Shea Butter Exfoliating Bars

I whip these up as gifts...most recently to people in my home church, they are such sweethearts.

First off, I have a mould that has rounded spikes all over it (called massage bars), great for guys because often they just like to rub soap bars all over themselves, and not use wash cloths and puffies. I just put a bit of my coating in the moulds using my little silicone brush from the dollar store.

Then I melt some Shea Butter Melt & Pour soap base (soap, not SLS, not propylene glycol), and when it's liquid, add my essential oils (about 12 drops per bar), then about 1/3 c. sugar per bar. This part is a struggle as the sugar does not mix in easily. I usually wind up mashing the sandy good into the mould, but is it ever worth it. These bars are just loved by those to whom they are gifted, as they exfoliate oh, so gently, and leave the skin feeling moisturised. I do warn people, however, that these bars will not lather like regular soap. They never care, they always have their noses in the soap and gaze at me with that gaze that sharks have when they are sniffing blood just before...

"What's in this?"

"Oh, some essential oils..."

"But what's IN THIS? It smells so good! What's IN THIS?"

"Okay, okay! Some lavender, fennel, pine, a little lemon balm..."

"But what else?!?"

Dah-duhn.                     Dah-duhn.           Dah-duhn.       Dah-duhn.    Dah-duhn, dah-duhn, dah-duhn...