When it comes to crafting natural, skin-loving soaps, cold process soap making stands out as one of the purest methods. It’s a technique that allows complete control over ingredients, ensuring each bar is not only effective but also gentle on the skin. At Pampered Soaps, we specialize in creating high-quality, vegan skincare products that nourish the body and elevate self-care rituals. One of our best-selling creations is our Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey bar—reimagined with a fully vegan twist.
Traditional oatmeal, milk, and honey soaps often use dairy milk and raw honey, making them non-vegan. However, at Pampered Soaps, we’ve reinvented this classic bar by using plant-based alternatives like coconut milk and bee-free honey. The result? A luxurious, creamy soap that delivers all the skin-soothing benefits without compromising vegan values.
In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the process of making your own cold process oatmeal soap bar, inspired by our beloved Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey creation. Whether you’re a seasoned soap maker or a curious beginner, this step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
Why Choose Cold Process Soap?
Cold process soap making allows the natural ingredients to retain their benefits while giving you the freedom to customize scents, colors, and additives. Unlike melt-and-pour methods, cold process soap undergoes saponification—a chemical reaction between oils and lye—that results in a hard, long-lasting bar of soap.
At Pampered Soaps, we love this method because it lets us craft unique, high-quality soaps that are both skin-nourishing and environmentally friendly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For our vegan Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey soap bar, we use skin-loving oils, gentle exfoliants, and plant-based substitutes. Here's what you’ll need:
- Olive Oil (10 oz) – A moisturizing oil that creates a gentle lather.
- Coconut Oil (8 oz) – Adds cleansing properties and hardness to the bar.
- Shea Butter (4 oz) – Deeply moisturizing and rich in vitamins.
- Sweet Almond Oil (4 oz) – Adds a silky feel and helps balance skin tone.
- Coconut Milk (6 oz) – Our plant-based alternative to dairy milk, providing creaminess.
- Bee-Free Honey (2 tbsp) – Adds natural humectant properties without using animal by-products.
- Ground Oatmeal (3 tbsp) – A gentle exfoliant that soothes sensitive skin.
- Colloidal Oatmeal (2 tbsp) – For added skin-calming benefits.
- Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) (4.6 oz) – Essential for saponification.
- Distilled Water (5 oz) – Used to dissolve the lye.
- Fragrance or Essential Oils (optional) – We love using a blend of oatmeal, milk, and honey-inspired fragrances for that cozy aroma.
Note: Always use safety equipment like gloves, goggles, and a well-ventilated area when working with lye.
The Vegan Secret: Coconut Milk & Bee-Free Honey
The magic behind Pampered Soaps’ vegan Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey bar lies in our choice of substitutes:
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Coconut Milk: Creamy and rich in healthy fats, coconut milk adds a silky texture to the soap, similar to what dairy milk offers, but without animal products. It also adds natural moisturizing properties, making the soap extra gentle.
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Bee-Free Honey: Created from apples, bee-free honey mimics the texture and sweetness of real honey. In soap making, it behaves similarly by adding humectant properties—helping the skin retain moisture—while ensuring the product remains 100% vegan.
Step-by-Step Cold Process Method
1. Prepare Your Workspace
Soap making is both art and science, and safety is crucial. Set up your workspace with all your tools, and make sure you have your safety gear on. Measure out all ingredients using a digital scale for accuracy.
2. Mix the Lye Solution
In a heat-safe container, slowly add lye to distilled water (never the other way around) while stirring gently. The solution will heat up quickly and release fumes, so work in a well-ventilated area. Allow the lye mixture to cool to about 100°F.
3. Melt the Oils
In a large stainless-steel pot or heat-safe container, melt the coconut oil and shea butter until fully liquified. Add the olive oil and sweet almond oil, then allow the mixture to cool to about 100°F—matching the temperature of the lye solution.
4. Combine Lye & Oils
When both the lye solution and oils are at similar temperatures, slowly pour the lye into the oils. Use an immersion blender to mix until the soap reaches “trace”—a pudding-like consistency where a drizzle of the soap leaves a visible trail on the surface.
5. Add Coconut Milk & Bee-Free Honey
Once the soap has reached trace, gently fold in the coconut milk and bee-free honey. These ingredients give the soap its luxurious feel and skin-loving benefits. Blend lightly to incorporate without over-mixing.
6. Mix in Oatmeal
Add ground oatmeal and colloidal oatmeal to the mixture. The ground oatmeal provides gentle exfoliation, while colloidal oatmeal soothes the skin. Stir well to evenly distribute.
7. Pour into Molds
Pour the soap batter into your soap molds, tapping the molds gently to remove any air bubbles. If you want, sprinkle some whole oats on top for a rustic look.
8. Insulate & Cure
Cover the molds with parchment paper and wrap them in a towel to insulate. This helps the soap go through the gel phase, enhancing color and texture. After 24-48 hours, unmold the soap and cut it into bars.
The soap now needs to cure for 4-6 weeks. During this time, the water evaporates, resulting in a harder, longer-lasting bar.
Why This Vegan Bar is Perfect for Sensitive Skin
Combining oatmeal, coconut milk, and bee-free honey makes this soap ideal for sensitive or dry skin. Oatmeal has long been used for its soothing properties, while coconut milk adds a creamy lather that cleanses without stripping natural oils. Bee-free honey is a humectant, locking in moisture and leaving your skin soft and hydrated.
Plus, by eliminating animal products, this soap is not only vegan-friendly but also more sustainable and cruelty-free.
Pampered Soaps: Where Holistic Wellness Meets Luxury Skincare
At Pampered Soaps, we pride ourselves on creating products that are kind to both your skin and the planet. Our Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey bar is a perfect example of how traditional favorites can be reimagined with vegan, plant-based ingredients—without sacrificing quality or skin benefits.
If DIY soap making isn’t your thing, you can always shop our handcrafted soaps directly on our website. Each bar is made with love, care, and a passion for holistic wellness.
Explore our full range of vegan soaps, skincare, and candles at www.pamperedsoaps.com.
Happy soap making—and remember, every bar you make or buy is a small act of self-care. 💛