Gardeners Soap Recipe

Last Updated on June 13, 2023 by Ellen Christian

If you enjoy making homemade soaps, try this gardeners soap recipe. This homemade soap is highly cleansing and moisturizing if your hands need attention after gardening season.

Gardeners Soap Recipe

Soap making is easy, and this recipe results in a highly cleansing and moisturizing bar, perfect for gardeners. This is an easy melt and pour soap making recipe that even beginners can do.

It also makes a thoughtful gift for anyone who works with their hands. The flower mold and colorant make a simple gardener’s hand soap that is beautiful and useful.

If you’re looking to learn how to make homemade soap, then I’ve got just the soap recipes for you! My collection of soap recipes is filled with unique ideas and combinations as well as several exclusive recipes you won’t find anywhere else. Not only will you be able to make soaps from scratch, but the possibilities are practically limitless. 

This scrubby soap also works well for mechanics and tradespeople. If you’re making this soap recipe for a man, you can use a square or rectangular mold rather than a flower mold.

What is gardener soap?

Gardener’s soap is a type of soap that contains exfoliants like shredded loofah or poppy seeds to remove dirt and callouses from your hands. Gardeners often need a highly cleansing and moisturizing soap to help them recover from the gardening season.

Best essential oils for gardener’s hand soap

You can create this gardener’s soap recipe with any essential oil scent. These are a few of my favorites for soap making:

Peppermint: Soothes and cools irritated skin

Lavender: Calms and heals wounds

Tea tree: Cleanses and disinfects cuts and scrapes

Rosemary: Stimulates circulation and heals muscles aches

What are pure essential oils?

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They have many uses and benefits and can be used for everything from cleaning your home to improving your skincare routine.

Can I use coconut oil?

This recipe uses a pure suspension soap base so that you can see the glitter and it does not fall to the bottom of the mold.

You can use coconut oil or shea butter soap base, but the glitter will fall to the bottom of the mold rather than be suspended throughout.

This is not a cold process soap recipe, so there is no lye solution. It’s one of the easiest soaps for beginners to make.

Natural exfoliants for soap making

If you want to add natural exfoliants when making soap, try one of these options:

Shredded loofah

Poppy or sesame seeds

Ground coffee beans

Oatmeal flakes

Ground walnut shell powder

Gardeners soap recipe supplies

1-pound of unscented clear melt & pour suspension soap (get it here)

Ground lemon peel (here)

Ground walnut shell powder (here)

Three teaspoons *Polysorbate 80 (here)

Blue mica colorant (get a set here)

Essential oils

Equipment for melt and pour soap recipe

Silicone mold

Spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol

Large mixing bowl

Heat-resistant measuring cup

Gardeners soap recipe directions

Making hand soap is very simple. Here are a few more of my soapmaking recipes.

• Heat the clear soap in the measuring cup in 30-second bursts.
• Stir in between each. Continue until completely melted.
• Add one teaspoon of the Polysorbate 80, 2-3 drops of the essential oil, and ½ teaspoon of the blue mica colorant to the measuring cup. Stir until fully incorporated.

• Spray each mold cavity with rubbing alcohol. Add 1-2 teaspoons of the ground lemon peel and walnut shell powder to each cavity. 

• Carefully pour the soap mixture into each mold cavity, leaving about ¼” free at the top.

• Add ½ teaspoon lemon peel and walnut powder to the top of the soap mixture in each cavity.

• Spray the soap with the alcohol and allow the soap to harden completely (at least an hour). Gently pop the soaps from the mold and enjoy!

This soap does a fantastic job of removing every trace of dirt and grime from your hands.

How to store this soap

Store your gardener’s soap fresh and long-lasting, store it in a cool, dry place to keep it fresh and long-lasting. Avoid storing it in direct sunlight or a humid area, as this can cause the soap to melt.

How long does this soap last?

This gardener’s soap will last for several months if stored properly. If you notice the soap starting to deteriorate, it’s time to discard it and make a new batch.

Gardeners soap recipe notes

• You can substitute regular melt & pour soap. The glitter will settle to the mold’s bottom instead of floating in the layers.
• The use of rubbing alcohol in between layers is to help them stick together. Spraying the alcohol on the top layer is to prevent bubbles from forming. You can also press parchment paper or plastic wrap to the top of each soap mold.
• You can melt the soap in all three measuring cups in one “assembly” line or do each before each layer. If you do all three ahead of time, you may need to re-heat the soaps as they will have begun to harden before you get to the following layers.
• Experiment with other exfoliants if you want to try something different.

Related Reading

If you enjoy soapmaking, try one of these:

• DIY Moisturizing Soap Recipe
• Poppy seed soap
• Coconut oil body butter
• Homemade soap for eczema
• Pumpkin nail designs