27 April 2020

Pumice Melt and Pour Gardener's Soap Recipe With Calendula

Gently exfoliate your skin with this easy pumice melt and pour soap recipe. It has pumice powder to gently exfoliate, calendula to soothe irritated skin, and essential oils for aromatherapy. This is formulated to be a gardener's hand soap recipe, but it also makes a great soap for mechanics or anyone who gets dirty working.



It's spring, which means it's time to prep the garden and start planning what herbs I'm growing this year.  We have a large garden that measures about half an acre.  That's bigger than our entire lot when we lived in the suburbs!

We have a John Deere tractor for tilling and making our rows to plant.  We weed with a tiller and also by hand.  I plant my herbs closer to the house on the patio.  I splurged on some cute pots last year, so I have them on a table next to the patio.  

I plant both herbs to use for cooking and herbs for making DIY bath and body.  The kids always plant catnip or cat grass each year for the cats.

My hands take a beating when I'm gardening.  Between digging, covering the plants, and being in the dirt, my hands end up scratched and ragged when I'm done.

We have loam soil.  It's high in clay, which is wonderful for plants.  It's why there are so many farms in my county.

But that clay really dries out my hands.  My hands get very dry because of the clay, so I make this pumice melt and pour gardener's soap recipe with calendula to be moisturizing.

Pumice Melt and Pour Gardener's Soap Recipe


What is Pumice?


Pumice is a natural substance that comes from volcanic ash.  Pumice is made when gas bubbles get into lava while the lava is hardening.  

Pumice is actually quite similar to glass with similar composition and properties.  However, pumice is very soft, so it makes a very soft abrasive material.



You probably know it better as a small bar that you use to exfoliate your feet with.  You can even use pumice sticks to clean your toilet or skin.  Pumice can also be ground and added to soap.  It's a fine powder, which makes it a gentle exfoliant. 

Pumice powder comes in different sizes.  I prefer a large particle.  The smaller particles are very fine and more gentle on your skin, but they don't exfoliate as well as the larger particles.

If you need more exfoliating power, use this gardener's hand scrub recipe after washing.  It has Epsom salt and sugar to remove more dirt.

Calendula


I used dried calendula that I grew in my herb garden last year.  Calendula is similar to a marigold and is in the same family, Asteraceae.  It's native to the Mediterranean, but now it is grown all over the world.

The bright yellow or orange flowers grow up to 2 feet tall.  It has a sunray shape, so it's a very pretty flower for a home garden.



Calendula is one of the few dried flowers that won't discolor melt and pour soap.  You can safely add dried flower petals to the soap without worrying about them turning brown or growing mold.  

Calendula flowers are often used in herbal remedies because they are naturally antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial.  

I chose calendula partly because they are so pretty in melt and pours soap but also because it's known as a healing herb.  It's soothing and gentle on your skin, but they are said to promote skin healing.   My hands always get scratched up when I garden, so the calendula helps keeps the cuts clean and promote healing.  

Calendula is also said to relieve dry skin.  Since our soil is full of drying clay, the calendula helps relieve my dry skin when I use it.  Calendula is said to promote collagen production to keep the skin hydrated. 

Learn more about using herbs in natural skin care products in the Botanical Skin Care Course from The Herbal Academy.

Essential Oils


I used a blend of lavender, peppermint, and rosemary essential oils.  This is an invigorating and fresh scent that smells great after spending time in the garden.



Lavender essential oil is calming in aromatherapy.  The essential oil is also said to promote healing while having antiseptic properties.  

Peppermint essential oil naturally cleanses the skin.  It's also naturally antibacterial and antiseptic.  It's cooling sensation helps soothe the skin.

Rosemary essential oil is soothing for dry or irritated skin.  It can help the skin repair, which is what I need in a gardener's soap.

Melt and Pour Soap 


I used a mixture of white and clear Crafty Bubbles melt and pour soap.  Mixing the two bases gives it a slightly different color, so it's not a solid color and not quite clear.  You can use all clear or all white melt and pour soap base.  

Pumice powder will sink to the bottom if you don't use a suspension soap base.  I never use a suspension soap base.  Instead, I let the soap cool until a skin forms on the top.  

Then I quickly stir the skin into the soak; the rest of the soap will be warmer than the top and will melt the skin.

Then quickly pour into  the mold.  This helps the pumice stay suspended.



Pumice Melt and Pour Gardener's Soap Recipe Ingredients


Tools and Supplies



Pumice Melt and Pour Gardener's Soap Recipe Directions


Step #1


Cut soap into 1 inch cubes.  Melt in microwave in 30 second bursts.  Stir between each internal.



Step #2


Add pumice powder and dried calendula.  Stir well.



Step #3


Add essential oils and stir for 30 seconds.  Let the soap cool until a skin forms on top.

Step #4


Quickly stir the skin into the soap to melt and it and then pour into soap molds.  This will fill 4 4-ounce soap molds.



Step #5


Let cool completely.  Unmold.  Your pumice melt and pour gardener's soap recipe is ready to use right away.



Melt and pour soap will dissolve if it is kept in standing water.  I use a metal soap dish to set the soap on so the water can drain off.  



soap, diy, calendula, pumice powder
Yield: 4 bars
Author: Cari @ Everything Pretty
Estimated cost: $10

Pumice Melt and Pour Gardener's Soap Recipe With Calendula

prep time: 5 Mperform time: 30 Mtotal time: 35 M
This easy melt and pour soap recipe exfoliates with natural ground pumice powder. It helps dry skin with dried calendula flowers.

tools:

steps:

  1. Cut soap into 1 inch cubes. Melt in microwave in 30 second bursts. Stir between each internal.
  2. Add pumice powder and dried calendula. Stir well.
  3. Add essential oils and stir for 30 seconds. Let the soap cool until a skin forms on top.
  4. Quickly stir the skin into the soap to melt and it and then pour into soap molds. This will fill 4 4-ounce soap molds.
  5. Let cool completely. Unmold. Your pumice melt and pour gardener's soap recipe is ready to use right away.
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How to make gardener's soap with melt and pour soap. Soap making for beginners with this easy recipe. Soap recipes easy like this use glycerin soap, dried calendula petals, pumice powder, and essential oils. Make DIY soap at home to use yourself or give as a gift. This exfoliating soap removes grime and dirt.  Calendula is great for dry or irritated skin.  Make homemade soap and get soap ideas and soap recipe. #meltandpour #soap #soapmaking