Complete

Guide to Beginner Soap Making: 20+ Gourmet Recipes Book

(Volume 2)


Published internationally by Moon House Publishing:

PO Boleville, Illinois 62223

© Moon House Publishing 2014 (Mary Johnson)

Terms and Conditions:

The purchaser of this book is subject to the condition that he/she shall in no way resell it, nor any part of
it, nor make copies of it to distribute freely.

Introduction

Have you ever wondered about making your own soap? You might
be curious about the process or feel that store-bought soap and other skin care
products are too expensive. It may also be that you’re worried about the
chemical ingredients in your soap and simply prefer the natural and healthier
alternative. In any case, don’t worry! This book will breeze you through the
process of making your own soap at home without any difficulty.

So, before you doubt your own skills, rest assured that if you can
make chocolate chip cookies, you can make soap! All the equipment you need
are already items you can find in your household if not at your neighborhood
grocery store! There is little challenge as this book finely describes in detail
the steps in the easiest possible manner. You’ll be mixing your ingredients in
an average of 30 minutes. Read on, you won’t believe it!



Chapter 1: Why You Should Make Your

Own Soap

● “Store-bought Soap” is not Real Soap.

Soaps bought from the store may look nice and pretty. They may smell
amazing too. However, the majority of the products on the shelf don’t
actually even say “soap” on their labels, if you look closely on the
package. Instead, they might be called beauty bars, moisturizing bars,
or body bars, but not “soap”. Why? That’s because these bars really
aren’t soap and it is illegal for them to claim to be; they’re detergents.

“Store-bought Soap” contains harmful

●
chemicals. The manufacturers have removed most of the good,
natural stuff that occurs in the soap making process, and replaced it
 with synthetic lathering agents and harsh chemicals. These cheap,
plentiful detergent bars are not only bad for your skin, but they’re also
bad for the earth, too.

“Handmade Soap” is good for

●
everyone.
The best soap for your skin and our planet is a handmade, organic, all-
natural cold-process soap bar. Once you’ve tried one of these lathery
treasures, you’ll never again be satisfied with store-bought bars. So do
yourself and your world a big favor and start using REAL soap.

Making the soap is easy to do and tons

●
of fun,
so get started now! If you have been following the series and gotten a
copy of the first Volume of this book. Then you know why you should
be making your own soap, as well as the benefits of homemade soap
and are ready to start making your own.




If you’ve been having a little bit of trouble tracking down some

straight-forward information, let me just say something really important:
working with lye can be dangerous, if you don’t follow safety precaution!
You should read a lot and get yourself acquainted with all the steps before you
attempt your first batch. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, it’s highly
recommended that you read this list of safety tips before you begin:
SOAP MAKING CHECKLIST
In an effort to assist beginner soap-makers with the basics, and as a reminder
to the more experienced, here’s a list of soap-making basics:

● Wear protective gear & clothing – rubber gloves, goggles, long

sleeves, long pants, & shoes
● Run every formula through a lye calculator before using it
● Pots: use stainless steel pots. Enamel is ok so long as there are NO
chips. No glass – heat from lye/water solution can cause glass to shatter
● Utensils: use stainless steel. No wood utensils as lye causes wood to
splinter over time. Use plastics with caution as some will melt
● Use a stainless steel immersion/stick blender to mix lye solution into
oils
● Use a digital scale that measures at least to 10th’s of an ounce & one
that measures ounces & grams
● Measure by weight, not volume
● Don’t substitute oils without using a lye calculator to re-calculate the
lye amount
● Keep a journal or book of formulas, & take notes of every batch
● Once you use pots, pans or even the immersion blender for soap
making, don’t use them for anything else (specially cooking!). Keep
those items for soap making only
● Line and/or prepare your molds before you start. There’s nothing
worse than have your soap reach trace only to realize your mold are not
ready
STANDARD SOAP MAKING PROCEDURES

Now that you have read the safety guidelines and the checklist, let’s go over
some basic, step-by-step instructions. Depending on the recipe you’re
making, the steps might be a little different. But for simple recipes you can
consider these as standard soap making procedures:
1. Start by weighting all your ingredients. Don’t forget to allow
for the weight of the containers by using the tare function on
your digital scale;
2. To prepare your lye solution, put the weighted water into a
bowl or pot, preferably stainless steel. Then slowly and
carefully add the lye, stirring constantly. A reaction will
occur, heating up the water. Do not let the water boil and
don’t breathe the fumes. Set aside to cool.
3. While the lye solution cools down, add your weighted oils to
a stainless steel pan. Heat gently until the oils are melted.
4. Take the temperatures of your oils and the lye solution. When
both are within 10 degrees of each other (ideally in the 100 to
125 F range), slowly add the lye solution to the oils.
5. Mix gently at first, until the mixture takes a smooth texture
and color. Then turn on your immersion blender and mix
thoroughly, in short bursts of 20 seconds so as not to burn
your blender.
6. At some point, your mixture will reach trace. Trace is when
the surface of the solution starts to show ripples from your
mixing and the ripples tend to stay on the surface. It should
look almost like very thick custard.
7. If you’re adding essential oils, fragrances, colorants or other
additives, this is usually the time to do it — unless noted
otherwise.
8. Pour this into the molds and place them in the setting area,
then
9. cover them with the blanket.
10. Let the molds sit for about 24 hours, then remove the blankets
and lid and let the soap air in the mold for another few hours.
11. You should have a nice hard block of fresh soap, which you
can now remove from the mold. If it’s still a bit soft, let the
block of soap sit for a day to firm up before unmolding.
12. When the soap is firm enough, unmold and cut it into small
 bars.
13. Place the bars in an open box or drying rack for 4 to 6 weeks.
Make sure the bars don’t touch one another, and remember to
turn them every once in a while, so all sides can dry equally.
14. While you should be able to test the soap after 2 weeks, it
could still be a bit harsh on your skin. So, resist the urge and
wait a few more weeks.
15. The longer the soap cures, the milder it will be.


SAFETY GUIDELINES
● Always store lye in air-tight containers. Label the containers
appropriately. A label with “DANGER! – Sodium Hydroxide”
and a skull and crossbones or a big red X in a circle is not overkill
● Keep containers out of reach of children and pets
● When working with lye, you’ll need to wear safety goggles,
rubber gloves, a long sleeved shirt, long pants, socks and shoes
● It’s a good idea to wear a disposable face mask while working
with lye
● When mixing your lye-water solution, remember to ALWAYS
ADD THE LYE TO THE WATER, and not the other way around.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. If you add the water to the lye, the
chemical reaction could cause some of the mixture to spill on
you!
● Add the lye slowly while stirring the liquid gently. It will get
quite hot, so be sure to always start out with cool water, never
warm or hot water.
● Prepare the lye and water solution in a well ventilated area. If I
use the kitchen sink, I make sure that the stove vent is on and that
the window above the sink is open. I actually prefer to mix it
outside if it isn’t windy and the air temps are comfortable. I have
an outdoor sink near my potting table that works well for this.
● If you do get some of the lye solution on your skin, rinse well
with lots of cool water, then spray some vinegar on your skin. I
keep a spray bottle handy for just such emergencies

LET’S MAKE SOAP!

A basic soap recipe for beginners should contain no fragrance, essential oils,
color or additives. For your first batch, stick with one that has no more than 3
or 4 oils, lye and water. The recipes in the first section of this book are great
for first-timers. Once you have made a few batches of those and are confident
to try more advanced recipes, you can start working on the more complex
recipes!


BASIC COLD PROCESS RECIPE
This is a great soap recipe for beginners because it will harden relatively fast
and have good lather right off.
● Castor oil 1 oz
● Coconut oil 6 oz
● Olive oil 26 oz
● Water 10 oz
● Lye (NaOH) 4.4 oz
BASIC COLD PROCESS RECIPE II
This is an easy, mild olive oil soap, also good for beginners. This recipe
makes 8 pounds of soap.
● 24 oz. olive oil
● 24 oz. coconut oil
● 38 oz. vegetable shortening (Crisco)
● 12 oz. lye
● 32 oz. distilled water
● 3-4 oz. essential oil of your choice (optional)

BASIC MOISTURIZING SOAP RECIPE

This lovely combination of gentle oils will make a mild soap that leaves your
skin smooth and soft.
● 24 oz. Distilled Water
● 9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide
● 20 oz. Palm Oil
● 17 oz. Coconut Oil
● 16 oz. Safflower Oil
● 8 oz. Olive Oil
● 3 oz. Sweet Almond Oil



ALOE VERA SOAP

Aloe Vera is the most prestigious herb used for skin care. It contains almost
20 amino acids, minerals like calcium, magnesium and sodium in sufficient
quantities, enzymes, vitamins, polysaccharides, nitrogen and other
components that make it a miracle beauty herb.

● 14.9 oz coconut oil

● 13.4 oz olive oil
● 10.5 oz lard
● 2.5 oz shea butter
● 9.6 oz aloe gel and water puree (add water to the aloe until you
reach a total of 9.6 oz)
● 6.7 oz lye (NaOH)
● 9.9 oz water

Follow standard soap making procedures:

1. Carefully add lye to the water and while it cools, heat up the
oils until melted.
2. When roughly around the same temperature, add the lye
mixture to the oils
3. Next add the aloe gel before trace. Mix well until the mixture
thickens to the point of trace.
4. Pour into mold, insulate and let it set for 24 to 48 hours.
5. Unmold, cut and let the soaps cure in a cookie rack for at
least 4 weeks.

Note: If you use aloe from your own plant - make sure to use only the clear
gel from the leaves.




AVOCADO SOAP

Avocado has many benefits for the skin, whether you eat it or use it topically.
The oil contains pretty much the same benefits as the fruit such as healthy fats
(like omega 3), phytonutrients and vitamins A, D and E.

It’s also rich in minerals, especially potassium, which helps penetrate the skin
evenly, quickly and deeper than most other plan oils, making the skin smooth
and moisturized.

Using avocado oil for soap making will increase the conditioning properties
of your finished product and add creaminess to the soap’s lather.

● 33% avocado oil

● 30% palm oil
● 30% palm kernel oil
● 7% sweet almond oil
● Rosemary Oleoresin Extract (ROE)
● Lye (NaOH)
● Distilled or Mineral Water
● Avocado Puree

Rosemary Oleoresin Extract (ROE) is a natural antioxidant extract ingredient

which will effectively extend the shelf life of your oils and combat oxidation
in your homemade soaps. You need only a tiny amount - between .02% and
.05% PPO. So for 1000 grams of oil (a little over 2 lbs.) you’d use between .2
and .5 grams of ROE.

Avocado Puree: Using avocado puree tends to greatly reduce the amount of
bubbles you get in your lather. To avoid that, reduce superfat to 3%. That will
help you get luxurious, creamy lather and still keep some of the bubbles.


The important thing here is to make sure to get your avocado flesh very
smooth. Use your stick blender to the flesh in a little bowl and process until
all the bumps are gone and it’s 100% smooth. Add the avocado puree to the
oils at light trace and mix some more until fully incorporated.

Since the vast majority of your puree is water, you can substitute half the
water amount with puree.

Instructions:

Run the recipe through a lye calculator to find out much of each ingredient
you’ll need for a given amount of soap. For instance, to make a small 1 pound
test batch at 3% superfat, you would need the following:

Run the recipe through a lye calculator to find out much of each ingredient
you’ll need for a given amount of soap. For instance, to make a small 1 pound
test batch at 3% superfat, you would need the following.

● 5.28 oz avocado oil

● 4.8 palm oil
● 4.8 palm kernel oil
● 1.12 sweet almond oil
● 2.311 lye (NaOH)
● 6.08 oz total liquid (we’re using 3.04 oz water + 3.04 oz
avocado puree)
● .1g ROE
● 0.7 oz essential oil of choice (optional)

1. Start by lining your soap mold and weighting your ingredients.

Prepare the avocado puree, making sure there are no clumps. It’s
ok to make more than you’ll need.
2. Carefully add the lye to the water (we’re only using half amount of
water as the other half will be added in the form of avocado puree
 later on). Set aside to cool.
3. Heat the oils in a pan until melted, add the avocado puree, ROE
and mix well.
4. When both the lye water solution and oils are around 125-135
degrees, slowly pour the lye water into your oils stirring at all
times. Use a stick-blender in spurts to mix thoroughly.
5. When the soap reaches light trace, add the essential oil (if using)
and blend until incorporated.
6. Pour into mold and let it set for 24 to 48 hours. Once the soap has
hardened enough, unmold, cut and let cure in a well ventilated area
(preferably a cookie rack) for 4 weeks.


BAMBOO CHARCOAL SOAP

Bamboo charcoal powder is prized in Asia for its skin care benefits. It’s great
to use with any skin type, but absolutely heaven for oily skin!
Charcoal powder absorbs toxins, impurities and excess oil by penetrating
deep into the pores. It will gently exfoliate your skin without leaving any
residues behind, and its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties make it ideal
for anyone who suffers from acne, psoriasis and eczema.
When in contact with water, charcoal powder releases many beneficial
minerals, such as calcium, potassium and magnesium, creating a soothing,
relaxing hot spring-water like effect.
Run this recipe through a lye calculator to find out how much lye, water and
oils you’ll need for a given amount of soap. To make a 2 pound batch at 5%
superfat, you’ll need:
● 9.6 oz palm oil
● 8 oz olive oil
● 8 oz coconut oil
● 4.8 oz palm kernel oil
● 1.6 oz castor oil
● 12.1 oz water
● 4.7 oz lye (NaOH)
● 1 tbsp bamboo charcoal powder
Follow standard cold process procedures. Mix the charcoal powder with a
small amount of melted oils until fully dissolved, then add to the rest of the
oils at light trace. Palm kernel oil can speed up trace, so be vigilant.



BEESWAX SOAP

Beeswax is a natural product of nature that we would have to give credit to

the honey bees: it takes ten pounds of honey to make a pound of beeswax!
Beeswax has been utilized over history for different purposes and a variety of
niches, from paintings to Paschal candles.
Today, there are multitudes of uses of beeswax could be encased in a soap. It
is known for locking in moisture inside the skin. Beeswax can keep the skin
supple and soft. You could say good bye to dry and cracked skin. Beeswax
also covers the skin with a film coating once applied. This then protects the
skin and averts damaging factors in the environment. Antibacterial and anti-
inflammatory are some of the innate properties of beeswax.
Beeswax contains the natural healing properties of honey. This makes
beeswax in soap a good soother of rashes and could mend skin problems. It
also which makes it a healing adjunct as fighting bacteria is a main step in
avoiding further exacerbation and infection of the skin. Since it has a very
low irritation and allergenic potential, it is safe to use. It could be
recommended to those who have sensitive skin, and those not akin to over the
counter and chemically heavy products. Furthermore, it does not clog pores,
which is also a preventive step. Blocked pores leads to trapping of oils and
dirt in the skin, which causes inflammation and infection.

● 4 oz almond oil
● 6 oz canola oil
● 8 oz coconut oil
● 7 oz olive oil
● 6 oz soybean oil
● 1 oz beeswax
● 4.3 oz lye (NaOH) – 8% superfat
● 12 oz water
● 2 tbsp. honey

Heat oils to 150° F. Add Beeswax (you can grate it, chunk it, pre-melt it).
Cool to 115° F. Lye and water to about 110° F. Add lye/water to oils, at light
trace, add the honey. Stir till well blended. Pour no more than an inch deep.
Cover with Saran type wrap prevents soda ash). Don’t wrap with a blanket,
just put a cookie sheet over the top.



CASTILE SOAP

Castile soap is a name used in English-speaking countries for olive oil based
soap made in a style similar to that originating in the Castile region of Spain.
It’s an all-vegetable soap made primarily with olive oil, although sometimes it
can also contain small amounts of other plant oils such as those from palm,
coconut, hemp and jojoba.
This recipe uses 100% olive oil, which makes for a very gentle, low sudsing,
soft bar that can be used both on the body and on the face. It’s great for all
skin types, specially dry, sensitive and mature skins. It can even be used for
babies.
Because of the high olive oil content, this soap takes longer to reach trace, so
make sure to use a mixer. It also takes longer to cure (at least 6 weeks). Make
sure the soap stays dry between showers, or it will melt quickly. The recipe
provided below is made with 32 ounces of oil/fat to make a 2 pound batch of
soap.
● 32 oz olive oil (generic olive oil works the best)
● 4.07 oz lye
● 12.16 oz distilled water
● 1/2 to 1 oz soap safe fragrance oil
Use standard cold process procedures.



CHAMOMILE SOAP

Chamomile is widely known for its anti-anxiety properties and other health
benefits. The tea can be used as an all-natural antidepressant, muscle relaxer
and immune system booster. But it also has many beauty benefits.
It soothes irritated skin, calming down inflammation and sensitive areas, and
helping speed up healing of minor injuries and sunburns. Its antibacterial
properties help fight acne and breakouts. Chamomile also acts as a mild skin-
bleach, lightening up your complexion and giving you a nice, healthy glow.
● 35% chamomile infused olive oil
● 28% babassu oil
● 15% coconut oil (76 degree)
● 15% avocado oil
● 7% cocoa butter
● 0.5 to 0.7 oz PPO (per pound of oils) chamomile essential
oil(optional)
For a small 1 pound test batch at 5% super fat:
● 5.6 oz chamomile infused olive oil
● 4.48 oz babassu oil
● 2.4 oz coconut oil (76 degrees)
● 2.4 oz avocado oil
● 1.12 oz cocoa butter
● 2.332 oz lye (NaOH)
● 6.08 oz distilled or demineralized water
Follow standard soap making procedures and replace your water content with
a strong chamomile infusion. I used it very cold and kept the soap’s
temperature on the low side (~100F) throughout the process to try and
preserve the properties. Dried chamomile flowers and essential oil can be
added at trace. I did not insulate this batch and put it in the freezer (in a
silicon mold) to prevent gel.
Always run a recipe through a lye calculator before attempting a batch and
remember: safety first!



COCONUT SOAP

Coconut oil is one of the most commonly used oils in cold process soap
making, along with olive oil. It’s also incredibly popular among natural
beauty bloggers and DIYers, due to its amazing skin properties.
But there are two ways to incorporate coconut-derived ingredients in
homemade soaps. In fact, there’s another coconut-product that is a bit
underutilized in soap making: coconut milk.
● 25% Palm Oil
● 25% Sweet Almond Oil
● 20% Coconut Oil
● 20% Olive Oil
● 5% Castor Oil
● 5% Cocoa Butter
● Lye (NaOH)
● Coconut Milk
Go to your favorite lye calculator to run the numbers. Use 5% superfat and
replace the water with coconut milk, just like you would with goats milk.
Because coconut milk doesn’t seem to “burn” at high temperatures, some
people will just mix it directly with lye. But just to be on the safe side, I prefer
to use it as cold as I can.



CUCUMBER SOAP

Cucumber juice has long been used as an astringent face-wash, and in these
recipes it works as a mild cleansing agent and skin toner.
● 1 & 1/2 c. clean rendered tallow
● 1 c. cucumber pulp
● 1/2 c. vegetable oil
● 3/4 c. cold soft water
● 1/4 c. lye flakes
● 1/2 tsp. wheat germ oil or vitamin E oil (external use)
● 2 drops clove EO (optional)
Peel and grate cucumber until it’s very fine. Melt tallow and add the
cucumber. Keep on lowest heat for half an hour or on back of wood stove for
several hours. The pulp will add tiny greenish-yellow specks to soap.
Add the fat and set aside to cool. Stir lye flakes into cold water until dissolved
and set aside to cool. Grease molds thoroughly with petroleum jelly.
When fat and lye are lukewarm, add lye to fat slowly,stirring constantly.
Continue to stir until the mixture is thick and creamy. Add wheat germ oil or
vitamin E oil, add a drop or two of oil of cloves, beating well to distribute
evenly.
Pour into molds.
Approximate yeild: 1 & 1/2 lbs. of hard bar soap

CUCUMBER SOAP II

● 15 oz sunflower oil
● 30 oz coconut oil
● 27 oz olive oil
● 21 oz palm oil
 ● 5 oz shea butter
● 18 oz cucumber juice (juicer works perfect)
● 19 oz water
● 14.1 oz lye (NaOH)
● E.O. (optional)

Juice the cucumbers and pour until you have 18 oz of juice. Then put this in a
small pitcher and set aside.
While the oils and lye are cooling, add the coloring and chosen essential oil
right to the pitcher with the cucumber juice in it, stir well and set aside once
again.
Now go back and add your lye water to your oils, and stir it until light trace.
That is when you add your pitcher of cucumber, E.O. and coloring and finish
mixing until you have a full trace, then pour.



FLORAL SOAP

This soap is loaded with the healing properties of flower petal oils: essential,
infused and fixed — perfect for extra sensitive and dry skins. It’s scented with
a delicate, feminine blend of jasmine and rose.
● 42% high oleic sunflower oil, infused with calendula, lavender and
chamomile buds and petals
● 20% coconut oil, 76 degree
● 19% babassu oil
● 7% shea butter
● 7% rosehip oil
● 5% evening primrose oil
● 0.5 to 0.7 oz PPO (per pound of oils) blend of jasmine and rose
essential oil
For a small 1 pound test batch at 5% supefat, absolute numbers would be:
● 6.7 oz infused high oleic sunflower oil
● 3.2 oz coconut oil, 76 degree
● 3.04 oz babassu oil
● 1.12 oz shea butter
● 1.12 oz rosehip oil
● 0.8 oz evening primrose oil
● 0.5 oz blend of jasmine and rose essential oil
● 6.08 oz distilled or demineralized water
● 2.3 oz lye (NaOH)

Follow standard soap making procedures. Add essential oils at trace, insulate,
unmold after 24 to 48 hours and let cure for about 4 weeks before using.





FRENCH ROSE CLAY SOAP

Rose clay also adds silkiness, slip and absorbency to soaps. It’s very mild and
therefore can be used safely by normal, sensitive and mature skin types.
● 30% olive oil
● 30% coconut oil
● 15% apricot kernel oil
● 10% castor oil
● 10% cocoa butter
● 5% jojoba oil
● 2 teaspoons PPO (per pound of oils) french rose clay
Run this recipe through a lye calculator such as soapcalc to get the exact
measurement for the amount of soap you want to make. Or scroll below for
measurement in ounces for 1 pound of soap.
Follow standard soap making procedures, and incorporate the clay at light
trace. One option is to add it directly to the soap mixture for an exfoliant,
speckled soap. Or, for a more uniform looking soap, set aside a little bit of the
melted oils and dissolve the clay thoroughly before adding this slurry back to
the remaining soap mixture.
To make a small 1 pound test batch at 5% superfat, I used:
● 4.8 oz olive oil
● 4.8 oz coconut oil
● 2.4 oz apricot kernel oil
● 1.6 oz castor oil
● 1.6 oz cocoa butter
● 0.8 oz jojoba oil
● 2 teaspoons french rose clay
● 6.08 oz distilled or demineralized water
 ● 2.226 oz lye (NaOH)
I scented my soap with an essential oil blend of rose geranium, jasmine,ylang
yland and sandalwood (0.5 oz PPO). Insulate and cut once the soap is hard
enough (between 24h to 48h). Let it cure on a cooling rack for 4 weeks.



Green Clay Soap

I love green clay masks. I try to do a homemade facial at least once a week
with a good, deep cleansing and a face mask. I find it really helps with excess
oil and afterwards my skin feels super clean and smooth.
Green clay also helps with minor breakouts, redness and inflammation. It
draws out toxins and impurities, and contains skin-nourishing minerals such
as calcium, potassium, silicon and copper.
I love green clay masks. I try to do a homemade facial at least once a week
with a good, deep cleansing and a face mask. I find it really helps with excess
oil and afterwards my skin feels super clean and smooth.
Green clay also helps with minor breakouts, redness and inflammation. It
draws out toxins and impurities, and contains skin-nourishing minerals such
as calcium, potassium, silicon and copper.
● 30% olive oil
● 30% babassu oil
● 23% avocado oil
● 7% castor oil
● 10% shea butter
● 2% green clay
● 0.5 oz PPO eucalyptus and lemongrass essential oil blend
Run this recipe through your favourite lye calculator to get the exact
measurement of lye, water and oils for the amount of soap you want to make.
If you don’t want to mess around with a lye calculator, here’s what you need
to whip up a small 1 pound test batch at 5% superfat:
● 4.8 oz olive oil
● 4.8 oz babassu oil
● 3.68 oz avocado oil
● 1.12 oz castor oil
● 1.6 oz shea butter
 ● 6.08 oz distilled or demineralised water
● 2.209 oz lye (NaOH)
● 0.32 oz (about 9 grams) green clay (I used one heaping teaspoon)
● 0.5 oz essential oils (blend of eucalyptus and lemongrass)
There are many different ways to add the clay to the soap:
For more exfoliating soaps, add the clay directly to the soap mixture at very
light trace and mix well to incorporate. You’ll end up with a soap full of
beautiful, tiny specs.
For even, uniform soaps, set aside a portion of the melted oils and add the
clay, stirring well until there are no clumps or lumps. Then add this slurry to
the soap mixture at light trace.
Insulate overnight with an old towel or blanket, and unmold after 24 to 48
hours. Cut into pieces and let cure for about 4 weeks on a cooling rack.



HONEY SOAP

Honey has been used for centuries for skin care due to its moisturizing and
anti-bacterial properties. The recipe below makes for a very lathering soap bar
that will keep your skin soft and moisturized.
● 48% beef tallow, rendered
● 25% olive oil
● 20% coconut oil, 76 degree
● 5% castor oil
● 2% beeswax
● lye (NaOH)
● distilled or demineralized water
● 4% essential oil blend of citronella and lemongrass (optional)
● 3% honey
1 pound test batch, at 5% superfat:
● 7.68 oz beef tallow
● 4.0 oz olive oil
● 3.2 oz coconut oil
● 0.8 oz castor oil
● 0.32 oz beeswax
● 2.23 oz lye
● 6.08 oz water
● 0.5 oz essential oils
● 0.48 oz honey
Slowly add the lye to the water, mix until fully dissolved and set aside to cool.
Melt the beeswax in a double boiler until liquid. Heat the remaining oils and
tallow and stir until fully dissolved and even in texture and color.
When lye & fats are lukewarm, pour lye slowly into fat, stirring until thick
and creamy. Add warm wax mixture in a thin stream, beating vigorously to
disperse evenly. Add honey and essential oils. Pour into molds.
Note that the honey will heat up and hasten the saponification process, so be
ready to pour the mixture into the molds quickly.
To avoid overheating the soap, do not insulate and place it in the freezer
overnight. Acrylic and silicon molds are better for this recipe, as wooden log
molds retain more heat.



Indigo Antiseptic Soap

This is a natural antiseptic soap with lavender and peppermint essential oil.
The rich blue color is obtained with natural indigo powder. True indigo is a
natural dye that has been used by ancient civilisations in Egypt, India,
Mesopotamia and Asia.
● 16.91 oz coconut oil
● 13.53 oz rice bran oil
● 3.38 oz sesame oil
● 4.5 oz lye (NaOH)
● 10.48 oz distilled water or rainwater
● 1/2 oz indigo paste or powder
● 1/2 oz peppermint essential oil
● 1/2 oz lavender essential oil
Use standard cold process procedures. Yields about 3.2 pounds of soap.
In case you prefer to make a larger (or smaller) batch, I converted the recipe
to percentages. Use soapcalc (or another lye calculator of your choice) to get
the specific amounts you need for a given batch size.
● 50% coconut oil
● 40% rice bran oil
● 10% sesame oil
● 1 tsp PPO indigo paste or powder (about 4.2g)
● 1 tsp PPO peppermint essential oil
● 1 tsp PPO lavender essential oil
PPO = per pound of oils


Mocha Soap
Coffee and chocolate, enough said. A combination made in heaven. This
recipe makes a soap bar that is thick, creamy and super rich. The subtle smell
of coffee and chocolate will make you want to eat it!
● 25% coconut oil
● 25% palm oil
● 25% palm kernel oil
● 12.5% cocoa butter
● 12.5% grape seed oil
● double strength coffee
● cocoa powder (approximately 1 tsp per pound of soap).
I’m sharing this recipe in percentages so it’s easier for you to make as much
or as little soap you want. Simply run the recipe through a lye calculator to
get the exact numbers you need for a given amount of soap.
For instance, to make a small 1 pound batch at 5% superfat, soap calc gives
me the following:
● 4 oz coconut oil
● 4 oz palm oil
● 4 oz palm kernel oil
● 2 oz cocoa butter
● 2 oz grapeseed oil
● 2.4 oz lye (NaOH)
● 6 oz double strength coffee
● 1 tsp cocoa powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt the oils and add lye to double strength coffee. Put some of the melted
oils in a separate container — just enough to mix the cocoa powder until it’s
well dissolved (you don’t want to end up with clumps in your soap).
Add the lye mixture to the oils and mix using a stick blender. At light trace,
add the cocoa powder mixture and blend until smooth. Pour into mold, wrap
in a blanket and let it sit for 48 hours. Unmold, cut into bars and let cure for at
least 4 weeks in a cookie rack in a well ventilated room.





Sea Salt Soap

Sea salts have many benefits for the skin. Not only they draw toxins out of the
body and reduce inflammation, but they also contain many skin nourishing
minerals such as magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium and iodine.
This powerful combination of minerals will help relax the muscles and skin,
while increasing blood circulation. Contrary to what many people think, salt
soaps are not drying. Sea salt is great for healing skin tissue and replenishing
hydration, effectively balancing moisture and releasing water retention.
These salt bars are a bit tricky — you have to cut them as soon as they set,
often while still warm, because they will turn rock hard and crumbly, making
it difficult to cut.

For this recipe I chose regular sea salt, but you can use any kind salt you
want, including the gorgeous Himalayan pink salt. The only salt you
shouldn’t use is Dead Sea salt. Apparently it draws too much moisture from
the air, making the soap sweat. So you better save those for body scrubs.
Use fine ground salt for a smooth, gently exfoliating soap — optionally
sprinkle the top of the raw soap with coarse salt for a beautifully textured bar.
● 30% olive oil
● 30% coconut oil
● 30% palm kernel oil
● 5% castor oil
● 5% shea butter
● 7% sea salt
● lye (NaOH)
● mineral or distilled water
● EO of choice (0.5 to 1 oz PPO)
Run through a lye calculator to find out exactly how much of each ingredient
you’ll need for a given amount of soap. For a small test batch of 1 pound at
8% superfat, soapcalc gives me the following:
 ● 4.8 oz olive oil
● 4.8 oz coconut oil
● 4.8 oz palm kernel oil
● 0.8 oz castor oil
● 0.8 oz shea butter
● 1.12 oz sea salt
● 2.374 oz lye
● 6.08 oz water
● 0.7 oz of EO
Follow standard soap making procedures. Prepare the lye-water first:
carefully add the lye to the water and set aside to cool.
Melt the oils and butter in a pan, and when both the lye-water and the oils are
below 130F (and ideally are within 10 degrees of each other), carefully add
the lye-water to the oils.
Mix with a stick blender or a hand-mixer until light trace. Add the salt and the
essential oils and mix some more until fully incorporated.
Pour into mold, insulate and let the soap set for 24 to 48 hours. Once the soap
has hardened, unmold and cut. Place the cut soap pieces on a cooling rack,
preferably in a well ventilated room and let them cure for 4 to 6 weeks.

TEA TREE SOAP

Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia, a shrubby
tree native to Australia and New Zealand. It has been used for over 100 years
in all kinds of natural products because of its many medicinal properties.

Tea tree oil is antiseptic, anti-fungal and antibacterial, which makes it great
for people with acne, oily skin, poison ivy, psoriasis and other skin
conditions.

This recipe combines gentle, nurturing oils - from olives, coconut, almonds
and avocado - with the healing properties of tea tree. The result is a gentle,
cleansing and conditioning bar that will help regulate excess sebum and
soothe acne and rashes.

● 45% olive oil

● 30% coconut oil
● 13% sweet almond oil
● water
● lye (NaOH)
● tea tree essential oil

Run the recipe through a lye calculator to find out exactly how much oils, lye
and water you’ll need for a given amount of soap. For a small batch of 1
pound at 5% superfat, soap calc gives us the following:
● 7.2 oz olive oil
● 4.8 oz coconut oil
● 2.08 oz sweet almond oil
● 1.92 oz avocado oil
● 6.08 oz water
● 2.27 oz lye
● 0.7 oz tea tree essential oil

Instructions:
1. Start by carefully adding the lye to the water and mix until all the
lye is dissolved. While the lye cools, weight and melt the oils.
2. When both the oils and the lye-water are around 95 degrees
Fahrenheit, slowly add the lye-water to the oils and mix with a
stick blender.
3. When the mixture reaches light trace, add the tea tree oil (and any
other essential oils you want to use) and mix some more until fully
incorporated. Pour into molds and insulate for 24 to 48 hours.
4. When the soap is hard enough (it may take longer depending on
your environmental conditions), unmold, cut and let it cure in a
 well ventilated area for 4 to 6 weeks.