# The soap recipe thread



## Mandy

Use this thread to post your favorite soap recipes.


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## ~Peaches~

This isn't actually a soap recipe, but a solid lotion bar recipe I love:

Combine equal weight measures of the following:

sweet almond oil
coconut oil
cocoa butter
beeswax

then add Jasmine essential oil (absolute but blended 6% in Jojoba oil)


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## ~Peaches~

Here's a different recipe for lotion bars:

This makes 3 1 oz bars

1oz Sweet Almond Oil
1oz Beeswax
1/2 oz Shea Butter
1/2 oz Cocoa Butter

A pinch of Jojoba Sheres (for color if you want to add color, this is optional)
Melt down, cool for a few then add what ever fragrance you desire)


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## Cathy8

*Goat’s Milk Loaf of Soap*

Ingredients:

    * 4 cups  Goat’s Milk Soap Base
    * 1/2 cup   Whole Oatmeal
    * 1 eye dropper Any scent

Directions

Melt Goat’s Milk Soap in Melter or Microwave oven, you’ll need 4 cups of Soap Base. I then put about a 1/4 cup of Whole Oatmeal (Quaker Oats) not instant in the bottom of a 2 lb. Aluminum Foil loaf pan. Pour soap base and then wait for about 2 minutes and then cover the top with the Whole Oatmeal. Wait several hours for soap to harden. Take out of tin loaf pan and slice soap. I like to cut the 1" each, should make about 7 slices of soap.


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## Cathy8

*Problem Skin Soap*

Ingredients:

    * 1 lb   Melt and Pour glycerin soap base
    * 1/2 cup   calendula flowers
    * 10 drops   geranium essential oil
    * 1tsp  ground rosemary
    * 20 drops   tea tree oil
    * 10 drops   vita. E

Directions

melt your glycerin soap base, in a double broiler, then when ready I put each ingredient in stirring behind each putting the calendula flowers last, then pour into my molds sometimes small bubbles form in the surface after pouring lightly mist with alcohol will take away the bubbles and make a smoother bar, These not only look good and smell good but will help with skin problems without drying out the skin. Have had great success with this with teens and breakouts.


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## Panda

*Granulated Laundry Soap*

2 1/2 quarts rain water
2 quarts grease, strained, melted and hot
1 can lye (probably 1 lb.)
3 T borax

Mix water, borax, and lye Take the Crisco and place it into an enamel ware pan and place on stove to melt and heat. Go outside for ventilation. Take the two cups of cold water and place into glass bowl and slowly add lye while stirring with a wooden spoon (use wood only). Add strained grease slowly. Remove from heat and leave in pot. Stir often during the first day. Allow two weeks to cure, stirring occasionally.


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## CraftyKate

*Coconut milk soap*

    * 25% Palm Oil
    * 30% Olive Oil
    * 30% Coconut Oil
    * 5% Castor Oil
    * 10% Canola Oil

For this two pound batch, I used:

    * 4.6 oz. Palm
    * 5.7 oz. Olive
    * 5.4 oz. Coconut
    * 1 oz. Castor
    * 1.9 oz. Canola

along with:

    * 2.7 oz. lye
    * 5.4 oz. Coconut Milk
    * .8 oz. Gardenia Fragrance Oil


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## Mandy

*Mint Swirl Avocado Oil Soap Recipe*

37 ounces soybean oil
24 ounces coconut oil
16 ounces olive oil
8 ounces avocado oil
12 ounces lye crystals
24 ounces cold water
Temperatures between 90 and 100 degrees.

Add at light trace:
1 oz. spearmint essential oil (2 T.)
1/2 oz. peppermint essential oil (1 T.)
1/4 oz. eucalyptus essential oil (1/2 T.)

I just bought my peppermint and eucalyptus oils in the pharmacy section of a local market...pretty reasonable there compared to local sources of EOs like the health food store. If you mail order from a place like A Garden Eastward, you can probably beat these. After mixing in the essential oils at light trace and while the soap is thickening, but still rather pourable pour most of the soap into your large mold (this recipe didn't trace overly quick with the stick blender like some have). Leave about 1/8 or 1/10th of it in the pan.

To this, I added these, which were being kept warm and melted in a small measuring cup on the stove:

1/2 blue/green Crayola crayon
1/2 forest green Crayola crayon
A little bit of the original oils

Mix the coloring in thoroughly and well (I got a few bubbles in the soap while doing this with the blender) and drizzle this soap over the white soap in the mold, distributing it evenly over the top in back and forth motions. Then, take your spatula or a knife and run it back and forth through the soap, first one direction and then either in an opposite direction or on a diagonal. Try to reach the bottom and sides of your mold while doing this.


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## sandalwood

*Popsicle Soaps*

Ingredients:
   Six 1" cubes of translucent soap base
   2 popsicle sticks
   Red, yellow, green & blue soap color chips
   Popsicle molds
   Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil (Choose type and amount you like)

Instructions:
This soap recipe is a fun one for the kids. Melt one cube of soap at a time for 15 seconds (in a microwave), don't let it boil. Add yellow color and fragrance. Stir thoroughly and pour into mold. Spritz with rubbing alcohol. Let set for five minutes or until a thick skin forms. Melt another cube and add red color and fragrance. Stir thoroughly and pour onto the first layer. Spritz with rubbing alcohol and let set. Melt another cube, color it with green and add fragrance. Pour over red layer. Spritz again. Insert the popsicle stick and hold until it will remain upright without support.


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## Guest

Old Fashioned Goatsmilk Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

12 oz. lard
1.5 lbs. coconut oil
1.5 lbs. avocado oil
11 oz. water
10 oz. lye
10 oz. goats milk
1 tablespoon dill weed-finely chopped
1 tablespoon anise e.o.
3 tablespoons fennel e.o.
1 1/2 teaspoons grapefruit seed extract

Instructions:

Measure all ingredients. Melt lard and coconut oil. Set aside. Add lye to water. Add avocado oil to melted lard/coconut oil. Cool both the lye and the oils to 95 degrees. Warm the goats milk to 95 degrees. When all temperatures match add the goats milk to the lye water and stir slightly, add milk/lye mixture to oils, stir with a stick blender until trace. Quickly add dill weed, essential ois and grapefruit seed extract. Mix slighly with stick blender. Pour into prepared molds. This recipe makes almost 6 pounds.*This soap is naturally antibacterial because of the anise and fennel essential oils.


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## Cathy8

*Coconut Lime Scrub Soap Recipe *

Ingredients:

Aloe vera melt and pour soap base: 2 pounds, cubed and melted
1 teaspoon green jojoba beads
1 oz Coconut Lime Verbena fragrance oil

Melt soap base and allow to cool slightly before adding jojoba beads. Add scent and stir gently to combine. Pour into waiting molds.

Yield: makes about 9 x 4 oz. bars.


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## jellyfish

Basic Hot Process Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

20 oz. Palm Oil
17 oz. Coconut Oil
16 oz. Safflower Oil
8 oz. Olive Oil
3 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
24 oz. Distilled Water
9 oz. Sodium Hydroxide

Instructions:

Follow basic hot process soap instructions. You can add any essential oils, botanicals, clays or other additives at trace or just before pouring into molds.


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## Panda

*Chocolate-mint Soap*

10oz shortening
4oz coconut oil
2oz olive oil
2.24 oz lye
6 ounces distilled water
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 droppers peppermint essential oil

Hold back one ounce olive oil to mix with the cocoa powder,  melt the rest of the oils together.  Mix the lye and water and allow to cool. With the lye mixture at 95* and the fats at 115* pour the lye into theoil and stir until it traces.pour into molds. unmold after 48 hours,and cut if needed.  Allow to age 3 weeks.


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## Panda

*Citrus Kitchen Soap*

15 oz. Tepid water
5.8 oz. Lye
16 oz. Coconut oil
10 oz. Olive oil
2 oz. Aloe vera oil
2 oz. Castor oil
2 oz. Jojoba oil
2 oz. Wheatgerm oil
2 oz. Orange EO
1 oz. Lemon EO
½ oz. Grapefruit EO
½ oz. Lime EO
1 oz. Powdered lime zest

Blend water and lye. Cool to 100.Melt coconut oil. Add other oils. Heat or cool to 100. When temps match add the lye to the oil mix. Stir until soap traces. Add EO's and lime zest. Dry 24 hours.
Cure 2-4 weeks.


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## Mandy

*Citrus ZING Body Bar*

Makes 2 pounds of soap.

Ingredients:

2 oz castor oil
2 oz cocoa butter
6 oz olive oil
2 oz coconut oil
6 oz palm oil
7 oz vegetable shortening
3.3 lye
8.5 water

Essential oils of grapefruit, tangerine, lemongrass (not lemon), and sweet orange.

Optional: finely ground dried citrus peel.

Directions:

Follow standard directions for soapmaking. Combine the oils and the lye/water solution at 100°F. Trace should come within 30 minutes. Add one teaspoon total of citrus essential oils at trace.

Optional: Add 2 tablespoons finely ground dried citrus peel at trace for gentle exfoliation and more citrus power.

Soap can be unmolded and sliced after 24 hours. Produces a mild and skin softening bar of medium hardness. Produces thick creamy, dense lather with a citrus ZING.


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## *zoe

Ooh! Good thread! ANyone have any more to add to this?


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## Bliss

Cinnamon soap

64 oz. olive oil
40 oz. coconut oil
24 oz. palm oil
48 oz. water
500 grams sodium hydroxide

2 Tbs. Sweet Almond Oil
1 Tbs. Kukui Nut Oil

2 oz. cinnamon leaf essential oil
1 tsp. nutmeg essential oil
1 tsp. juniper berry essential oil
1 tsp. sweet orange essential oil

3 Tsp ground cinnamon

Just prior to trace reserve 1 cup of soap mixture. Mix with 3 Tsp of ground cinnamon to swirl across top after pouring into mold.

Incorporate Sweet Almond Oil and Kukui Nut Oil. Add blended essential oils slowly as the cinnamon leaf essential oil can accelerate trace.

Mold and swirl reserved soap mixture across top.

Makes 48 (approximately) 3.5 oz bars.


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## Bliss

Oatmeal Cookie Soap

    * 36 oz. Olive Oil
    * 4 oz. Castor Oil
    * 4 oz. Coconut Oil
    * 6 oz. Sunflower Oil
    * 2 oz. Cocoa Butter
    * 6.67 oz. Lye
    * 10.00 oz. Buttermilk (frozen in 1 oz. Cubes)
    * 6.72 oz. Distilled Water
    * ½ cup finely ground oatmeal
    * ½ cup honey
    * ½ tsp cinnamon essential oil
    * ½ tsp clove bud oil
    * 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

1. All oils, lye, buttermilk and water are measured by weight.
2. Place all oils in a 5quart crock-pot. Turn heat on low.
3. Place buttermilk cubes and distilled water in a Rubbermaid pitcher. Place in a bowl of ice in sink. Slowly pour lye into pitcher while stirring. Stir until lye is dissolved.
4. When all oils are melted, slowly add lye solution.
5. Stir mixture until trace, and then place crock-pot into oven. Turn oven off.
6. Check mixture every 10 to 15 minutes and stir. If the soap mixture seems to be cooling too quickly, turn the oven back on for 5 minutes and then turn off again. You may need to do this once or twice.
7. After about 45 minutes to 1 hour the lye and oils should be fully saponified. I did the tongue test 2x. Yuck! The 1st time was a little too early and it DID sting my tongue. The 2nd time it was just soapy. Thank heavens.
8. Add the oatmeal and honey, then the essential oils and extract. Mix thoroughly.
9. Scoop soap into log mold(s). Bang the mold(s) on a counter or on the floor to eliminate air bubbles. Gently press top of soap with waxed paper and try to smooth.
10. After 12 to 24 hours, remove soap from mold and slice to desired size.


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## Emily Klesick

This is an easy soap, but a HUGE hit.  

One or more (depending on how much you want to make) basic soap base, any of kind works, as long as it is hand-millable.  

Clove EO
Cinnamon EO
Ground clove buds
Ground cinnamon

Melt the base and when it is cooled down (not hard yet though!)add the EO's and buds then poor into molds.   It will be kind of pink if you add the ground cinnamon.   Don't add alot becuase cinnamon can be slightly harsh.


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## Emily Klesick

I thought I would mention in the previous recipe with ground cinnamon and cloves, I add beeeswax and honey, and call it HONEY & SPICE soap.


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## pepperi27

*Handmilled recipe*

1lb 3/4  goat's milk base
3 tsp colloidal oatmeal
1 tbs rice bran oil
2 tbs shea butter

Prepare your handmilled soap however you do. When your soap base is about ready, melt shea butter first then add the oil and oatmeal and mix thoroughly. Add your shea/oil mix to the soap and mix well. Pour into your prepared molds (I use a 1lb mold) and allow to set completely before removing and cutting. Allow to cure for up to four weeks or as long as you prefer.


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## Amira

Emily Klesick said:
			
		

> This is an easy soap, but a HUGE hit.
> 
> One or more (depending on how much you want to make) basic soap base, any of kind works, as long as it is hand-millable.
> 
> Clove EO
> Cinnamon EO
> Ground clove buds
> Ground cinnamon
> 
> Melt the base and when it is cooled down (not hard yet though!)add the EO's and buds then poor into molds.   It will be kind of pink if you add the ground cinnamon.   Don't add alot becuase cinnamon can be slightly harsh.




This one sounds so yummy! I think this will be the next soap i make!


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## rain

*Apple mint oatmeal soap*

Ingredients:
14 oz. canola oil
26 oz. coconut oil
3 oz. palm oil
4 oz. rice bran oil
2.4 oz. shea butter
1 oz. cocoa butter

22 oz. distilled water
10.4 oz. lye

At trace:
1/2 Cup Oatmeal
3.5 oz. green apple fragrance oil
1 oz. peppermint essential oil
about a quarter teaspoon of green colorant

Directions:
I made this using the cold process soapmaking method. It turned out great. Wonderful lather, a hard bar, and moisturizing.


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## Nazla

Bliss said:
			
		

> Oatmeal Cookie Soap
> 
> * 36 oz. Olive Oil
> * 4 oz. Castor Oil
> * 4 oz. Coconut Oil
> * 6 oz. Sunflower Oil
> * 2 oz. Cocoa Butter
> * 6.67 oz. Lye
> * 10.00 oz. Buttermilk (frozen in 1 oz. Cubes)
> * 6.72 oz. Distilled Water
> * ½ cup finely ground oatmeal
> * ½ cup honey
> * ½ tsp cinnamon essential oil
> * ½ tsp clove bud oil
> * 2 tsp vanilla extract
> 
> Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
> 
> 1. All oils, lye, buttermilk and water are measured by weight.
> 2. Place all oils in a 5quart crock-pot. Turn heat on low.
> 3. Place buttermilk cubes and distilled water in a Rubbermaid pitcher. Place in a bowl of ice in sink. Slowly pour lye into pitcher while stirring. Stir until lye is dissolved.
> 4. When all oils are melted, slowly add lye solution.
> 5. Stir mixture until trace, and then place crock-pot into oven. Turn oven off.
> 6. Check mixture every 10 to 15 minutes and stir. If the soap mixture seems to be cooling too quickly, turn the oven back on for 5 minutes and then turn off again. You may need to do this once or twice.
> 7. After about 45 minutes to 1 hour the lye and oils should be fully saponified. I did the tongue test 2x. Yuck! The 1st time was a little too early and it DID sting my tongue. The 2nd time it was just soapy. Thank heavens.
> 8. Add the oatmeal and honey, then the essential oils and extract. Mix thoroughly.
> 9. Scoop soap into log mold(s). Bang the mold(s) on a counter or on the floor to eliminate air bubbles. Gently press top of soap with waxed paper and try to smooth.
> 10. After 12 to 24 hours, remove soap from mold and slice to desired size.




This one sounds delicious. I think once i get the hang of soap making a little more I'm going to try this one. For now i'm just sticking to the basics though.


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## AliOop

This is a SUPER OLD THREAD so yes, I am necroposting. But I'm doing it to see if others have any interest in sharing their favorite recipes? 

This idea came about because one of our newer members @SoapDaddy70 was scouring the interwebs looking for some recipes. 

Many of us experienced soapers here have already shared recipes in other threads; perhaps we could help out the newbies by putting them here, all in one place. But if no one else answers, I'm happy to let this post go back to sleep for the next 13 years. 


*Lard-Goatmilk-Oat-Shea Recipe -   5% SF*
67% lard
18% CO or PKO
10% shea butter
  5% castor oil

1 Tbsp PPO powdered goat milk (stick-blended thoroughly into oils)
1 Tbsp PPO colloidal oats (hydrated in some reserved liquid)
1 Tbsp PPO sugar (dissolved in lye liquid before adding the lye)

Optional: 
1% sodium lactate added at trace
1 puff of tussah silk in lye liquid before adding lye.

Works well with water, vinegar, or aloe vera juice as the liquid. Best with at least 6 weeks of curing, and even better at 8-10 weeks. Very gentle on the skin and nice creamy lather. Batter is a creamy off-white (non-gelled) to light tan (gelled).


*Coffee Salt Bars - 20% SF*
100% CO (or 80% CO and 20% avocado oil)
 50% of oil weight in finely ground salt (no Dead Sea Salt or Epsom salt!)
Use refrigerated brewed coffee for some or all of the lye liquid. It will stink when you add the lye, but the smell doesn't remain in the soap. 

Optional: 1 Tbsp PPO finely ground coffee for extra scrubbiness and deodorizing.

Bring batter to medium trace, stir in salt, and immediately pour into cavity molds. These become super hard, super fast, so best not to use a loaf mold unless you can watch it like a hawk to cut before it is a block of stone.


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## violets2217

AliOop said:


> *Coffee Salt Bars - 20% SF*
> 100% CO (or 80% CO and 20% avocado oil)
> 50% of oil weight in finely ground salt (no Dead Sea Salt or Epsom salt!)


I’ve been wanting to make a salt bar... seems like an easy recipe. Do salt bars really need to cure for many months though?

This is One of the first bars I made... the first batch turned out awesome. The second batch didn’t gel all the way. And the third batch was processed in the oven and was beautiful! But all of them turned out to be great soaps! It’s one of my favorite soaps! My skin loves it!

*Honey and Hemp-*5% SF
45% Canola Oil
30% Coconut Oil
15% Hempseed Oil
10% Castor Oil

5% PPO Honey (thinned with a little bit of batch water) added to cooled lye water.

.25 ounce PPO of jojoba oil added at trace.

I’ve put it in freezer so it doesn’t gel and oven processed so it fully gels. The later worked the best, because the honey can cause it to overheat and Only partially gel in the freezer.

I added bubble wrap to the bottom and top of my mold to look like Honey Comb.


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## AliOop

violets2217 said:


> I’ve been wanting to make a salt bar... seems like an easy recipe. Do salt bars really need to cure for many months though?


Yes, they really do! Although if you make the 80-20 version rather than 100% CO, you may be able to use them at 2-4 months, rather than 10-12. 

I'd suggest making a batch of each right away, so you can start them curing right now.


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## violets2217

AliOop said:


> I'd suggest making a batch of each right away, so you can start them curing right now.


Not sure why this made me laugh... Probably cause I was contemplating the same thing and mentally reviewing if I had all the ingredients!


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## cmzaha

As for salt bars it depends more on the amount of salt than the CO to other oils ratio. I use 100% salt and yes, mine are at their best with 12+ months cure time. I make mine with 85% CO 10% Castor 5% AVO


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## Gaisy59

I actually love this idea and i am working on making my “perfect soap”. I will definitely post it if i like it.


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## Zany_in_CO

AliOop said:


> This is a SUPER OLD THREAD so yes, I am necroposting. But I'm doing it to see if others have any interest in sharing their favorite recipes?


This Forum is called SOAP MAKING RECIPES & TUTORIALS.
This is just me but I think it's best to just let this thread die! LOL
I'd rather see each and every recipe in a separate thread all to itself with a Title like
_Coffee Salt Bars - 20% __SF_.
A list of contents if you will, makes it easier to find a salt bar recipe by just going through the list rather than slogging through a thread that is already 2 pages long, contains 22 recipes, both soap and non-soap, and is sure to grow if it isn't stopped now.

Furthermore, the discussion of salt bars that took off (posts 26, 27, 28, 29) belongs in a separate thread. Posted here, it interrupts a member who might be searching this thread for a basic recipe like Trinity of Oils soap. So, it's just a suggestion, but I for one, would appreciate if each of you would post your recipes in a separate thread to make them easier for me to find in the future.


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## IrishLass

There's no reason why folks cannot post their recipes in this thread if they wish to do so, as it is not against forum rules, so go ahead and feel free to post away.  If someone is on the lookout for a specific recipe such as the Trinity of Oils recipe, the search function will bring it right up (just tried it and it came right up).


IrishLass


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## shunt2011

I agree with IL.  Members have requested this thread be brought back to life and are free to do so.


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## Zany_in_CO

IrishLass said:


> There's no reason why folks cannot post their recipes in this thread if they wish to do so, as it is not against forum rules, so go ahead and feel free to post away.


I totally agree.  Just to be clear, I was stating an opinion for my sake, not in any way a command. I deeply apologize if it came across as such.


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## Prysm

Yes, this is a good thread for any recipes.    And most people like it this way.   Of course, some may have a different preference that's okay too, but that's just a preference and not a rule.


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## landarow

AliOop said:


> This is a SUPER OLD THREAD so yes, I am necroposting. But I'm doing it to see if others have any interest in sharing their favorite recipes?
> 
> This idea came about because one of our newer members @SoapDaddy70 was scouring the interwebs looking for some recipes.
> 
> Many of us experienced soapers here have already shared recipes in other threads; perhaps we could help out the newbies by putting them here, all in one place. But if no one else answers, I'm happy to let this post go back to sleep for the next 13 years.
> 
> 
> *Lard-Goatmilk-Oat-Shea Recipe -   5% SF*
> 67% lard
> 18% CO or PKO
> 10% shea butter
> 5% castor oil
> 
> 1 Tbsp PPO powdered goat milk (stick-blended thoroughly into oils)
> 1 Tbsp PPO colloidal oats (hydrated in some reserved liquid)
> 1 Tbsp PPO sugar (dissolved in lye liquid before adding the lye)
> 
> Optional:
> 1% sodium lactate added at trace
> 1 puff of tussah silk in lye liquid before adding lye.
> 
> Works well with water, vinegar, or aloe vera juice as the liquid. Best with at least 6 weeks of curing, and even better at 8-10 weeks. Very gentle on the skin and nice creamy lather. Batter is a creamy off-white (non-gelled) to light tan (gelled).
> 
> 
> *Coffee Salt Bars - 20% SF*
> 100% CO (or 80% CO and 20% avocado oil)
> 50% of oil weight in finely ground salt (no Dead Sea Salt or Epsom salt!)
> Use refrigerated brewed coffee for some or all of the lye liquid. It will stink when you add the lye, but the smell doesn't remain in the soap.
> 
> Optional: 1 Tbsp PPO finely ground coffee for extra scrubbiness and deodorizing.
> 
> Bring batter to medium trace, stir in salt, and immediately pour into cavity molds. These become super hard, super fast, so best not to use a loaf mold unless you can watch it like a hawk to cut before it is a block of stone.


Can these be used as hot process?


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## AliOop

landarow said:


> Can these be used as hot process?


Absolutely! You will want to use a higher water percentage for hot process, and you may want to reserve some of the water or goat milk to add after the cook. That way, the batter will stay more fluid and will be more pourable.


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## violets2217

AliOop said:


> It will stink when you add the lye, but the smell doesn't remain in the soap.


Couldn’t sleep after getting home from work... so I got ingredients ready for this salt bar. I used all coffee and good gods... the smell! It was so much worse than the skunkiest (<—-that’s a word, even if spell check doesn’t agree) weed I’ve ever smelled & I work at an extended stay hotel so I’ve smelled some nasty skunky marijuana! I’d kick out a guest if this smell was coming from their room! I would’ve mixed outside but it’s 3:00am and the neighbors would’ve sent the police knocking on my door seeing me in my meth cooking protective gear! But now that I think about it ... meth cookers probably aren’t worrying  about protective gear...


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## TheGecko

I'm happy to add my recipes to the thread

*Regular Soap*
10% Cocoa Butter
20% Coconut Oil (natural)
20% Palm Oil (RSPO)
10% Shea Butter (natural)
35% Olive Oil
5% Castor Oil
1 tea Sodium Lactate PPO
1 tea Dispersed Kaolin Clay PPO
1 oz FO PPO (always check usage rates)

5% Super Fat
33% Lye Concentration

I use frozen Distilled Water to cut down on fumes and wait time. I cut the Shea Butter into small pieces and melt it in the residual heat to prevent any graininess. I usually soap around 100F or less, hand whisk to start and then blend in bursts to emulsion. Gives me plenty of play time. You can use the Heat Transfer Method to melt your hard oils/butters, but it cuts down on play time given that my recipe is 60% hard oils/butters.

*Goat Milk Soap*
21% Coconut Oil
21% Palm Oil (RSPO)
12% Shea Butter (natural)
41% Olive Oil
5% Castor Oil
1 tea Sodium Lactate PPO
1 tea Dispersed Kaolin Clay PPO
1 oz FO PPO (always check usage rates)

5% Super Fat
33% Lye Concentration

I freeze my Goat Milk and use an ice bath with a little added salt; I don't allow my GM Lye Solution to get above 70F.  I have successfully used evaporated GM (mixed 50/50 with frozen distilled water), boxed GM, store GM and fresh GM; the evaporated GM will produce a light tan soap.  If the room temperature is 75F+, you will want to refrigerate unless you want to gel your GMS (I don't).  If you decided to gel, watch it carefully so it doesn't overheat.


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## AliOop

Thanks, @TheGecko that's a great recipe! I've used something similar that has been very popular with family members. As I recall, you master-batch your lye with tussah silk, as well? Based on your advice, I tried that in my last master-batch and am very happy with the results. It's nice to have the silky feeling again, and still be using master-batched lye.


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## TheGecko

AliOop said:


> Thanks, @TheGecko that's a great recipe! I've used something similar that has been very popular with family members. As I recall, you master-batch your lye with tussah silk, as well?



Someone else I'm afraid.  Thank you.


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## earlene

There are a few here who have mentioned they masterbatch their lye with silk, not all of them using Tussah Silk.

I've been using silk in my masterbatch NaOH.  Recently I made a masterbatch with cornsilk instead to use until I run out of it, then I'll go back to the silk.

I use a product that looks like this from another vendor, who no longer carries them:  (Link)  I chose these from a recommendation by *cmzaha*. I cut them into little slivers prior to adding to the hot lye solution. It does take a lot of careful stirring to get them completely dissolved.

I found the cornsilk much harder to dissolve than the silk cocoons.  I ended up having to toss out a lot of the cornsilk because it wasn't dissolving as easily or quickly as the silk cocoons, in spite of continuous stirring.  But, then again, I didn't cut it up into tiny bits; maybe it would have dissolved more readily.


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## violets2217

earlene said:


> ecently I made a masterbatch with cornsilk instead to use until I run out of it


Like the silky hairy stuff from corn on the cobs? Cool!


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## earlene

violets2217 said:


> Like the silky hairy stuff from corn on the cobs? Cool!


Yes.  It can be purchased as a powder from variety of vendors, and it used in cosmetics.  The powder might be easier to dissolve in hot lye than the dried corn silk from corn cobs.  But cutting them into teeny tiny pieces would probably have helped as well, but I didn't realize until I had already dropped it into the solution and by then it was too late.


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## violets2217

earlene said:


> Yes.  It can be purchased as a powder from variety of vendors, and it used in cosmetics.  The powder might be easier to dissolve in hot lye than the dried corn silk from corn cobs.  But cutting them into teeny tiny pieces would probably have helped as well, but I didn't realize until I had already dropped it into the solution and by then it was too late.


So in theory...next time I have corn  I could wash and dehydrate the silk then grind it in my spice grinder and add it to soap! I’ll need to read up on this! Thanks!!!!


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## Zany_in_CO

violets2217 said:


> So in theory...next time I have corn  I could wash and dehydrate the silk then grind it in my spice grinder and add it to soap! I’ll need to read up on this!


All the reading you need to do is what you just wrote! LOL That's the way I used corn silk in soap the first time I tried it ages ago. It gives a surprisingly "silky" feel to the soap.


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## Ladka

Interesting! This year I grew one corn plant on my balcony (to be honest, I don't know how it came there). I ate the grains from one cob and the other was somehow useles. I harvested the silky hairs and dried them without knowing what to do with them.
I may give it a try when I get to a fresh packet of NaOH.


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## Andy7891

TheGecko said:


> I'm happy to add my recipes to the thread
> 
> *Regular Soap*
> 10% Cocoa Butter
> 20% Coconut Oil (natural)
> 20% Palm Oil (RSPO)
> 10% Shea Butter (natural)
> 35% Olive Oil
> 5% Castor Oil
> 1 tea Sodium Lactate PPO
> 1 tea Dispersed Kaolin Clay PPO
> 1 oz FO PPO (always check usage rates)
> 
> 5% Super Fat
> 33% Lye Concentration
> 
> I use frozen Distilled Water to cut down on fumes and wait time. I cut the Shea Butter into small pieces and melt it in the residual heat to prevent any graininess. I usually soap around 100F or less, hand whisk to start and then blend in bursts to emulsion. Gives me plenty of play time. You can use the Heat Transfer Method to melt your hard oils/butters, but it cuts down on play time given that my recipe is 60% hard oils/butters.
> 
> *Goat Milk Soap*
> 21% Coconut Oil
> 21% Palm Oil (RSPO)
> 12% Shea Butter (natural)
> 41% Olive Oil
> 5% Castor Oil
> 1 tea Sodium Lactate PPO
> 1 tea Dispersed Kaolin Clay PPO
> 1 oz FO PPO (always check usage rates)
> 
> 5% Super Fat
> 33% Lye Concentration
> 
> I freeze my Goat Milk and use an ice bath with a little added salt; I don't allow my GM Lye Solution to get above 70F.  I have successfully used evaporated GM (mixed 50/50 with frozen distilled water), boxed GM, store GM and fresh GM; the evaporated GM will produce a light tan soap.  If the room temperature is 75F+, you will want to refrigerate unless you want to gel your GMS (I don't).  If you decided to gel, watch it carefully so it doesn't overheat.



Thank you for the recipe- I am excited to add butters to my soap, as I’ve tried most of the standard oils. I have a question- with your Regular Soap recipe, you mention that 60% hard oils/butters cuts down on play time, if you use the heat transfer method. Could you tell me why that is? Is it because hard oils/butters trace faster? Or because they solidify so you have to make sure you don’t get below their melting points? Ok, TIA!!!


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## KiwiMoose

My standard soap recipe:
(Vegan, and palm free)
20% each of Soy Wax, CO, OO and RBO
10% Shea Butter
5% each of Avocado oil and Castor Oil

4-5% superfat depending on my mood.
30% lye concentration.

It's rare that I make this without substituting the water with something else - aloe juice being the most common, but often coconut milk or oat milk (using split method).  Sometimes beer or hard cider, ginger beer, sometimes fruit purees as a portion of the water.


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## TheGecko

Andy7891 said:


> Thank you for the recipe- I am excited to add butters to my soap, as I’ve tried most of the standard oils. I have a question- with your Regular Soap recipe, you mention that 60% hard oils/butters cuts down on play time, if you use the heat transfer method. Could you tell me why that is? Is it because hard oils/butters trace faster? Or because they solidify so you have to make sure you don’t get below their melting points? Ok, TIA!!!



I believe the reason why I have less play time is because 1) hard oils/butters trace quicker overall as compared to soft oils, and 2) I'm quick starting the saponification process with the high heat. @DeeAnna has a much better handle on the science of soap making so she could probably explain it better. I just know that by the time my hard oils/butters are melted, my batter is thicker than what it is if I just melt the hard oils/butters, added the soft oils, then added my Lye Solution.

Now I have soaped TOO cool. I master batch my oils/butters and lye solution, and out of curiosity I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't remelt the oils/butters so I made a test batch with no color or scent. It should be noted that the hard oils/butters never fully solidify because of the soft oils, but is the consistency of waffle batter. Anyhoo...with the oils/butters and lye/water at about 70F, the result was a grainy looking bar of soap with obvious stearic spots. It was an okay bar of soap, it got me clean, but it just didn't feel right.


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## Andy7891

TheGecko said:


> I believe the reason why I have less play time is because 1) hard oils/butters trace quicker overall as compared to soft oils, and 2) I'm quick starting the saponification process with the high heat. @DeeAnna has a much better handle on the science of soap making so she could probably explain it better. I just know that by the time my hard oils/butters are melted, my batter is thicker than what it is if I just melt the hard oils/butters, added the soft oils, then added my Lye Solution.
> 
> Now I have soaped TOO cool. I master batch my oils/butters and lye solution, and out of curiosity I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't remelt the oils/butters so I made a test batch with no color or scent. It should be noted that the hard oils/butters never fully solidify because of the soft oils, but is the consistency of waffle batter. Anyhoo...with the oils/butters and lye/water at about 70F, the result was a grainy looking bar of soap with obvious stearic spots. It was an okay bar of soap, it got me clean, but it just didn't feel right.


Good info- thank you. I forgot about how high heat can speed up sopanification. I found a great local source for small amounts (<1lb) of cocoa and Shea butters so should be pouring some new soap tomorrow or even today. Have a good one.


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