophy is expensive.

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  4. I found this on pinterst, too! Thank you for such a great money-saving idea!

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  5. What kind of perfume did you use and how much?

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    1. Julie, I used Philosophy perfume, the same scent as the soap. I just poured in a little- I would say maybe 3 tbsp for the whole gallon? That stuff is like gold to me... gotta be stingy!

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    2. Do you think the added perfume was necessary? Or did it smell strong enough and you just wanted a boost?

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    3. @Ben and Jennifer...I don't think the added perfume is a necessity, she said that she added the extra perfume just to smell extra pretty (and I'm sure it did!) But it's an option and you don't have to add it. I would think that the soap has enough scent as it is, for your preference. What I would do is get a bar of pure white ivory soap or unscented organic soap and add some pure organic essential oils or pthalate free fragrance oils for soap to it( they even have the Philosophy Pure Grace Type pthalate free fragrance soap oils at different wholesale soap supply providers and even on eBay as well! :) But again that's just an option also, it's whatever you feel would be best for you and your family. I hope this helps. God Bless! :)

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    4. You just made my day with the info on the soap oils! Thanks for sharing!!

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  6. This looks fabulous! I'm defnitley trying it!

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  7. I have not seen this but have made several other things homemade. i am thinking this would be great for the kids since they waste so much

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  8. Look forward to trying this but I guess I'm wondering how this is homemade Philosophy. ??

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    1. She said she was making liquid soap/body wash not homemade philosophy

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    2. she made it outta the bar of soap that came in the gift pack she split with her sister

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  9. I am really stoked about making this! I got a perfume gift set for Christmas too, and it only came with a tiny bottle of shower gel, so I have been rationing it. Now I can make my own and add some of the perfume I got to make it smell as good as the original. Thanks so much!

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  10. Bear with me- my "reply" link button isn't working!

    Kellie, LOVE the Grace Philosophy set! It makes me feel so pretty.
    Red Head, My grandma gave me a gift set that included the bar. She's a pretty vicious QVC shopper, so I am almost certain that's where she got it.
    Julie, I used the perfume from Philosophy that came with the set and is the same scent. I used about a tablespoon for the whole batch.
    Shandel, I call it "homemade Philosophy" because I used Philosophy bar soap to make liquid. The liquid is so expensive retail! Hope you can try it!
    jjflamingo, I ration things I love, too. We are nuts!

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    1. I got a similar Philosohphy set that did not include soap.... Although they show the shower gel lathering like crazy on QVC, I find that it barely lathers in "real" life, so your recipe is probably really close to the brand name .

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  11. Hi! I love this idea!I also love Philosophy Baby Grace! I love body wash but rarely use perfume.
    I have lots of leftover perfume. do you think you could use an unscented soap bar and add perfume to make scented body wash?
    thanks

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    1. Hey! Yes! I think you could use unscented soap with the perfume! It won't hurt for sure.

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  12. I found you on Pinterest as well and I canNOT wait to try this!!

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  13. Did not work. Mine did not thicken, stayed soapy water.

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  14. Rachel, what kind of soap did you use? I have read elsewhere that Dove soap doesn't work with this particular ratio of soap to water because of the moisturizer in the soap. Also, did you use the correct amount of ounces? Different bars of soap come in different ounce measurements, so you have to make sure to read the box to see. I think most bars of soap are only 4 oz, but you need 8. So Sorry. Let me know if you figure out what went wrong!

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    1. I use 2 bars of grated Dove soap and melt it in 6 cups of water. That's it.
      For some reason I can use my homemade body wash, but not the commercial Dove body wash so I'm guessing that they add something to it that I'm allergic to.

      http://journeyswithjuju.blogspot.com/2012/05/semi-homemade-body-wash.html

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    2. I was able to make liquid Dove soap. I used 3 bars and 6 cups of water with glycerin and it came out great. Only make about 1/3 gallon but still cheaper and more product then buying!!

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    3. Ha. I didn't see this before trying it with the Dove bars. Mine isn't thick but its not water thin either. I'm hoping it'll thicken up a little more by the morning. if not, it'll still work and still smell great. It's just a good lesson for next time is all. :)

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  15. I wear Amazing Grace all the time - I might just have to look for a soap bar and try this!

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  16. This doesn't work using real soap, only detergent bars. MOST bars sold on the market today are detergent bars rather than real soap, which is chemically a salt blend of oil and sodium hydroxide. I tried this using real goats milk soap, and it never turned into anything resembling thick. It quickly settled into layers with water on the bottom and the glycerin and soap sitting on the top. So be careful in choosing what to make this out of, or you'll just waste a perfectly good bar of wonderful soap.

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    1. Thanks Puddin. I've always been curious about goat's milk soap. I work with some people that love it. Where do you get it? Do you like it?

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    2. Try reading this link. Maybe you have to cure it for that 5-6 weeks.

      http://www.texashomesteader.com/2009/10/16/liquid-goat-milk-soap/

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  17. Thanks for the tips Puddin! I've never tried real soap, so this is very good to know. I have heard a lot of great things about goats milk soap. Do you like it? What else do you use it for?

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  18. Thanks for posting this! I'm definitely gonna give it a try!

    ~Heather @ www.cupcakeloveaffair.blogspot.com

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  19. Any idea if this will work with glycerin bar soap? I'm leaning toward probably not, but my total experience with this kind of project is one batch of liquid laundry soap. Thanks for sharing!!

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    1. I tried it with a Dial, I believe, bar soap that had glycerin in it. Thought maybe I could skip having to add the glycerin. It globbed up...like really bad. I was quite disappointed. I'd probably never try it again with a glycerin type bar soap. But, thats just my opinion.

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    2. Stephanie, I agree. I think mine was Glycerin soap and it set pretty thick. I added some boiling water and beat it with my hand mixer and it fixed the issue.

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  20. how did you get it to a smooth consistency?...even after mixing for a while and adding water it was still kind of snotty and sort of grouped together.. I used lever 2000 and 1/2 the recipe

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  21. I love this! I am curious how you added the perfume though. Did you spritz it into a table spoon until it was full or does your bottle open up so you can pour it? I'm picturing making this and spritzing the soap mixture repeatedly.

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    1. Heidi, I opened the bottle and poured it in. Not sure how many spritzes=a pour, though!

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  22. for some of the natural soaps you may find it may take longer to thicken, I used some homemade bar soap purchased at a local shop and it took a couple days, whisking a couple times each day also helped. I've done this with Dove, Irish Spring and Zest with 8 cups water and no glycerin in any of them and they came out perfect - was thick as soon as cooled. If you'd like it for handsoap just dilute with more water and works great :o)

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  23. Sarah, I just kept adding water and beating it on high speed. You can also try running it through a sieve. I know, it sounds like hard work, but the savings is worth it!

    Heidi, I just twisted off the cap and poured it in. I think it gave it just a little extra scent!

    Charlotte, thanks so much for posting about the other soaps, especially Dove! I have been wanting to try it, but have heard it doesn't set. I wasn't sure how much less water to add and haven't had time to experiment. You are awesome!

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  24. i made the body wash and dove was the best one dial soap was slippery and like snot.... also tried yardley brand almond scent and it worked great too...dove has different scents and i have made the regular scent and the cucumber scented..so far dove is the best..i just wonder why there are no suds! its flat in that department. but does get you clean.

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  25. Found you through Pinterest and can't wait to try this. Thank you.

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  26. I tried Irish Spring and it never thickened. Maybe I will try the Dial men's care bars.

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  27. Can't wait to try this. With 3 kids, we go through a ton of soap!

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  28. I did this using two bars of lever 2000. It thickened, but after I mixed it and added a little water, it was still a snotty consistency. It will still work I'm sure, but just wondering if it is supposed to stay like this...?

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  29. Terri, I LOVE Dove! I was bummed when someone had said it didn't work, but I think I'm going to try it tonight! Thank you!
    Nancy, not sure why your Irish Spring didn't work. Try making sure you're using the right amount of ounces. It might take 2 bars.
    C. Adams, yes, it's going to be a little snotty. You can add as much water as you like and there shouldn't be any "clumps" or globs. It took my husband a while to get over the snot thing! It still works well and comes through the pump just fine.

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  30. ladies, any idea if i can make this from my Amazing Grace Philosophy shampoo/shower gel instead of bar soap? Thank ya in advance!

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  31. I tried this with Dove men's Fresh Scent. It didn't thicken. I decided to mix it with the body wash we already have on hand. It will still be a terrific cost savings for my boys. They take 2-3 showers per day because of sports. It wilL also satisfy their need for suds. Thanks so much for this!

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  32. I discovered with harder soaps (Ivory, Dial, etc) that you can whack with a hammer. Faster and way more fun than using a knucklebuster.

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  33. The reason this doesn't produce suds is that bar soap doesn't produce suds/bubbles. You can add a little dishwashing liquid to the mix if you want suds. It still won't foam up as much as commercial body wash does, but it's enough to make my husband happy.

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  34. I love the Philosophy Grace scents. I'm looking forward to trying this. Thanks for the post. BTW...I was wondering if the chemicals used by various water companies as treatment might affect the various outcomes with the same soaps? Just wondering....

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  35. used dove and exact measurements but it was a watery mess. it did not thicken up at all.

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  36. I found this same recipe on another blog.If you have a empty foam soap container when thinned the soap will come out as a foam.My mom buys the foam soap so I just get her empty bottles and refill! Works Great and saves money!

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    1. I put about a quarter cup of dish soap fill with water and you'll never buy another bottle.

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  37. found you on Pinterst~ WOW thank you so much for this tutorial. I love Philosophy and I am definitely going to try this!

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  38. I did this today and got GREAT results from Olay cucumber bar. I am so excited. I did add a few tsp of dawn tropical scent for suds. I already make my laundry soap and Im so excited to add this to my make at home products!!!!

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  39. I tried caress and it didnt work at all. It's super watery still. The dial mend worked perfectly. Is there a way to thicken it?

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  40. Oh my goodness gracious! This goes under the "now why didn't I think of that" category!!!! I love, love, LOVE Amazing Grace and so does my mother. I think I need to get busy and make her a gallon of * this * stuff!!! LOL Thanks for sharing!

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  41. I just made my first batch and love it! I travel quite a bit for work and started collecting little bar soaps from hotels. The soap was free for me - just had to buy the glycerin!

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  42. Mine never did thicken, I used caress it says it is a beauty bar....I don't know what that means, should I let it sit longer and see if it thickens?

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  43. It seems that Caress does not work. Not really sure why. I heard Dove does not work either, but Brandi (comment above) said she had wonderful results.
    Christine, you are hilarious. We do that same thing! I always like to take the little lotion bottles and refill them with my own stuff to keep in my purse. Love it!

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  44. What should you use if you have very dry skin for the soap portion? I use a body wash that has extra shay butter in it. Even dove soap dries my skin out and all I do is scratch all day. Wonder if you could add some baby lotion or oil to it? Anybody with any suggestions? J

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  45. I made mine with Zest- using 2 bars since they're 4oz each. I didn't have a stock pot big enough to fit a gallon, so I split up the water. I melted the soap in 6 cups with the glycerin, then poured 5 cups of boiling water into a big bucket, poured in my soap mixture, and added another 5 cups boiling water. After 7 hours, I checked on it, and it was a completely gelatinous blob. I added 8 cups of boiling water and went to it with the electric mixer, and it came out amazing. Maybe the dividing of the water is the trick to get the iffy soaps to gelatinize?

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  46. jphares, I read that Glycerin is supposed to soften skin, so that might help. I have heard Yardley soaps work well, and I like to use those for extra dry skin. Our dollar store sells them. Maybe try that?
    stephaniegreene1, thanks for the info! I think the trick is adding water to the "gel". Thanks so much!

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  47. I've seen Philosophy bar soaps at TJ Max and Marshall's. I can't wait to try this!

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  48. Love this idea but so far only found glycerin at Sprouts for $6.99. Seemed a bit pricey so I'm going to check around more. CVS, Rite Aid and Trader Joe's didn't carry it. Hopefully Whole Foods, Target or Walgreens can give me a decent price.

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    1. I got my glycerin at Walmart, next to the bandaids for $3.79. Schnuck's sells it for $3.19

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    2. Grabbed mine from hobby lobby near the soap & candle making supplies. $2.99 I believe.

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  49. Stacy, I LOVE the luxury soaps from TJ MAXX and Marshalls!! NKOTB, hope you find it at a good price soon. I found it without a problem at Walmart, but I did not have success at our local grocer. I also had a hard time because I was looking for it with the soaps. It's with the bandaids. Go figure!

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  50. Tip: for this recipe, if you cannot find glycerin (No where around me had some!) you can substitute it with EVOO. It leaves the soap clinging to itself, but it is a nice alternative, and leaves your hands/body really soft!

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  51. found this through Pinterest, and I'm SO excited! I'm so cheap and hate paying for big name body wash but love the smell. I'm on the lookout for some yummy-smelling bar soap now! Thanks for such a great idea :)

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  52. I made this and I didn't like the consistency of it (it is like snot!) but I put it in an empty Dawn Direct Foam container and it's awesome. It comes out like liquid soap and it foams! Perfect.

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  53. I also found you on pinterest, and I just love this idea! I was going to try it with some Caress that I already have until I read the posts. I'm still going to try it with something else. Thanks for sharing - now I'm going to check out the rest of your blog!

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  54. Blyth, How much EVOO? I do not use most soaps as they contain animal products and are not cruelty free. I would like to subsitute EVOO but need the measurement, Thanks

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  55. I love this for the mom on a budget,thanks so much for sharing for this on pinterest,

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  56. I found you through my mom's pinterest. We are definitely going to try this!

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  57. I just did this now. I used Yardley oatmeal and almond. I don't know if it is because I used two 4.25 oz bars but the texture was very thick-like a thick jello. I diluted with water and used the hand mixer as directed to make it more watery. I also added a lot of vanilla fragrance oil and a cup of ground oatmeal powder. Looks like it will work just fine! Thanks!

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  58. Thanks for sharing this, I'm going to try it!

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  59. So glad to have found your blog!! I can't wait to try this! And I'm not following so I can keep up with your future posts. :)

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  60. If you like suds just add coconut milk.

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    1. How much coconut milk should you use for a gallon worth of soap?

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  61. I usually do 2 cups of water to every bar of dove soap, no glycerin. Works perfectly fine. I use 6 bars to make a gallon. It seems like one bar to 16 cups will be really thin.

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  62. I love Philosophy too...but instead have found a seller that I get way cheap prices....a lot easier than this soap making..and the bars are expensive in retail..and hard to find. I purchase the shower gels through her...16 oz for 10.00 and 32 oz for 20.00...so it is a lot cheaper this way. Great idea though..but find it cheaper this way...if you are going to use soap other than Philosophy it probably is a lot cheaper.

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  63. Thank you so much for this recipe. I have four teenage daughters who seem to have endless friends over and when I made this - they thought I was the coolest mom ever! Since I did not have a hand mixer - and the Kitchen Aid just sloshed all over - I did have a hand blender and it worked fantastic, made it a lot smoother and similar to store bought. PS: I used Dial All Day Freshness - looking forward to experimenting and saving!!!

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  64. I tried safeguard & made antibcterial hand soap worked great!
    then i tried Dove & it is still watery
    any one have any luck with Dove???

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    1. I did the dove. I grated 2 bars and poured 4 cups water. Boiled. Let sit for 24 hours on stove with lid. Loved the out come. Might want to slowly add more water as u stir if u don't like the thickness. I found my mix to be the same as what I had just bought for $6. Not paying that anymore.

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  65. Found you on Pinterest. I started this last night before I went to bed and finished it around lunch time. I used Dial glycerin soap in tangerine Guava and it worked perfectly!!! We all used it for showers this evening and couldn't be more pleased with the result! I have 3 kids under 8 years old and we go through a lot of body wash. My husband is a very happy man with this savings! Thank you!

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  66. I tried this and had terrible results. It did not gel and is very watery. My mom made some handmade soap and I used 4 oz. with 8 cups of water... half the batch. Any suggestions?

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  67. I am going to retract my comment. I added more soap and this turned out great. My suggestion would be to add less water per ounces of soap as you can always add more water.

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  68. What a great idea, chunking the soap. Grating soap does not appeal to me at all and I bet this works fine. Thanks!

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  69. I like dove's creamy oil bodywash. has anyone tried to add oil to the mixture? How did it work.

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  70. Go to any pharmacy and ask the pharmacist. They sell glycerin in larger bottles behind the counter. I get mine at my local Walgreens. I buy it to make hand scrubs and the glycerin is wonderful for your skin

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  71. I LOVE this idea!! Currently making my shopping list to make this!! Thanks a mil!

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  72. Has anyone tried coconut oil instead of glycerine.

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    1. Coconut oil clogs the pores if you use it too much. You might try grapeseed or olive oil. I use 1/2 to 1 cup for my bodywashes. I also use castile soap instead. For those looking for a thickener...you might try xanthan gum. It can usually be found in the gluten free area of your grocery. 1-2 tablespoons for a gallon.

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    2. Thank you! Do you like castile? I know it is readily available where I live, but haven't tried it.

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  73. Found you on Pinterest, thanks! I made two batches last night. One using Tom brand soap and Caress brand. The Tom bars set up perfectly, the Caress bars did not. :(

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  74. We also used Caress didn't work! :0( going to try to add more soap!

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  75. Just did my 1st batch and so far so good the house smells like almonds and oatmeal MMMM. BTW I did mine with 3-4.25oz YARDLEY and 6 cups of water.
    Fingers and eyes crossed.
    Be back in the morning
    Suzie BEE.

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  76. Katie
    It WORKED!!!
    Thanks so much this was so much fun to make my daughter and I made it together. She is saying that she loves the way it smells and she really doesn't mind the little slime that goes with it.
    Mine came out creamy I added a bottle of body wash that I had in the house. Oh and I added vanilla and almond extract Tbs of each. My little one says "I want to smell like a cookie". Thanks again for this.
    Suzie BEE

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  77. The Only thing that i found confusing was how much water do you use when you 1st melt it. But other than that awesome explination! Thanks- melissa

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  78. I made a batch of olay this week and it didnt set, so I tried caress, and it didn't work either! but the first time I made it I used tone and it set up perfect, I have also used yardly when im making my hand soap and it sets up nice too

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  79. I just picked up the glycerin at CVS and it wasn't with the bandaids...it was with the soap so it looks like you may need to check both spots

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  80. Most liquid soaps have sodium laureth sulfate in them to make them suds, the same ingredient as most shampoos.

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  81. I made this last night and used it today. It worked great! I used 2 3.9 oz. bars of Softsoap Honeysuckle and Orange Peel. Even after adding several cups of water, it was still a bit snotty but it worked great. It even lathered! It made one full gallon plus a small water bottle. Thanks for the pin!

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  82. found you on Pinterest. Made a batch today with Yardley Lavender and it came out beautifully and smells divine! Found Yardley at Dollar General for $1 a bar (I used 2 because each bar is only 4.25 oz) and found the glycerine just as you said, in the band aid aisle, at Wal Mart. It was $4.08. now I have a gallon of the most amazing shower soap (plus a shampoo sized bottle as well) for little more than $6!! Thank you Katie :))

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  83. Could you use solid glycerin? They sell it by the brick @ Joann's, Michael's, Hobby Lobby in the soapmaking aisle.

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  84. I tried a bar of Olay and it didn't set... at first. I didn't do the full gallon of water so I thought 1 bar of soap would work. Turned out I needed the 2nd bar and even some more until it finally became the consistency I wanted. My advise is to use less water as you can easily add more if it becomes too thick, instead of buying more soap. Other than that, thanks for the post. I think I'll be making my own soap from now on. :)

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    1. How many bars of Olay did you have to use? My boyfriend and I tried it with 2 bars of Olay and 1 gallon water and 2 TBSP of Glycerin and it didn't work. We added 2 more bars and more glycerin and nothing not a single change. He thinks we should add more soap and I think I'm just going to try another brand

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  85. Question for ya: Do you start with 16 cups of water? That's what the directions say to do, but from the photos it looks like you started with only a few cups. I wonder if that's why it's some folk's batches are still like soapy water.

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  86. Hiya! Yes, I started with 16 cups. It does look like just a little! I used the most gigantic stock pot known to man because I don't have one and had to borrow one from the school I teach at. It was HUGE! I wish I had done better photography. I hadn't bought my fav lens yet and it was already dark outside. So sorry!

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  87. Just a little hint. U should also be able to microwave the soap instead of grating.works very well and less time consuming. 60 to 90 sec. And watch it close.

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  88. I'm trying this now. If you're afraid of a grater ( or it tried to eat your hand) whip out your trustie potato/veggie peeler like i did.

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    1. Grating was so slow so I tried the blender on "grate" speed and it was perfectly grated in no time. I use 3 bars Dove and 6 cups water. Perfect results.

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  89. I used Dove and it's veeeery watery. Can I reheat it and add more soap? I'm thinking of trying just 1 bar of another brand in the hopes of thickening it without having to add 4 more bars of soap. Not so cost effective, I'm thinking!

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  90. I want to try zest has anyone tried it with that brand?
    Kristina

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  91. I just finished this! LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I used the Yardley almond/oatmeal bar soap, 2 bar and it is so awesome! I cant wait to use it. Ended up filling 2 body wash bottles and a gallon milk container! Just in time too, need to be saving money, and will be for sure now! Thank you! *Now to get the kiddos approval!

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  92. Ok I did this I actually went out and bought a french hand milled bar of soap it was $8 at cost plus World Market but I had a birthday coupon!! I did everything to the letter it thikened really well but it frothed up but it made way over a gallon I filled up every empty container I had now I have hand and body was stashed everywhere LOL...the froth did go down after a while and the snot is good.Best part is when your cooking it and wash the pot out your entire house smells clean :)
    I added this to my list of "I never have to buy this stuff again"!! Yay Thanks :)

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  93. My Dove attempt turned out very water too... did anyone try anything and successfully thicken it up??

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  94. Dove didn't work for me, either. (Should have read the comments first!) Dial Men's soap worked EXACTLY as described - very snotty, but works well!
    I'm trying Olay soap today for the girls in the family. We'll see if it works better than Dove . . .

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  95. My daughter and I are going to be making this tomorrow afternoon. I've been making my laundry detergent for about 3 years, so I've had lots of practice grating the soap for that. The hand grater is a lot of work. I've found that using a steak knife and just shaving the soap with just as if you were peeling a potato provides a very fine shaving that makes the "melting" process much faster--i.e. more surface area for the water to get to. I'm planning on using Dove because I have very dry skin. Probably 1 bar of Dove and one bar of Ivory. Will use less water and add more until the consistency is right. Plan on sharing with my daughter--mine without scent and hers with. Looking forward to this.

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  96. I want to cry right now. I have been wanting to make this for SOOOOOO long. I finally madie it lasst night Using 2 bars of Olay (that I got for free BTW). & here I am this morning with SOAPY water! :( The dissappointmeent I feel now rivals only the Christmas when I was 7 (tom boy) & wanted a transformer (Optimus Prime) & opened a box & it was a pink cabbage patch purse, wallet & compact! :( Does anyone know where I went wrong???

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  97. OH & BTW......you can get a salad shooter for about $20 & it grates the soap in about 2 minutes. Plus if you wash it well you can use it for many other things. I got mine after I hand grated soap for my 1st batch of laundry soap! It was so worth it!

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  98. If grating your soap takes too long...you can chunk it and put in a blender or food processor, and it will come out really fine. I do this for making my own laundry soap.
    I've been gathering recipes for going natural for most things cleaning, you can even make your own shampoo and conditioner.
    Homemade laundry soap costs me about 20-25 a year total. Ua can't beat that!!

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  99. I've been making my own hand soap for awhile, but I never added glycerin... just use bar soap and water. What does the glycerin do?

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  100. JoEllyn: glycerine hydrates the skin.... you can also use honey. :)
    I use the ninja to grate my laundry soap and it's super fast and very fine. Excellent for me.

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  101. I have some lotion that I Love, but it is too powerful. So, I was wandering if I could use it to make body wash & bubble bath?

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    1. Maybe! You'd obviously need a soap of some kind, but I imagine you can just add lotion! Haven't tried it, but it's a great idea!

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    2. Sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) is the ingredient used to make the "bubble effect" so hope you are not counting on making it as bubble bath.

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  102. Any recipe for shampoo and conditioner would be great, our family of 7 goes through it at lightening speed! I can't wait to make the body wash!

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  103. I altered this recipe for sulfate-free organic vegan bar soap! Check it out! http://lalaluvtech.blogspot.com/2012/10/homemade-natural-body-wash-easy-and.html

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  104. This is a great recipe! I love DIY but I find some recipes that involve many obscure items to be too much for me. Also I just found a fancy 8oz bar of perfumed soap that I received as a gift, and I hadn't used it because I felt like it's too special to use up. But with this recipe I can make it last so much longer! I'm so excited! Thank you!

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  105. How do you store the extra soap base?

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  106. I have been making my own laundry soap for 2 years and have saved lots of money. I would suggest that when you melt the soap in the water to bring it to a boil and boil at least 2 or three minutes. This will help thicken the mixture. Good Luck. Saving money is fun!

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  107. Kathy, what soap do you use for laundry soap? I tried Ivory, and I didn't feel like my clothes were very clean. The stains would not come out! I used Fels Naptha for quite some time, but I felt like my clothes were deteriorating. I have since done back to commercial detergent and am not having those issues. Any suggestions?

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  108. Are you supposed to use the entire gallon of water when melting the soap? I'm in the process of trying this but it seems like way to much water to start. I looked again and the directions are not clear, the pic don't look like there is that much water plus she says to add water after the snotty stage. I'm confused and I'm guessing the other people this didn't work for are also confused. Please clarify.

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    1. Yes, you start with the entire gallon of water. I made a half batch (I didn't have enough oz of soap), which is why it looks like I didn't use all of my water. I also used an ENORMOUS stock pot, so it looks like it's not a lot of water.
      So, yes, use a whole entire gallon of water and 8 oz of soap (or 8 cups water and 4oz). Depending on the brand of soap you used, you may have to add a little more water once you blend everything together.

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  109. Hi!!! I love DIY website esp yours!! Just want to ask why mine didnt coagulate even after 24 hrs of "letting it cool"..? I used oil of olay soap bar and i grated it... Any input from you will be greatly appreciated... It will save us $$$$$... Ty!!! :-)

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  110. Ty, people have been commenting about have mixed results with Oil of Olay and Dove. Some said it worked, some said it didn't. I would say check the amount of oz on the bar of soap. You need 8 oz of soap for 1 gallon of water, and most soap bars are no more than 4 oz.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  111. I started out using distilled water because we have very hard water here. I used two bars of Yardley Lavender bars from Dollar General. Made it just like the recipe called for except I added 2 tablespoons each of Olive oil, and Coconut oil because I have dry skin,and it gets worse in the winter. I also added 2 tablespoons or Dawn Oil of Olay dish soap to add some suds. After reading about so many soaps that didn't thicken up, I took the one ladies advise and let it boil for about three minutes. That seems to do the trick. The next morning my soap looked great. I mixed it up and put it back into the gallon container the water was in. Had some extra too. Can't wait to use this soap!

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  112. The oil of olay and dove have oil in them and that may be the reason that they aren't getting thick.

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  113. Hi. I just wanted to let you know you can buy fragrance oils that have duplications of philosophy's scents to add to your bodywash. www.saveonscents.com has awesome retailer duplications. They are very concentrated, and so reasonably priced. I buy their fragrance oils to put in homemade lotion and perfume. Most scents are no more than $4 for 1 ounce, and that goes a really long way. I haven't tried any of their philosophy dupes yet, but the reviewers always let you know how close it smells to the real thing. Highly recommend save on scents (I'm not affiliated, just LOVE their stuff).

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    1. Emily, thank you thank you thank you. You are awesome!!

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    2. I'm thinking of buying some and adding it to some seriously moisturizing lotion. I am running out of my philosophy!

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  114. Has anyone ever tried Dr. Bronner's bar soap for this? We love the peppermint and have used the liquid as body wash but it's expensive! The bar doesn't last long for us either.

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  115. I tried this recipe yesterday, I used cashmere bouquet soap 2 bars for $1.00 at family dollar. It started to just be soapy water but I squirted just a dab more glycerin and mix, about an hour later it was thicking up. I split the soap and added some body spray from Bath and Body works and now I have shower gel that I have made for very cheap, in past I have paid $9.00-$10.00 for 10oz. Wow the money I saved, thanks for your post. Cant wait to make some for the guys, gonna save a ton of money there too.

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    1. update: I used this as shave gel and it was great smoothest legs ever, now I just saved even more money cuz now I will not buy that high priced stuff in the can ever again

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  116. 1. You weren't kidding about the snotty consistency. It kind of grosses me out. lol
    2. Dr. Bronner's worked great. I did half the batch with that for my husband and half the batch with Yardley's Lemon verbena for me. Yardley's was thicker but both did great! Hopefully my husband can get past the snot.

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  117. I'm lookinhg forward to trying this. I use Irish spring bar soap, I hope it won't make me smell manly as a body was.
    and when u say add extra perfume, what exactly do u use to add?

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  118. How long do you have to use it before bacteria shows up with the water used

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  119. Just thought the recipe needs to be more specific on how much water you put in when you are dissolving the soap. I used the who 16 cups and it didn't thicken!!

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  120. I used your recipe a while back and soon I'm making some more. I used a homemade bar soap I found at a local food co-op. Tomorrow I'm buying more of that bar soap in case it's my secret ingredient. I recently discovered that the soap I made using your recipe is great for removing stains on clothing. I had splattered grease on a pair of khaki pants. I forgot to pre-treat it and it went through the wash and dryer. I figured I'd never get those stains out and almost threw the pants away. But I decided I had nothing to lose and treated it with the soap I made. I let it set overnight, washed it again the next day, and today there are no grease stains! Awesome soap!

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  121. so I'm trying this with my homemade soap as we speak... I read that I have to let it sit a couple of days with homemade soap so hopefully this works!! fingers crossed!! btw I'm doing something a little different I made an exfoliating bar soap with prickly pear seeds and hope to make a good face scrub with this recipe. the soap works great so hope this works too!!

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  122. I didn't use my mixer with my soap batch, would that have made a better consistancy?

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  123. Maybe some corn starch will solve consistancy problems? If you like it thicker than how it came out...

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  124. I used Dove... Didn't work. Very thin and watery. Should have read the comments. I used 8 oz of soap and 16 cup of water. Thinking about adding more soap. Should I add more glycerin? Did anyone that used Dove try adding more soap/glycerin? Did it work? Should I attempt to make it work or just pitch it and try again with different soap?

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    1. I made this last night and woke this morning to a pot of watery/soap. It looks the same as it did last night after dissolving the bar soap. I've NOW read the comments- and learned that Dove does not work. I am going to split my mess-recipe in half and try another bar of a different kind of soap in half, and the "foaming dispenser" I've read in other comments in the other half. Hopefully one of these solutions works. Good luck to you too.

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  125. I made this. LOVE IT! BTW... isn't all liquid soap snotty? The snotty part does not bother me. I'm trusting you on the part in which it's not super suddsy. I hope it kills germs!

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  126. I have been making this with dove white bar soap for the last 2 years, 2 cups of water to1 bar of grated soap.
    I do not use glycerin, do not let it boil just heat to the point of just melting the soap, stirring with a whisk ...Jar it up let it set 24 hours before use. It has never been a snotty texture or needs extra water. 1 1/2~ 1 2/3 rd cup of water for a thicker product.
    Through perfecting it getting it to hot makes it snotty..I also found using filtered water makes a difference in the texture...

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  127. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  128. I also tried dove with no real success(should have read ALL the comments). And upon reading them I tried again using my failed mixture that was still water from yesterday and added more bar soap. I will report later to see if it worked a little better. It is still hot. :-). I also made a batch of zest and it worked wonderfully!!! When I was cutting the soaps up yesterday there was a considerable difference in the soap. The dove seemed "drier" as it flakes when I was cutting(my grater is awful). The zest seemed to have more moisture in it.

    If it doesn't work, then at least we will know. Stay tuned I will post late this eve!!!

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  129. Tried it yesterday with Yardley soap. Seemedto work quite well. Curious as to how long the mixture stays good for.anyone know.?

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  130. For an Grace alternative bar soap that is not so pricey try Grace Scented for $5.00 at Etsy.com here is the link:
    http://www.etsy.com/shop/FaithSoapsAndLove?ref=seller_info

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  131. I did this with Dove bar soap and 3 tbsp of a cheap watermelon perfume... AMAZING! I'm highly allergic to most soaps, lotions, and detergents, so when I saw this, I knew I had to try it with Dove (one of the few soaps I'm okay with). It's fantastic! Thanks so much! <3

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  132. hey, cool recipe!! i have used dove before, BUT it requires less water! so 4cups water to one cake of dove and it will thicken up nicely.. well like snot!! hehe and then you can add a little more water when you whip it up! i do a manly one for the males in the house and a girly one for the females :) but there are 9 of use and we go through a ton of it!! dr bronners castile soap works well too, and i like it better for us!

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  133. AMAZING GRACE IS MY GO TO FRAGRANCE !!! CANT WAIT TO TRY THIS! THANK YOU SO MUCH

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  134. I have two questions--- 1) do I need to use a dedicated pan for soap making, ( not used for food) and 2) I'm going to try doing this with Tone- should I follow the 16 cup method to 8oz of soap, or the Dial 1 bar to two cups water ratio?
    Thx in advance for any help! :-)

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  135. So sad. I've had the ingredients all week, just waiting for the weekend to try this. I used Olay soap with shea butter. Today it is still milky water. I'm mad and disappointed and, after reading the comments, still not sure how to fix this. More soap? More glycerin? I do not want to to throw it out.

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  136. I am going to make this and add lavender oil- or some other essential oil in several small bottles so as to have a variety:)

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  137. Does this work the same with a bar of natural/organic soap?

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  138. If you add coconut oil when making it you will get suds .

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  139. I love this idea! I do have to ask one question.... WHY DON'T YOU PEOPLE READ THE COMMENTS before jumping into projects! I can't tell you how many times i read "it didn't work. I used Caress and OR Dove". Not just on this site either! Since joining Pinterest, I've learned just how many lazy people are out there! READ THE COMMENTS PEOPLE! They're so helpful!

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  140. You are a god sent! (Big Kiss) This recipe will save my family so much money. Money has been very tight lately... Thank you ..Thank you..Thank you!!!! :) From the Scotland Family Lockport, Illinois

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  141. Going to try this weekend..just put items on my list. I also love Amazing Grace!

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  142. When you use a mixer do you have a separate one for making products like this and one for baking?

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  143. If your product came out too watery you can try adding plain old table salt, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but it's a cheap try-to-fix. Can't really say how much, I'd pull out a cup or two of your product and start with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp and see if it helps. If it does, adjust your salt measurement and do the whole batch. I've made my own laundry soap for yrs, never have tried body wash before but this is on my list now, thanks!

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  144. Made this over the weekend using Dove soap and it turned out brilliantly. I used about 2.5 litres of water instead of the gallon and about 200 grams of soap and its the perfect consistency for me. Added bonus- I've just saved about 30 bucks on making this vs store bought. Thanks for the tutorial!

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  145. Question: Someone asked me if I could make a liquid body wash for them because they can't use regular soap ~ at present they buy homemade soap with no chemicals from someone ~ I believe an oatmeal bar soap, Could I possibly use one of those soaps and use your recipie? This person has huge skin issues so I don't want to try any old soap

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  146. I used ivory bars soaps yesterday because I had so many ( bought them at Costco sometimes back) and I used it today, it works great, I too thought that it was not going to harden,but it did it this AM, I had to shake it and as I say, it worked well, I made 1 gallons of it. :-))
    will make 1 for hubby next time.

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  147. What is the purpose for the glycerin ? And what aisle at the store can I find these essential oils ?

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  148. In case you don't want to use your food mixer you can get a paint stirrer attachment for your drill at a big box store. I use it for mixing my laundry detergent and don't worry about getting soap residue in my food.

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