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What Is Carrot Soap?

Rebecca Harkin
Rebecca Harkin

Carrot soap is typically an all natural, or parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate and phthalates-free soap, made from lye, oils, and one or all of products such as carrot juice, puree, or seed essential oil. This soap is rich in beta carotene and may even skin tone and act as a strong antioxidant and moisturizer. It can be purchased from most health food stores and companies specializing in natural skin care products or can be made at home fairly easily.

Natural soaps are made from lye, oils, and other ingredients added for a particular benefit or fragrance. Lye is a chemical capable of diffusing fats and is added to soap to clean the skin of natural oils. The oils are added to the soap to provide moisture. For soap made from carrots, the additives are products made from carrots such as juice or purees or extracted from the seeds.

Carrot soap is made from lye, oils, and some sort of carrot juice, puree, and/or seed essential oil.
Carrot soap is made from lye, oils, and some sort of carrot juice, puree, and/or seed essential oil.

Carrot soap provides many health benefits. It is abundantly rich in beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant that enhances cell renewal or cell turnover, helps to clear and clean sweat glands and reduce acne, safeguards the skin against sunburn and damage, and evens out mottled skin tones. This soap is also a strong moisturizer, augmenting the skin's capacity to hold moisture, which helps prevent dry skin and psoriasis.

Carrots.
Carrots.

Another benefit of this soap is that it is often all natural and free from parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, and phthalates. Parabens are soap preservatives typically added to synthetic soaps and have some possible health risks. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a de-greasing and foaming agent that can dry the skin. Phthalates are added to soaps to stabilize the fragrance and color and may also have some health risks. The absence of these chemicals in combination with the benefits of beta carotene make carrot-based cleansers an appealing option for some consumers.

Carrot juice, one of the ingredients in carrot soap.
Carrot juice, one of the ingredients in carrot soap.

When left unmasked by other fragrant additives, soap made from carrots has a smell that has been described as earthy and woodsy. The scent is typically strongest while using the soap, but does not linger on the skin and is usually mild enough to dissipate quickly. Often, a recipe for carrot soap will include fragrant additives such as cinnamon or vanilla to soften the earthy smell.

Carrot shampoo is thought to prevent split ends.
Carrot shampoo is thought to prevent split ends.

Carrots are not just used in soap. There are also carrot shampoos, which are reputed to moisturized dry hair and help prevent split ends. Also readily available are carrot-containing night, face, and hand creams popular for the same reasons as the soap.

Discussion Comments

anon350817

ACE Hardware has lye, and I always get it there. It's better than having to purchase online.

julies

@LisaLou-- It is a little harder to find lye than it used to be. You used to be able to buy it at the grocery store in the cleaning aisle, but I don't find it there anymore.

Recently I have been buying my lye from some online suppliers. One thing to remember when working with lye is to make sure you wear gloves.

I use carrot soap to wash my face with morning and night. One thing I really like about this soap is how it evens out my skin tone.

My skin can get kind of red and blotchy, but if I use the carrot soap on a regular basis, it seems to really help with this problem.

LisaLou

@honeybees-- Your recipe for carrot soap sounds wonderful. I have been trying to find skin care products that don't use parabens and harsh chemicals. Sometimes they seem pretty expensive, so I have been looking into making some of my own beauty products.

I have most all of the ingredients you mentioned on hand, but where do you find lye to purchase? Is this a common ingredient that is used in other natural skin care products?

I am also trying to repair years of sun damage to my skin. Carrot soap sounds like it is just the type of moisturizing soap I need which would also help restore some life back into my skin.

honeybees

@Mykol - I have made my own carrot soap, and it does have a naturally light orange color to it. I love getting this natural color without adding any dyes or chemicals.

One year I made my own soap to give away for Christmas presents. Everyone loved them, and commented on how luxurious they were.

Carrot soap really has a nice, creamy lather that feels so good on your skin. To make my soap, I used carrot juice, palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, lye and water. All the different oils also add to the natural moisturizing properties of this soap.

I poured this into molds, and after I removed the soap from the mold, let it air dry for a couple of weeks.

Mykol

I am not surprised that carrot soap is so good for the skin since carrots are known for being so healthy for you. To me, it makes sense to nourish and moisturize the outside of my body as much as the inside.

I have made some of my own soap in the past, but have never tried carrot soap. I wonder if this gives a naturally orange color to the soap? I'm not so sure I would like the scent of carrot soap by itself.

I think it would smell really nice with a touch of vanilla or sandalwood added to it. The nice thing about making your own soap, is you can add your favorite combination of scents to find one that is just right for you.

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    • Carrot soap is made from lye, oils, and some sort of carrot juice, puree, and/or seed essential oil.
      By: Tarzhanova
      Carrot soap is made from lye, oils, and some sort of carrot juice, puree, and/or seed essential oil.
    • Carrots.
      Carrots.
    • Carrot juice, one of the ingredients in carrot soap.
      By: Elenathewise
      Carrot juice, one of the ingredients in carrot soap.
    • Carrot shampoo is thought to prevent split ends.
      By: Laurent Hamels
      Carrot shampoo is thought to prevent split ends.
    • Carrot soap can be used to even out mottled skin tones.
      Carrot soap can be used to even out mottled skin tones.