Making your own soap is a wonderful way to create gentle, nourishing skincare.
Bastille soaps, with their high olive oil content, are particularly kind to the skin, offering a moisturizing cleanse that’s perfect for sensitive skin and even babies.
This collection explores beautiful, easy-to-make Bastille soap recipes that will leave your skin feeling soft and beautifully cared for, naturally..
Table of Contents
1. Gentle Honey & Lavender Bastille Soap for Sensitive Skin
This comforting Bastille soap recipe is crafted for delicate skin, featuring the soothing properties of honey and lavender essential oil.
Its high olive oil content makes it incredibly gentle, ensuring a soft cleanse without stripping your skin's natural moisture.
It’s like a warm hug for your skin, leaving it feeling calm and cared for..
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Honey
- Lavender Essential Oil
Benefits:
- Gentle cleansing
- Soothing for sensitive skin
- Moisturizing
Pro Tip: The honey adds a lovely subtle sweetness and helps with lather, but if you prefer, you can omit it for an even simpler bar.
Get the Recipe: Gentle Honey & Lavender Bastille Soap for Sensitive Skin
2. Buttermilk & Olive Oil Baby Bar for Soft Skin
This ultra-gentle Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar is a dream for delicate complexions.
Rich in olive oil and softened with buttermilk, it cleanses without harshness, leaving your skin feeling incredibly soft and smooth.
It’s a wonderfully mild choice for little ones and anyone with sensitive skin seeking a pure, nourishing clean..
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Buttermilk
- Carrot Puree
- Lavender Essential Oil
Benefits:
- Extremely gentle
- Softens skin
- Nourishing for babies and sensitive skin
Pro Tip: Freezing the buttermilk before adding the lye helps keep the mixture cool, which is key for working with milk in soapmaking.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk & Olive Oil Baby Bar for Soft Skin
3. Chamomile Infused Olive Oil & Shea Butter Soap
This baby-friendly Bastille soap recipe is a calming embrace for your skin.
Infused chamomile olive oil and creamy shea butter work together to gently cleanse while protecting your skin’s natural barrier.
It’s designed to be super moisturizing, leaving even the driest, itchiest skin feeling soft and soothed..
Key Ingredients:
- Chamomile-Infused Olive Oil
- Shea Butter
- Castor Oil
- Colloidal Oatmeal
Benefits:
- Gentle cleansing
- Moisturizing
- Soothes dry and itchy skin
Pro Tip: You can create a chamomile-infused olive oil ahead of time by letting chamomile flowers sit in olive oil in a sunny spot for a few weeks.
Get the Recipe: Chamomile Infused Olive Oil & Shea Butter Soap
4. Nourishing Olive Oil & Shea Butter Bastille Soap
Experience a luxurious cleanse with this nourishing Bastille soap, packed with the goodness of olive oil and shea butter.
It offers the benefits of traditional Castile soap but is easier to make and cures faster, giving you a soft, moisturizing bar that’s kind to your skin.
It’s a must-try for a truly pampering daily wash..
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Shea Butter
- Lye
- Water
Benefits:
- Deeply moisturizing
- Gentle and nourishing
- Creates a soft bar
Pro Tip: Using individual cavity molds makes it easier to unmold and ensures each bar is perfectly shaped.
Get the Recipe: Nourishing Olive Oil & Shea Butter Bastille Soap
5. Lavender Honey Bastille Soap for Silky Skin
This Lavender Honey Bastille Soap is a delightful creation that combines the skin-loving qualities of olive oil with the lather-boosting benefits of honey and a touch of lavender.
It’s designed to provide a wonderfully gentle and conditioning wash, leaving your skin feeling silky smooth and refreshed after every use..
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Shea Butter
- Castor Oil
- Honey
- Lavender Essential Oil
Benefits:
- Increases lather
- Conditions skin
- Gentle and mild
Pro Tip: The honey can turn the lye water a reddish-brown, and the final soap will have a lovely tan hue as it cures.
Get the Recipe: Lavender Honey Bastille Soap for Silky Skin
6. Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar with Zinc Oxide
This Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar is exceptionally mild and perfect for delicate skin.
With a high percentage of olive oil and the added benefits of buttermilk and zinc oxide, it offers a super nourishing and gentle cleanse.
Your skin will feel beautifully soft and soothed, making it ideal for babies and sensitive souls..
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Buttermilk Powder
- Zinc Oxide
Benefits:
- Very mild for sensitive skin
- Soothing and nourishing
- Creates a gentle lather
Pro Tip: You can substitute the buttermilk with other milks like goat milk or almond milk for a similar gentle effect.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar with Zinc Oxide
7. Pure Olive Oil Castile Soap for Gentle Cleansing
This pure Olive Oil Castile Soap recipe is a celebration of simplicity and skin-loving benefits.
Made with just olive oil, it creates a mild, wonderfully moisturizing soap that’s incredibly gentle on all skin types.
It’s perfect for a pure, natural clean that leaves your skin feeling soft and wonderfully cared for..
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Water
- Orange Essential Oil (optional)
Benefits:
- Mild and moisturizing
- Great for sensitive skin
- Pure and natural
Pro Tip: Allowing this soap to cure for at least four weeks results in a harder bar with a better lather that lasts longer.
Get the Recipe: Pure Olive Oil Castile Soap for Gentle Cleansing
8. Gentle Olive and Coconut Oil Castile Soap
This castile soap recipe is a fantastic starting point for anyone new to soap making.
Using just a few easy-to-find ingredients like olive oil, coconut oil, and essential oils, you can create a wonderful, cleansing bar.
It’s a simple way to avoid harsh chemicals and enjoy a naturally pure soap that’s gentle enough for daily use..
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Lye (sodium hydroxide)
- Filtered Water
- Essential Oils
Benefits:
- Gentle Cleansing
- Natural Ingredients
- Customizable Scent
Pro Tip: Always add lye to water, never the other way around, and ensure you're in a well-ventilated area for safety.
Get the Recipe: Gentle Olive and Coconut Oil Castile Soap
9. Simple Olive Oil Castile Soap
Dive into the world of handmade soap with this straightforward Castile soap recipe, primarily using olive oil.
It’s celebrated for its gentleness, making it ideal for both bathing and laundry without stripping your skin's natural oils.
This recipe offers a pure, effective cleansing experience, showcasing the beauty of simple, natural ingredients..
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Lye (caustic soda)
- Water
- Essential Oils (optional)
- Herbs (optional)
Benefits:
- Gentle on Skin
- Versatile Use
- Naturally Lathering
Pro Tip: Consider adding dried herbs like lavender or mint after the trace stage for a subtle scent and mild exfoliation.
Get the Recipe: Simple Olive Oil Castile Soap
10. Aleppo-Inspired Laurel and Olive Oil Soap
Experience the rich tradition of Aleppo soap with this inspired recipe, combining olive oil with the unique properties of laurel berry oil.
This soap is known for its hard bar and deeply nourishing qualities, perfect for a luxurious cleansing experience.
The laurel oil offers a subtle, natural scent and contributes to a wonderfully gentle soap..
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Laurel Berry Oil
- Water
- Sodium Hydroxide
Benefits:
- Deeply Nourishing
- Hard Bar Soap
- Traditional Craft
Pro Tip: Allow a long cure time (6-8 weeks or more) for this high-olive oil soap to ensure it’s hard and long-lasting.
Get the Recipe: Aleppo-Inspired Laurel and Olive Oil Soap