Unscented soaps might be a new term for you, but you need to understand the concept carefully if you have sensitive skin. The first fragranced soap was introduced by P & G in 1879. And from then, the whole fragrance innovation in soaps started. Even today, the soaps we use usually have sharp fragrances, which sometimes can cause extreme skin irritation and other issues.
So, the best thing is to switch to unscented soaps because they can help make your skin healthy and super clean. In this article, you will learn about several benefits of unscented soaps and why you should use them. We will also share our amazing secret DIY unscented soap recipes so that you can make them at home with minimal effort.
What is Unscented Soap? – All You Need to Know
Now it's time for us to tell you about unscented soap and address its myths. Firstly, unscented soaps are not completely bland because otherwise, you would be able to smell the fattiness which is the main ingredient in soap formation. However, unscented soaps still do not have tons of chemicals that a regular fragranced soap would have. This helps you conquer many skin issues.
If you think that hypoallergenic or natural soaps are unscented soaps, you might be incorrect because both of them are two different terms. Hypoallergenic soaps are for adults and kids with extremely sensitive skin. Hypoallergenic is not a term that is restricted to soaps or cleansers; you can also use it for fabrics less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Similarly, 100% natural or organic soaps are usually derived from plant-based materials. That means almost all the ingredients in natural soaps are extracted from plants. Sometimes natural soaps are turned into unscented bar soaps/ fragrance-free soaps by adding mild fragrances and sometimes no fragrance at all.
Examples of unscented natural soaps are unscented cocoa butter soaps, unscented glycerin soaps, unscented shea butter soaps, etc. Unscented soaps have so many benefits that we will later discuss in the article. But before that, we will talk about the recipes to make such soaps at home with minimal ingredients.
What Should You Avoid Adding in Your Soap?
Before talking about the recipes to make unscented soaps at home, let's discuss the ingredients. You must avoid adding some ingredients to your soap because they can be potentially harmful to your skin. Sometimes when we visit markets and stores to buy uncentered soaps that are labeled as harmless can have dangerous chemicals in them.
Even if you see fragranced soap that openly claims to have scented additives, do not show the list of all ingredients they have in them. In short, you won't be able to distinguish or differentiate between harmless and harmful fragranced soaps in the market. So, the best part is to create your own unscented soaps at home by avoiding some chemicals that can cause serious problems.
The main chemicals that you must avoid adding to your unscented soaps are:
- Phthalates
- Aldehydes
- Benzene Derivative (Benzaldehyde)
- Silicon
- Aluminum
- Fragrances (Artificial/ Synthetic)
We haven't added all the chemicals you need to avoid adding to your unscented soaps; however, the ones we have mentioned are pretty harmful. So make sure that you don't ever add them to your soaps.
Are Unscented and Fragrance-free Two Different Terms?
Unscented and fragrance-free are not always the same terms because fragrance-free soaps don’t have synthetic fragrance additives; however, unscented soaps have certain ingredients that neutralize the overall scent. But that is not true for all unscented soaps because some do not have any masking agent at all.
For example, a lot of natural/ organic soaps have very mild fragrances of the ingredients they have, but you can hardly smell them because of their zero chemical compositions. But the real question is, do such organic soaps fall under the category of unscented soaps? And the answer to that question is yes.
Why are Scented Soaps Mostly Bad for You?
It is a very old debate whether scented soaps are bad for you or whether unscented soaps are the worse. First, we want to address that not all scented soaps are bad. And secondly, sometimes unscented soaps have masking agents that are even worse than additive fragrances. So, instead of buying unscented soaps in the market, you can use our recipes to make them at home by using only natural ingredients.
One thing we want to tell you is that natural unscented soaps will still have a slight/ mild fragrance. But that won't be that noticeable. That is because the ingredients you will use, like shea butter, or cocoa butter, will have their own scents, but they will be nothing like synthetic fragrances.
Our Top 3 Most Amazing Unscented Soaps Recipes
Now that we have answered some of the few common queries about unscented soaps, it is time for us to share our top 3 amazing recipes. And that way, you can make your own fragrance-free soaps at home. These soaps are completely natural and do wonders for your skin. The best part about our unscented soaps recipes is that you can use them for yourself, and your children or give them to anyone who has sensitive skin.
Shea Butter Bastille Unscented Soap
Our first recipe is to make Shea butter Bastille unscented soap. Shea butter is one of the most beneficial ingredients to maintain moisture. And it improves the skin’s natural barrier to enhance protection against different pollutants.
The fatty acids present naturally in shea butter help soften your skin, whether it's your face or body, and it's a perfect cleanser. Our unscented soap recipe also has olive oil that is naturally rich in antioxidants. It will give your skin a salon glow and protect it from harmful UV rays.
The last main ingredient in this recipe is castor oil, which has humectant properties. A humectant is an agent that can shift moisture from the air into the skin hence a great cure for dry skin. You must use this recipe if you cannot layer moisturizers on your skin. And, also if you are extra sensitive to synthetic products.
Materials
So, the ingredients and equipment you require to make Shea butter Bastille unscented soap are,
- 20% Shea Butter/ Mango Butter/ Cocoa Butter (140g)
- 10% Castor Oil (80g)
- 80% Olive Oil (600g)
- Distilled water (250g)
- Soap Lye (preferably Sodium Hydroxide 110g)
- Oven/ Stove
- Stirrer
- Soap Mold
- Glass Bowl
Process
The procedure to make Shea butter Bastille unscented soap is very straightforward. It requires no added fragrances, but the ingredients might have a mild fragrance that won’t be an issue. You must follow the steps correctly and take ingredients in the right quantity to avoid any unlikely event.
- First, you will turn on the stove. Put a pan on it with half-filled distilled water, and let it boil on a low flame.
- You will then add the sodium hydroxide lye to the water and mix it with a wooden spoon. Make sure you are wearing a mask to avoid strong fumes.
- The next step is to turn off the flame. Put the soap lye aside to cool down a bit where no one can touch it.
- Now it is time for you to take shea butter, castor oil, and olive oil and melt them properly so that you can get a warm concoction of oils.
- Then you will slowly add the soap lye to that warm oil mixture. Mix it with a stirrer or a wooden spoon. Keep doing this step until it gets a paste-like consistency.
- You will then take the soap mixture and add it to the mold carefully without spilling anything.
- After that, you will wait for the soap to get hard by covering it with a cloth and keeping it in the open air for at least 48 hours. You can also fasten the process by keeping the mold tray in the refrigerator.
- Once the soap hardens perfectly, you can take it out of the tray. Keep it in storage jars, and use your unscented soap the way you like.
Shelf Life:
And another important thing that we want to share about our shea butter bastille unscented soaps is that you can use them for up to 4 months because the oil ingredients age better with time and become more effective.
Unscented Turmeric Ombre Soaps
The next recipe we have for you is our turmeric ombre unscented soaps. Turmeric is a great antibacterial and antiseptic agent that help the deep cleansing of clogged pores due to pollution and makeup residuals.
It is also a major beauty ritual of Asian women as it helps avoid and treat acne and other skin issues. Our recipe for turmeric ombre unscented soaps will include a mixture of oils, saffron, and turmeric powder.
Materials
The materials you'll require to make turmeric ombre unscented soaps are,
- Turmeric Powder (3 teaspoons)
- Coconut Oil (100g)
- Olive Oil (300g)
- Turmeric Shea Butter (150g)
- Castor Oil (80g)
- Sunflower Oil (50g)
- Distilled Water
- Saffron
- Soap Lye (preferably Sodium Hydroxide 110g)
- Mold
- Stove
- Stirrer
- Glass Bowl
Process
Making unscented soaps doesn't mean that you cannot add natural colors to them to make them look aesthetically pleasing. And you will be glad to know that you can add the slightest of turmeric powder to a small quantity of sunflower oil to make a beautiful ombre color. Now let’s move to the process of making this amazing soap.
- The first step is to heat the stove on low flame. Add a boiler with distilled water, and let it boil.
- After that, you will add soap lye to the water. Gently stir it so that both the ingredients completely disperse into each other.
- Once they get dissolved, you will turn off the stove. Keep the soap lye, and water mixture on your kitchen counter, and let it cool.
- You will then add castor oil, olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and turmeric shea butter to a large glass mixing bowl. And you will keep it in the oven for a few seconds so that all the oils melt into each other perfectly.
- Now it is time to add all the melted oils and butter into the soap mix to stir all the ingredients so that they take one paste-like form. It is also the step where you will add a small quantity of colorant if you want to add vibrancy.
- Then you will add the slightest bit of saffron to the mixture so that your unscented soap can look store-bought. If you're not a big fan of saffron, you can also add cornflower petals.
- The last step is to shift the soap mix to the molds by equal distribution and let it stay there for 2-3 days. You can then take out the soap carefully and use it for your face and body.
Pro-tip:
A tip to make turmeric hombre unscented soap is to add a small quantity of sodium lactate while adding soap ley to fasten the hardening process so that you don't have to wait that long.
Unscented Aloe Soaps
If you do not want to get into the fuss of multiple ingredients to make your own scented soap let's talk about our low soap recipe that you will love. This soap recipe is perfect for people who have sensitive skin and hate the tightness on the skin after applying harsh cleansers.
Aloe will leave your skin silky smooth, and you won't need to apply a strong moisturizer to your face or body. You can make our recipe more effective by adding milk to the aloe mix for a natural brightening effect. Now, without further a due, let's move to our aloe unscented soap recipe.
Materials
The materials you will require to make unscented aloe soap are as follows,
- Aloe liquid 200 g (not gel)
- Milk (100g)
- Distilled water (100g)
- Soap Lye (110g)
- Castor Oil
- Olive Oil
- Sunflower Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Cocoa or shea butter (100g)
- Stirrer
- Boiler
- Glass Bowl
Process
The process of making unscented aloe soap is just like our previous two recipes but make sure that you're wearing protective clothing while making it.
- The first thing is to take the boiler, add distilled water to it, let it on the stove, and boil for some time. And then add aloe liquid and soap lye into it.
- After boiling and mixing base ingredients, you will turn off the stove and keep the boiler on your kitchen counter to cool down.
- The next step is to take a glass bowl and add all the oils, including castor oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, and cocoa or shea butter in it.
- After melting all the oils, you will merge them with aloe, soap lye, and distilled water concoction. Use the stirrer to mix everything well. Aloe has a very sharp, bitter smell but using all the oils will make it better, and you won't be able to smell anything.
- Once your unscented soap reaches its tracepoint, similar to getting a paste-like consistency, you can stop stirring and shift the mix to the molds.
- You can also spray some alcohol on it to fasten the hardening process. But if you want to keep it organic, just leave the molds in the open air to dry properly for 2 – 3 days, or you can keep them in the refrigerator for a day. However, make sure that you cover the molds with paper or a piece of cloth.
- Once the soap dries perfectly, you can take it out of the molds and cut it in your desired shape. Most people like unscented bar soaps, but you can make the cutouts you like. And after that, you can keep them in storage jars and use them the way you like.
Benefits of Using Unscented Soaps
We have given you a brief introduction to unscented soaps and answered some major queries about them. After that, we shared our top 3 favorite unscented soaps recipes with you so that you can make your own fragrance-free soaps at home. But don't go anywhere because now it's time to tell you about the benefits of using unscented soaps.
Smooth Cleaning
One of the major benefits of using unscented soaps is superior cleaning ability that most people do not know of. A common misconception is that soaps with no fragrances won't be able to remove the unpleasant smell from bodies and faces, but it is completely the opposite.
The ingredients in the unscented soaps like turmeric have amazing antioxidative and antibacterial properties that are great for removing all the impurities and bad odors from the face and body.
Enhanced Skin Moisture
You need to know that all unscented soaps do not have ingredients that help retain moisture in your skin. But the recipes we introduced in this article have amazing ingredients like aloe liquid, shea butter, and healthy oils concoction, which can keep your skin hydrated and moisturized for longer periods. We have also included ingredients like saffron and turmeric that are extremely beneficial to keep the skin smooth and glowing.
Acne, Eczema, and Rosacea treatment with unscented medicated soaps
With the industrial revolution, you now see factories all around you, which means pollutants are in the air, water, and land. So, if you go to work every day, it’s no big deal to develop skin issues like acne, eczema, rosacea, etc. However, some of these issues are genetic, and some are due to products that have harmful artificial ingredients.
But you can avoid all such problems by using unscented soaps because they don’t have chemicals to induce artificial fragrances. And such chemicals are mostly responsible for clogging your pores and reacting with the dirt and impurities on your face. So, using unscented soaps can be a life-changing experience for you.
Gentle on skin – chemical free unscented soaps
Some people have extremely sensitive skin, and they cannot tolerate products with chemicals and synthetic agents. If you are someone who has sensitive skin and wants a chemical-free soap, you can try our recipes to make your favorite unscented soaps.
Our soap recipes are mostly organic as they have ingredients like aloe, healthy oils, shea butter, turmeric, etc. All the natural products in unscented soaps are healthy for the skin, clear all the dirt, and give it a natural healthy glow that doesn't fade.
Unscented soaps are great for people with respiratory issues
People with respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and other issues, suffer because of sharp fragrances. The reason is that fragrances have several chemicals that can trigger the respiratory system and impact health in a bad way. The irritation due to fragrances can lead up to serious problems.
People with such sensitivity cannot even apply perfumes with chemicals, so the best way is to use unscented soaps. The unscented soap recipes we talked about don't have any sharp chemical smells, and all ingredients are organic and won't cause any trouble to people with respiratory issues.
Extremely Likable
Different people have different fragrance choices; some people like sharp fragrances; however, some do not like them at all. No scent is universal, so it is better to create products that have no scent.
People mostly like unscented products because they don't contain chemicals like synthetic fragrance additives that can cause skin issues. If you are not a big fan of fragrances, you must try unscented soaps.
Final Words
Unscented soaps have so many benefits if you use them regularly on your skin, but the best way to utilize them is by making them at home to know about the ingredients you're adding.
However, if you are buying unscented soaps from the market, make sure to read the labels and see if there are chemicals that can be dangerous for your skin.
We have tried our best to explain our top recipes for unscented soaps to you, although if you have any questions, you can contact us anytime.
