Homemade Tomato Soap

A friend of mine was telling me about how much she loves Burt's Bees' Garden Tomato soap for oily/acne-prone skin. And it is a great product ~ I enjoy a lot of Burt's Bees products (especially the Cocoa Lip Shimmer!).

But we were wondering if we could find a really good recipe for homemade tomato soap . . . & I believe I have! Best of all, it's a glycerin soap, so if you're a newby to soap-making or just don't like to work around lye, THIS recipe will be really workable for you.

I have done a little research & have tweeked this recipe; since I have had oily/acne-prone skin nearly all my life & I know, through trial & error, tears & frustration :-( what has & hasn't worked for me, I have made a few modifications to to original recipe I found.

So, if you prefer a bar facial soap instead of a liquid facial soap, you may want to give this one a try. You can find all these ingredients at a good health food store, except the glycerin soap chunks, which you can find at Hobby Lobby.

{A cute display or gift presentation idea similar to what I do}

Here's what you need:

~glycerin soap chunks
~5 TB tomato juice OR peeled & pureed tomatoes
~1-2 ts tomato powder (**optional** use this if you want an exfoliating-type bar)
~1/2 ts red wine vinegar
~15 drops lemon essential oil
~1 ts baking soda
~wooden spoon OR rubber spatula
~2 c glass measuring cup/pitcher
~soap molds

Directions:

1) In a 2-cup measuring cup/pitcher with a pour spout, fill with glycerin soap chunks & melt in your microwave at 20 second intervals until melted; stir w/spatula & work all soap away from side of glass so that you don't waste any.

2) Quickly add lemon ess. oil, tomato juice & red wine vinegar; mix well w/wooden spoon.

3) The soap will be cooling quickly, so now add the baking soda & as much tomato powder as you want; mix well.

4) Pour soap into molds. Let them set for 1-2 hours.

{Some of my glycerin soaps}

5) Carefully remove soaps from molds & onto a wire rack; let them set for 5-7 days.

{Google photo}

6) Wrap in pretty colored cellophane, tissue paper & craft paper with a little twine, raphia or ribbon tied around it, to display until you use them or give them away.

Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><