These gingerbread jelly soaps are so cute and so much fun to use! They are made with natural essential oils for the scent.
Are you decorated for Christmas? I am not all decorated yet. We put the tree up a few weeks ago, but that's as far as I've gotten. Between Caleb's ETR and IEP and all of the evaluations and my being sick, we just didn't have time.
Until three years ago, I went all out and decorated the entire house. You couldn't look anywhere without seeing a Santa Claus. I wish I had the energy to do that again, but sometimes just had to be let go when I started homeschooling.
I still wanted a little more Christmas spirit in the house, so I made these gingerbread jelly soaps. I set them in the kitchen and in the bath to use as a hand soap. My daughter uses them in the shower, too.
GINGERBREAD JELLY SOAP RECIPE
I made owl jelly soaps a few months ago, but this time I used a different recipe. Mine worked great, but they were soft. I did use a large mold, so I fully expected them to be really flexible due to their size.
Rebecca from Soap Deli News suggested that I try her jelly soap recipe. It uses less liquid, so it sets up firmer.
If you're looking for an actual soap recipe, try this easy gingerbread soap recipe using melt and pour soap.
GELATIN
Unflavored gelatin is what makes these jelly soaps so much fun! Just make sure that you use unflavored gelatin and not a flavored one.
I picked up Knox brand gelatin at my local grocery store. It looks like Amazon has it quite a bit cheaper per pack than what I paid.
LIQUID CASTILE SOAP
Some jelly soap recipes use body wash, but I like using liquid castile soap and adding my own scent.
I use Crafty Bubbles liquid castile soap for this recipe and for my hand soap recipe. It's so new that it's not in their catalog, but you can call them to order it.
Pure liquid castile soap made with only olive oil doesn't suds as much as other soaps. The one I use has some coconut oil in it, so it lathers better.
Your jelly soap may not suds much, but it will still get you clean. You don't need a lot of suds to get clean. Suds are a marketing gimmick to make you think that you're clean.
MICA OR COLORANT
You can either use soap colorant or mica to color these. I used mica.
I bought this mica set with 24 colors. I like it because it doesn't clump and mixed with soap really well.
If you use soap colorant, add it one drop at a time until you get the right shade.
GINGERBREAD ESSENTIAL OIL
I wanted to use natural essential oils, so I used my Gingerbread essential oil blend. It's available in the Holiday Favorites essential oil and natural fragrance oil blends on Amazon.
If you want to make your own, use empty essential oil bottles to create custom blends.
Make a gingerbread essential oil blend with:
- 3 drops cinnamon essential oil
- 2 drops clove essential oil
- 2 drops ginger essential oil
- 2 drops vanilla essential oil
- 1 drop nutmeg essential oil
SILICONE MOLD
I used this adorable Wilton gingerbread man (and woman!) mold that I found at Pat Catan's. This recipe was perfect for the mold and I was able to make several little gingerbread men.
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 packs unflavored gelatin
- 1/3 cup water
- 2/3 cup liquid castile soap (I use Crafty Bubbles, but this one will work)
- 0.15 ounce Crafty Bubbles gingerbread essential oil
- 1/8 teaspoon brown mica powder or soap colorant
DIRECTIONS
STEP #1
Grease the bottom and sides of your silicone mold with olive oil or another oil. You don't want there to be a lot of oil. I sprayed oil on a paper towel and used it to wipe each of the cavities in the mold. This helps the soap release easier later.
STEP #2
Set your mold on a place or other flat surface. You'll need to move the mold to the fridge later, so this makes it easier to move.
STEP #3
Measure the liquid castile soap and put it in a 2-cup measuring cup. Add the essential oil and mica powder to the liquid castile soap. Set aside.
STEP #4
Measure the water in a small saucepan. Let it come to a boil and remove from heat. Add the unflavored gelatin and stir well.
Add the gelatin by sprinkling it it in the water. If you dump it in, it will clump, so be sure to sprinkle it slowly.
STEP #5
When the gelatin is completely dissolved, pour the gelatin mixture into the liquid castile soap mixture. Stir well.
STEP #6
Pour into the gingerbread man and woman mold. Transfer to the fridge and let sit for a few hours until set up.
STEP #7
Carefully release the jelly soap from the mold. I find that it's easiest to pull one side of the soap away from the mold and then work around the mold to release the soap.
How cute are these gingerbread jelly soaps? I just love how they turned out! I'm setting them in my bath as a hand soap.
If you're not ready to DIY, try one of these jelly soaps from Etsy.
Gummy Bear Jelly Soap |
Cupcake Jelly Soap |
Apple Pie Shower Jelly Recipe |
Gingerbread Emulsified Sugar Scrub |