This oatmeal and kaolin clay melt and pour soap is a simple, natural-looking bar with a soft pink tint and little speckles of oats all the way through. The trick with additives like clay and oatmeal is to let the soap cool enough to hold them in suspension, so they don’t all sink to the bottom. It’s an easy beginner recipe with a short ingredient list.
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Materials & Tools
Recipe
- 2 cups shea butter melt and pour soap base
- 1½–2 tsp kaolin clay
- ¾ cup oatmeal, ground into a powder
- About ¼ cup whole (unground) oats
- 2 ml fragrance oil or essential oil (I used Red Apple from Bramble Berry)
- A little Pink Watermelon mica from this Stardust mica set, mixed with alcohol
Tools
- Small blender (I use a Magic Bullet) or a coffee grinder for the oats
- Mini milk frother for the final mix
- 6 cavity flower mold, cloud mold or a 6 cavity bar mold
- Pipettes and a chopstick or skewer
- Spray bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol
- Thermometer
Fragrance Amount
Two cups of soap base is about 16 oz, and I used 2 ml of fragrance. The most you should use is 5 ml of fragrance oil per 16 oz (1 lb) of soap base. Less is always fine, but don’t go over 5 ml per 16 oz.
How to Make Oatmeal and Kaolin Clay Melt and Pour Soap
1. Melt the Shea Butter Base
Melt the shea butter base first so it has time to cool while you prepare everything else. Mine was about 150°F after melting.
2. Grind the Oats
Grind ¾ cup of oats in a small blender until they’re almost a powder. Keep about ¼ cup of oats whole for texture. The whole oats are heavier, so they may settle toward the bottom, and that’s fine.
3. Add Fragrance and Color
When the soap is around 140°F, stir in the fragrance. Mix a little Pink Watermelon mica with a dropper of alcohol and add it until you get a faint pink. Add more if you’d like it darker.
4. Let It Cool, Then Add the Oats and Clay
This is the most important step. Let the soap cool until it starts to thicken. Mine was about 123°F. Then stir in the ground oats and the kaolin clay with a chopstick. If the additives float on top at first, that’s a good sign they’ll stay suspended. If the mix seems too thick, add a little more melted base.
5. Froth and Add the Whole Oats
Give everything a final mix with a mini frother to keep the clay and ground oats evenly suspended. Mine was about 117°F at this point. Then stir in the whole oats.
6. Pour and Spray
Pour into your molds and spray the tops with alcohol. Let the soap set completely.
7. Unmold
Unmold the bars. Because the soap was poured cool, the oats stay mixed through the whole bar instead of sinking. You can see little speckles of oatmeal on the front and back.
Tips & What I Learned
- Cool soap holds additives. Wait until the soap starts to thicken before adding oats and clay.
- Grind most of the oats. Fine oat powder suspends well. Whole oats add texture but may settle.
- Use a frother. A quick mix right before pouring keeps everything evenly spread.
- Go light on the color. A faint pink lets the oat speckles show.
Troubleshooting
The oats sank to the bottom.
The soap was too hot. Let it cool until it starts to thicken before adding the oats.
The soap is too thick to pour.
Stir in a little more melted base, or warm it for a few seconds.
My soap has clumps of clay.
Mix well with a frother, or blend the clay into a small amount of soap first.
FAQ
How much fragrance oil should I use?
Up to 5 ml per 16 oz of soap base. I used 2 ml for about 2 cups. You can always use less, but don’t use more than 5 ml per 16 oz.
Can I use essential oil instead?
Yes. Use the same amount or less.
Do I have to grind the oats?
Grinding most of them helps them stay suspended. Whole oats are fine for texture, but they’re more likely to sink.
More Natural Soap Ideas
- Kaolin Clay Melt and Pour Soap
- Himalayan Salt Melt and Pour Soap
- Epsom Salt Melt and Pour Soap
- Neon Pink Charcoal Melt and Pour Soap
- All my melt and pour soap tutorials on YouTube
If you make this, I’d love to see it! Tag me on Instagram or Pinterest, and subscribe on YouTube for new soap tutorials.
