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Moisturizing Soap

This is a gentle, foamy moisturizing soap that you will love! It's easy to customize with fragrances, textures (ground cloves, herbs, etc). My favorite oil is tea tree because it's so skin-friendly, but I also love lavender, frankincense, clove with citrus... NOTE: ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE BY WEIGHT, not by measuring cup.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 6 minutes
Servings: 2 pounds (about 12 bars)

Ingredients

  • 9 oz coconut oil
  • 2 oz shea butter
  • 2 oz cocoa butter
  • 1 oz beeswax shaved or pellets
  • 9 oz olive oil
  • 5 oz castor oil
  • 3 oz sweet almond oil or can use Jojoba oil
  • 4 oz filtered water
  • 6 oz coconut milk (or more water)
  • 4 oz lye (drain cleaner; can be found in hardware stores)
  • 1/2 oz essential oils (optional)

Instructions

  • Prepare your mold (plastic shoebox lined with wax paper).
  • WEIGH your fats/beeswax and place in a large stainless pot. Melt on low temperature. When melted, set aside to cool to 100° F.
  • WEIGH lye in a baggie, slowly pour into container of WEIGHED liquids (water or water/milk combo) (see main instructions for precautions). Set aside to cool to 100° F.
  • Weigh essential oils and set aside for later.
  • When melted fats and lye water are both as close to 100° as possible, pour the lye water into the fats and alternate using a mixer and stirring by hand until mixture begins to trace.
  • Stir in essential oils and other ingredients you like (ground cloves, herbs, cinnamon, etc.)
  • Pour into the mold, wrap in towels and let sit in a temperate place for 24 hours.
  • Remove soap from mold and cut into bars. If you make the bars about 1" x 2" x 3", you'll get 12 or so.
  • Place bars on a rack with good air circulation and let it harden for 6 weeks. Don't use the soap before 6 weeks, as the lye can still be active.