Exfoliating Soap Ingredients

Many people like a plain, smooth, and creamy bar of soap. But others like a scrubby exfoliating soap to help scrub away dead skin! There are so many ingredients that you can add to your soap to give a little scrub to your next bar of soap. Try one of the following ingredients in your next exfoliating soap recipe.

Seeds

Seeds are very popular natural exfoliating additives used in soap making. Add tiny seeds into your melted soap before pouring into the mold. Be careful to check and make sure your seeds are rounded and not sharp. Keep in mind that you are going to be rubbing these ingredients into your skin! Don’t use harsh abrasives, especially in facial bars!

Poppy Seeds – tiny round black seeds (you’ve probably eaten them on a bagel!)
Blueberry – small purple-red seeds
Raspberry – pinkish tan seeds
Strawberry – small blond teardrop shaped seeds
Cranberry – small red seeds

Dried Botanicals

Dried flowers and leaves create a great variety of exfoliating soaps. In addition to adding scrubbiness, dried botanicals often add another source of color and decoration in your soap. Test small batches for scrubbiness and how the botanicals react to heat and the wetness of soap. Keep in mind most will experience a change in color (to brown/black) and/or some color bleeding. The options are endless, but here’s just a few to get your brain thinking. Don’t use fresh/live ingredients because they will most likely turn rancid. Use dry ingredients!

Calendula (will stay yellow!)
Chamomile
Lavender
Rose Petals
Mint Leaves
Rosemary
Orange Peel
Lemon Peel
Eucalyptus Leaves
Patchouli
Tea Leaves

More Exfoliating Ingredients

Finely Ground Walnut Shells
Shredded Loofah
Ground Oats (gentle to medium exfoliation, soothing for itchy skin)
Coffee Grounds (can be scratchy depending on how coarse)
Pumice
Ground Almonds
Clays
Coconut Flakes (dried & unsweetened are best)
Jojoba Beads
Kelp Powder
Vanilla Specks
Dead Sea Salt
Turbinado Sugar