Feb 17, 20224 min read

9 Money-Saving Uses for a Handmade Soap Bar

All-natural handmade soap isn't just great for cleansing, soothing, nourishing, and moisturizing the hands and body. You may be surprised to know that it has a variety of uses that can save you more of your hard-earned money.

Facial cleanser
Shaving cream
Remove tight rings
Clean makeup brushes
Place in a dresser or closet as a freshener
DIY foaming hand soap
DIY laundry detergent
Lubricate squeaky door hinges
Give as a unique, custom gift

1. Facial cleanser

While it is true that you should avoid commercially produced bar soaps to wash your face, natural handmade soaps are more gentle and do not contain harsh, irritating, drying chemicals, foaming agents, detergents, or synthetic fragrances. Check out this blog post for more information about harmful ingredients lurking in commercial soaps.

Even facial cleansers can strip skin of its natural oils which can lead to dry, oily, and/or irritated skin. Our all-natural, handmade Sensitive Skin Soap is filled with skin-loving oils like shea butter and castor oil that are gentle and creamy, perfect for delicate skin.

How to use handmade bar soap as a facial cleanser:

Wet your face with lukewarm (not hot) water.
Using warm water, lather the bar soap in your hands.
Gently rub the lather in circular motions on your face. Close your eyes, and be careful to avoid the eye area altogether.
Thoroughly rinse with warm water.
To dry, gently blot your face with a soft washcloth or towel.

➜ Tip: I find that applying moisturizer right after cleansing while my skin is still slightly damp, helps hold in more moisture.

2. Shaving cream

All-natural, handmade soaps produce a rich, creamy, moisturizing lather great for shaving. They also don't contain dangerous ingredients found in many shaving creams and gels, like phthalates, triethanolamine, and parfum AKA fragrance. The naturally occurring glycerin in our handmade soaps hydrates the skin reducing the risk of skin irritation or razor burn.

How to use handmade bar soap to shave:

Soften your body hair for several minutes or more in a warm shower, bath, or using a warm, wet washcloth.
Lather the soap bar with warm water against your skin.
Shave.
Rinse.

3. Remove tight rings

Some days I simply cannot take off my wedding ring. Here is how I use one of our handmade soap bars when my ring won't budge:

Run my hand under cold, running water.
Lather the soap bar in my hands creating a thick lather.
Spread lather all around my ring and finger.
Elevate my arm above my head and gently twist and pull the ring off.

4. Clean makeup brushes

Makeup brushes accumulate bacteria, oil, and makeup residue with each use, so keeping them clean is a must. It will also extend the useful life of your brushes. I like to clean mine at least once a week, and I do so without using expensive cleaners.

Massage the bristles against the soap bar under lukewarm (not hot) running water.
Work up a sudsy lather.
Thoroughly rinse under warm water.
Lay flat and let air dry.

5. Place in dresser or closet as a freshener

Want to keep your dresser or closet smelling fresh and lovely? Select your favorite scented bar of soap and follow these simple steps:

For dresser drawers: Wrap a soap bar in a thin cloth or fabric (to protect your clothing) and place it inside your dresser drawer.

For closets: Place soap bar on top of a paper towel or napkin and place it near where you hang your clothes.

6. DIY foaming hand soap

Looking for a great way to use small pieces of bar soap? Make your own foaming hand wash! I like to give my house guests an option of bar soap or foaming hand soap, and it is a fun, crafty activity I like to do with my youngest niece.

You'll need the following ingredients:

Grated bar soap or soap pieces.
If your soap pieces or grated soap flakes do not contain essential oils already, choose an essential oil that is antibacterial such as tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, or cinnamon. Essential oils are renowned for their aromatherapy benefits, so you might also add lemon, sweet orange, lavender, cedarwood, jasmine, lemongrass, patchouli, or whatever scent your heart desires.
Filtered water.
Foaming hand soap bottle.

How to make foaming hand soap:

Grate a bar of soap or soap pieces into a bowl until you have approx. 2 ounces.
Carefully add 4 cups of boiling, filtered water (be careful!).
Mix until the grated soap is melted.
Let cool.
Use a funnel to pour the mixture into a foaming soap bottle.

7. DIY laundry detergent

Making your own powdered laundry detergent is quick, easy, inexpensive, and works as effectively as commercial products. This recipe is safe for all types of washing machines.

Here is our favorite homemade laundry detergent recipe:

1 cup of Borax.
1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda.)
3 oz of our grated handmade soap flakes.

Mix the above ingredients together and store them in a sealed container.

For regular washing machines, use 2-3 tablespoons per load, and for high-efficiency machines use 1 tablespoon.

8. Lubricate squeaky door hinges

Squeaky doors can be very disruptive and are typically caused by dust or a lack of lubrication. Handmade bar soaps are full of high-quality fats and oils that can help stop the squeaking.

Slightly wet the bar soap.
Rub the bar soap against the hinge until it is fully coated.

That's it! Enjoy the peace and quiet of a non-squeaky door.

9. Give as a unique, custom gift

All-natural, handmade soaps make perfect gifts for friends and family. Not only are they uniquely created by a soap artisan, but when you purchase products from a small business, you are supporting real people who care about earning and keeping your business. Where you spend your money matters. Why not support someone's dream rather than boards, stockholders & algorithms.

What is your favorite non-traditional use for a bar of soap? Let us know in the comments below!