If you’re new to the concept of wet felting soap then you might be wondering, what’s the point? What is felted soap used for? And how does felted soap work? There’s no such thing as a stupid question here. So today let’s dig into the ins and out of felted soap! (Spoiler alert: it’s much more practical than you might think!)
What is felted soap?
Let’s start from square one. Felted soap is a solid bar of soap that has been covered in raw wool. The raw wool is then felted through a process of hot water and agitation so that it all sticks together as one cohesive unit and tightens around the bar of soap.
This coating of wool on felted soap is often highly decorative. Multiple colors of wool can be used to achieve a swirling or striped effect. Makers can even create little pictures or landscape scenes with their wool to capture the likeness of trees, animals, etc.
It may seem like a relatively new invention (and it has certainly seen a surge in popularity lately) but felted soap has been around longer than the loofah.
What is the point of felted soap?
Felted soap can certainly be a lot more cute than it’s naked counterpart. (If you can resist the temptation of swirling wool colors and/or cute woodland animals then you are far stronger than me!) But felted soap is so more than just a pretty face!
There are 3 main benefits to felting a bar of soap:
- Longevity: The surface layer of wool dries quickly and has natural antibacterial, antifungal and odor resisting properties. This helps your soap last longer which is certainly an eco friendly bonus.
- Lather: Better than a washcloth but not quite as good as a loofah, felted soap offers a good amount of lather. It definitely has more lather than a naked bar of soap!
- Exfoliation: The slightly rough surface of the felted wool offers a gentle exfoliation that will leave you feeling extra scrubbed and clean. This can help dislodge dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling extra smooth.
Other benefits include increased grip (no more dropping the soap, yay!) and increased portability. There’s no need for a travel soap case and it’s a solid so it won’t get you in trouble in the airport security line.
There’s also a fun parenting hack with felted soap. The fact that is is prettier than regular soap can help tempt hesitant little ones to actually want to take their baths!
What is felted soap used for?
The wet felting process is most commonly used on bars of soap that are meant to wash your body. But that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t also felt a bar of face soap! You would just need to find a solid face wash bar. I have also seen an increase in the amount of solid bars of shampoo and conditioner available on the market. I don’t see a reason why you couldn’t felt those either!
So, in theory, felted soap can be used for every part of the body. Plus, the different colors and designs of felted soap can appeal to a broad range of people: men and women, adults and children too!
How does felted soap work?
The layer of wool that is felted around the bar of soap completely encapsulates the soap while still allowing it to breath. When you rub the felted bar of soap between your hands and put it under running water, then the water is able to pass through the fiber. The addition of water in combination with the rough surface of the felt rubbing up against the bar of soap generates a lather.
How do you make felt soap?
Are you ready to start your own soap felting journal? Grab your favorite bar soap brand and one of our fantastic Felted Soap Kits and learn how easy it is to make your own felted soap! Our kits come with detailed instructions and a generous amount of Corriedale wool – enough to make 12-15 bars of felted soap!
Have you made felted soap before? Will you be trying it after reading this article? We would love to see your felted soap projects! Please share them with us on social media or in our Community Facebook Group.
So beautiful. I want to try to make some!!