After the success of our first Jiggly Jelly Soap, I wanted to follow it up with a Jelly Soap without Gelatine. This Copycat Lush Jelly Soap uses common ingredients you can order quickly online or find at your local craft store.

DIY Jelly Soap Craft

It can be a bit of an ordeal getting my daughter to agree to stop whatever craft or make believe she is immersed in to have a bath.

I learned a few years ago that if I make bath time fun with play dough soap or cute bath time surprises, that she is a bit more willing to get in the tub, so every month or so I try to make something new and exciting for bath time. I tend to go for things that let her have fun while helping her get clean, rather than bath toys that would create unwanted bathroom clutter.

Jelly Soap has been a hands-down winner: it helps get her clean (without the mess of play dough soap) and it’s super simple for me to whip up a batch. You can also customize it to just about any scent, color or shape you want, so you can use this base recipe to create so many fun and different jelly soaps.

If you’re into essential oils, you could definitely add a calming mix of oils to help kids calm down before bedtime, or a bit of tea tree oil to deter bugs in the summer.

While I previously made Jiggly Jelly Soaps with gelatine (and also with vegan gelatine), I wanted to make a gelatine-free version of melt and pour jelly soap. This recipe is a lot more shelf-stable and a better option for homemade gift giving, as it will last longer, will not mold and does not need to be stored in the fridge. (Our first jiggly gelatine soap is also pretty shelf-stable, but the vegan gelatine soap I personally would not keep in the bathroom for more than a month or two.)

These pretty sparkly soaps look super cute stored in a glass jar in the bathroom, and just take out a couple once the previous ones are used up.

This jiggly jelly soap is a fun soap to encourage kids to scrub up and would be super fun to put in a guest bathroom, too!

(Also, I feel like I shouldn’t have to say this, but here goes: this soap is soap. Not food. It may look like Jell-O, but it’s soap. Do not give this soap to children who may try to eat it. Don’t leave it down and accessible for a child who may try to eat it. Chances are, if they do take a nibble they will spit it out as it tastes… like soap.)

Check out our quick video on how to make melt and pour jelly soap like lush and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab our free printable recipe:

Materials for Jelly Soap without Gelatine

Melt and Pour Jelly Soap
Soap color, as desired
Cosmetic shimmer powder or mica powder
Rubbing alcohol, in a misting bottle
Silicone shape mold <– you can use any shape you’d like, this is the mold we used

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: you can also add essential oils for fragrance.

Tip #2: melt and pour jelly soap is available at craft stores and from boutique soap supply stores. If you can’t get jelly soap base, this recipe uses regular melt and pour soap plus gelatine to achieve the same effect

How to Make Jelly Soap Like Lush

Cut up one row of your melt and pour jelly soap and place in a microwave-safe measuring cup, ensuring that the amount you have cut up measures up to 3/4 cup of soap.

Heat in 20-second increments, stirring well in between each reheating as needed.

Stir in essential oils, color and cosmetic shimmer or mica powder. Adjust the amount to your personal preference.

Spray the silicone mold with rubbing alcohol to prevent bubbles and then pour in the melted soap mixture until the indentations are just full. (The amount needed will depend on your silicone mold and chosen shapes.)

Spray the top of the liquid soap to prevent bubbles (you’ll see that we forgot in the video so ours had bubbles on the back of the soaps).

You can let the soaps set up in a safe place where they will remain undisturbed, or place them in the fridge.

Once the soaps are solid to the touch, pop them out of the silicone mold and enjoy!

You can store them in the bathroom, as they are shelf-stable.

Pin this DIY Copycat Lush Jelly Soap recipe:

Grab your free printable for our DIY lush jelly soap recipe:

Yield: 6 soaps

Copycat LUSH Jelly Soap (with Video)

Materials

3/4 cup melt and pour jelly soap
5-10 drops soap color, as desired
1 teaspoon cosmetic shimmer powder or mica
Rubbing alcohol, in a misting bottle
Essential oils, optional

Tools

Silicone shape mold
Mixing bowl
Measuring cup

Instructions

Cut up one row of your melt and pour jelly soap and place in a microwave-safe measuring cup, ensuring that the amount you have cut up measures up to 3/4 cup of soap.
Heat in 20-second increments, stirring well in between each reheating as needed.
Stir in essential oils, color and cosmetic shimmer or mica powder. Adjust the amount to your personal preference.
Spray the silicone mold with rubbing alcohol to prevent bubbles and then pour in the melted soap mixture until the indentations are just full. (The amount needed will depend on your silicone mold and chosen shapes.)
Spray the top of the liquid soap to prevent bubbles (you'll see that we forgot in the video so ours had bubbles on the back of the soaps).
You can let the soaps set up in a safe place where they will remain undisturbed, or place them in the fridge.
Once the soaps are solid to the touch, pop them out of the silicone mold and enjoy!
You can store them in the bathroom, as they are shelf-stable.