DIY Pretty Pink Peppermint Soap (Lush Copycat)

This DIY shea peppermint soap is a dupe of one of my favorites: Lush’s Snow Fairy soap. It combines nourishing shea butter and hydrating glycerin melt and pour soap bases plus it contains rice bran oil and aloe vera to soothe dry skin. Last but not least, peppermint oil gives it a festive, refreshing scent, perfect for the holidays and beyond.

A few years ago I started accumulating hobbies: gardening, making sourdough bread, dying fabric with plant dyes, and, more recently, soap making. There’s something to be said for slowing down and spending an afternoon making something out of nothing, especially as the seasons change and we spend more time inside.

Soap making has slowly made its way to the top of my things-to-do-to-slow-down list. I love that soap has a long shelf life, meaning I can keep enjoying it long after I make it. Plus, it’s one of those activities that you start to do on autopilot, letting you get into a blissful flow state.

But I don’t always have the time to make it from scratch. So instead, I turn to melt and pour soap to fill the void.

Copycat Lush Snow Fairy Soap

This soap isn’t nearly as complicated as it looks, but it does take some time to make. Since you have to let one layer cool before adding the next, you’ll need to set aside about 3-4 hours from start to finish. It helps to have all your supplies gathered and laid out ahead of time. I also like to have a good book or podcast at the ready to help pass the time between phases. 

Ingredients

• Shea Butter Soap Base – This makes up the main part of the soap that surrounds your embedded shapes. It’s creamy, moisturizing, and gentle on the skin, making it a great choice for creating a smooth bar with a nice lather. It’s also white, so it helps call attention to the embedded shapes. But you don’t need to stick with shea butter soap if you’d prefer not to. Oatmeal, goat, honey, or any other white base will all work here. 
• Glycerin Soap Base – Clear glycerin soap is ideal for the embedded shapes because it has a higher melting point than white soap. That means it holds its shape better and won’t bleed into the surrounding soap as easily. And because its clear, the colors look really vibrant, especially next to the white soap base. 
• Rice Bran Oil – Rice bran oil is rich in antioxidants and vitamins, which help nourish and soften the skin. 
• Aloe Vera – Aloe vera soothes, hydrates, and helps calm irritated skin.
• Peppermint Essential Oil – Peppermint essential oil gives your soap a crisp, refreshing scent that feels cooling and energizing on the skin. And unlike other oils, just a few drops are enough to make the whole bar smell amazing.
• Mica – Mica is a natural mineral powder that gives soap vibrant color and a subtle shimmer. It’s easy to mix into melt and pour base and comes in a wide range of shades.
• Rubbing Alcohol – To prevent soap bubbles from forming on top of the soap, you’ll want to spray each layer with rubbing alcohol just after pouring. As it cools, the alcohol pops any bubbles that form, ensuring your layers dry smooth and lump-free.

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Equipment

• Large Microwave Safe Bowl – To keep colors consistent across layers, I recommend melting your soap base in one large bowl before adding the colorant. If your bowl doesn’t have a pour spout, you’ll need to use a measuring cup with a spout to transfer the soap to the mold without spilling it.
• Small Measuring Cup with a Spout – For transferring melted soap to the mold.
• Thermometer – Keeping an eye on the temperature prevents overheating, which can cause bubbles or affect how well the layers bond. Aim to pour your soap when it’s warm and smooth (about 140 degrees F), not hot. Otherwise, you may melt the embedded shapes and cause the colors to bleed.
• Silicone Column Mold – A column mold is used to create the star shapes that go inside the main bar. Its tall, narrow shape lets you pour and set designs that can be sliced to reveal fun patterns. While not as big as the mold used for the real Lush Snow Fairy Soap, I think this one makes for a good dupe!
• Rectangular Soap Mold – A rectangular soap mold is used to shape the outer layer of your finished soap. It gives you a solid, uniform block that can be sliced into bars once set. I love silicone molds because they’re flexible and make it easy to remove the soap without damage.

f you’d prefer not to buy a soap mold, you can DIY your own using an old cardboard milk carton. Just use a box cutter or sharp knife to cut off one side of the box and you’re good to go.

Instructions

Step 1: Melt + Color the Clear Soap

Cut the clear soap into chunks and heat in a microwave-safe measuring bowl in 30-second intervals until soap has melted.

Add ⅛ teaspoon mica powder and stir well before pouring the soap into the column mold.

Step 2: Pour Into Star Mold

Place mold on a cookie sheet to give it stability and also to catch any soap that might leak out. 

Pour melted soap base into the star column mold.

Step 3: Use Up Extra Soap

Use the remaining soap to pour a 1-inch layer into the base of a rectangular soap mold. Spritz with alcohol to release any bubbles.

Step 4: Let Cool

Let the soap cool for about an hour before removing from the molds. To remove the star shape, carefully pull sides apart and remove soap from mold.

Step 5: Cut Other Shapes

Remove the small soap layer and cut it into small square, triangle and rectangular shapes. You’ll embed the shapes alongside the star shape.

Step 6: Melt Shea Soap

Cut shea butter soap base into chunks and heat in 30-second intervals until completely melted. Add peppermint oil, rice bran oil, and aloe vera gel. Stir well.

Step 7: Add Color

Sprinkle a little mica powder on top and stir well. You want a lighter pink so remember a little goes a long way! Then let the soap cool to about 145°F. You want the soap to be pourable but not so hot that it will melt the cooled soap shapes.

Step 8: Pour Bottom Layer

Pour a shallow layer of white soap base into the rectangular mold and spritz with rubbing alcohol. Then let cool for 15-20 minutes. It doesn’t need to be cool completely, just enough to support the weight of the next layer.

Step 9: Add Shapes

Spritz the small geometric shapes with alcohol and place 2-3 at the bottom of the mold.

Step 10: Cover With Soap

Cover with a layer of white soap base and spritz everything with alcohol again.

Step 11: Add Star Shape

Continue layering your shapes, covering them in soap, then spritzing with alcohol and letting it cool. Keep working in batches until you fill up the mold. 

Step 12: Add Remaining Soap

When you’ve run out of shapes to embed, pour one last layer of white soap base to fill the rest of the mold. Spritz again to remove any bubbles and let soap cool completely.

Hint: You will probably need to re-heat the white soap base several times as you work. Just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to get it back to a pourable consistency.

After cooling for 2-3 hours, or overnight, remove the soap from the mold and slice into 1-inch thick bars.

Storage

Once your soap has fully cooled and hardened, it should be kept in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Excessive heat or humidity can cause the soap to sweat, soften, or even get sticky, so don’t keep it near windows, radiators, or in damp bathrooms.

If you plan to store soap for a long period of time, it’s best to wrap the bars in parchment and put them in a plastic baggie. Then stash them in a cool cupboard or pantry. For long-term storage, you can keep your soap in the fridge. Just make sure the soap is sealed tightly to avoid picking up other odors.

Properly stored melt and pour soap can last up to a year while maintaining its fragrance, color, and texture.

FAQ

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