Share your favourite recipe

[SoapAddict415]

My favorite recipe is a 75% evoo & pomace mix, 8% castor & 17% coconut oil I think adding pomace to my evoo helps to speed up my trace.

 

[kdaniels8811]

Wow, these recipeis are great and I had some questions answered about fragrance retention. I cannot wait to try the Oats & Honey Soap as I have been looking for a recipe utilizing honey. I have an order for almond eo coming from Brambleberry right now so have to wait until it gets here. Thanks for an awesome site!!

 

[sapounakias]

Greek Soap Recipe

Happy New Year

Its my first post , so i decide to give you a natural recipe from Greece
Its an old recipe from my grandmother


I have all the ingredients measured in grams

150 Olive Pomace
600 Olive Oil (Herb Oil with Chamomile)
110 Sea Water
115 Tea (Chamomile)
94 Naoh
1 tbsp Sugar


Try it with cold sea water and tea. Add the sugar and then mix the NAoH with the water.
Mix the lye and the oils at 35oC
Be carefull, the pomace will give you "very fast trace" is 2-3 minutes

This recipe need 6 or more months cure (it depends on the season)
The sea water gives o "natural" hardness to the soap, the chamomile tea & the herb oil adds a smooth Chamomile scent.
The sugar gives to the soap a little bit more lather


All my family uses this soap for years and its very "friendly" with our baby.

 

[Desert Karen]

I appreciate it quite a bit. Being new to soaping, I find it helpful to see what others have to offer and at what price point.

 

[mintle]

almond oil discovery

A discovery! I have made a small batch using new recipe (used the leftovers really, incl. 8g of babassu, 28g cocoa, some remaining palm oil from the container etc ) and already after unmolding it felt superb to the skin - really luxurious, outstanding and very soft (the bar itself was hard already).

There was such a difference in comparison to the 50+ batches I have previously made that I gave it to try to my husband and he noticed it immediately & asked what have I changed in the recipe. The trouble was I have used two completely new ingredients, that is fresh goats milk (50% of water) and almond oil (12,5% of oils) in that gorgeus batch.

Tried to track down what was the magical ingredient and made a test batch using 12% of almond oil (otherwise it was a usual recipe I make, no milk, no sugar etc). The results were spectacular again!! If you happen to try almond oil, please let me know if it does magic to you as well. I often replace part of oo with high oleic sunflower, macadamia or avocado (at 10-15%) but never ever noticed such a difference.

 

[greensara]

Mintle, can you provide some measurements for your new soap recipe? I've used almond oil and I love it-Avocado oil is another go-to and is a bit cheaper. I can't say that I've found recipes using Almond oil to be outstanding compared to my other batches, but it does impart an lovely feel.

 

[Desirae]

I just made this soap and it's a keeper!

Pumpkin Pie Soap

• 6 oz coconut oil
• 6 oz palm oil
• 6 oz olive oil
• 4 oz cocoa butter
• 3.1 oz lye
• 4.2 oz water
• 3 oz pureed pumpkin
• 1 ½ tbsp dried goats milk
• 1.5 oz Pumpkin Pie Fragrance Oil
• ½ tspn ground cloves
• 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar

I did hot process on this one. Nice soap, the pumpkin makes a perfect color. I added the brown sugar to the water mixture and dissolved before I added the lye. I did hot process, so blended everything in the crockpot. Gets to a heavy trace quickly after you add the pumpkin, goats milk, fragrance and cloves. It also cooked quickly in the crockpot (maybe 20 minutes), so keep your eye on it if you're doing hot process.

-Karen

I know this is an old thread, but if still here, would this recipe work in cp? When did u add the pumpkin puree? At trace or blended with all of your oils and did a water discount on your lye solution ? Thanks

 

[Susie]

"Originally Posted by JumpinKaren View Post
I just made this soap and it's a keeper!

Pumpkin Pie Soap

• 6 oz coconut oil
• 6 oz palm oil
• 6 oz olive oil
• 4 oz cocoa butter
• 3.1 oz lye
• 4.2 oz water
• 3 oz pureed pumpkin
• 1 ½ tbsp dried goats milk
• 1.5 oz Pumpkin Pie Fragrance Oil
• ½ tspn ground cloves
• 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar

I did hot process on this one. Nice soap, the pumpkin makes a perfect color. I added the brown sugar to the water mixture and dissolved before I added the lye. I did hot process, so blended everything in the crockpot. Gets to a heavy trace quickly after you add the pumpkin, goats milk, fragrance and cloves. It also cooked quickly in the crockpot (maybe 20 minutes), so keep your eye on it if you're doing hot process.

-Karen"

I know this is an old thread, but if still here, would this recipe work in cp? When did u add the pumpkin puree? At trace or blended with all of your oils and did a water discount on your lye solution ? Thanks

This is a very old thread, and I have not seen that person around in quite a while, but I can probably guess enough to answer your questions. The recipe would work in CP. The pumpkin puree, goat's milk, fragrance and cloves were probably added right after the lye water. There is no water discount on HP soap, so no.

Now, my personal opinion on this:

The ground cloves will not yield any scent, and is not really any use here. It also gets a bit scratchy, in my experience.

The goat's milk, pumpkin, and brown sugar combo is going to make this a VERY high risk of over heating. I would freeze my mold before making, then put this straight into the freezer after pouring. Leave it in there for 24 hours, then watch it like a hawk the following 24 hours. You may not be able to unmold this for a few days, so don't despair. I would also soap as cool as possible.

I also think that this is a very complicated recipe for where you are at experience wise.

 

[Desirae]

"Originally Posted by JumpinKaren View Post
I just made this soap and it's a keeper!

Pumpkin Pie Soap

• 6 oz coconut oil
• 6 oz palm oil
• 6 oz olive oil
• 4 oz cocoa butter
• 3.1 oz lye
• 4.2 oz water
• 3 oz pureed pumpkin
• 1 ½ tbsp dried goats milk
• 1.5 oz Pumpkin Pie Fragrance Oil
• ½ tspn ground cloves
• 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar

I did hot process on this one. Nice soap, the pumpkin makes a perfect color. I added the brown sugar to the water mixture and dissolved before I added the lye. I did hot process, so blended everything in the crockpot. Gets to a heavy trace quickly after you add the pumpkin, goats milk, fragrance and cloves. It also cooked quickly in the crockpot (maybe 20 minutes), so keep your eye on it if you're doing hot process.

-Karen"



This is a very old thread, and I have not seen that person around in quite a while, but I can probably guess enough to answer your questions. The recipe would work in CP. The pumpkin puree, goat's milk, fragrance and cloves were probably added right after the lye water. There is no water discount on HP soap, so no.

Now, my personal opinion on this:

The ground cloves will not yield any scent, and is not really any use here. It also gets a bit scratchy, in my experience.

The goat's milk, pumpkin, and brown sugar combo is going to make this a VERY high risk of over heating. I would freeze my mold before making, then put this straight into the freezer after pouring. Leave it in there for 24 hours, then watch it like a hawk the following 24 hours. You may not be able to unmold this for a few days, so don't despair. I would also soap as cool as possible.

I also think that this is a very complicated recipe for where you are at experience wise.

What is the purpose of using powdered goats milk in such a small amount? And could I try it bit leaving off the goats milk,clove Brown sugar and use only half of the amount called for on the puree? Would it be less likely to over heat to that extreme notemperatures to mention be a bit easier for me?

 

[randycoxclemson]

I use a shampoo bar every day that I like (though it could be used as regular soap). In an attempt to help my daughter with tangled hair, I added some botanicals to the mix. Here it is.

Coconut Oil 16 oz
Olive (Pomace) 12.8 oz
Castor Oil 12.8 oz
Avocado Oil 6.4 oz
Palm Oil 6.4 oz
Canola Oil 6.08 oz
Jojoba Oil 3.2 oz
Stearic Acid 0.32 oz
3 egg yolks (mixed in with a little of the oils and poured and mixed back in to the vat of oils)

19.99 oz Frozen Canadian Ale (any beer will do, but this was some I made 20+ years ago)
8.72 oz NaOH
1 tsp salt added to lye/Ale solution
2 tsp honey added to lye/Ale solution
4 tsp sodium lactate added to cooled lye/Ale solution

Then I added these to the oils just before adding the lye solution:
plain whole fat yogurt, bentonite clay, marshmallow root powder, slippery elm powder
(I didn't log it, but probably 2 tsp clay and yogurt and 1 tsp of the botanicals)

Essential oils for fragrance (but not necessary): Tea Tree, Cinnamon Bark, Clove, Spearmint

The sodium lactate and stearic acid were necessary for hardening this thing up. It turns out sort of a golden color and is aided by long curing time, though I've used it anywhere from 2 weeks after cutting to a few months. Makes a great lather (just a little water and lather it up). I suspect it would be good for shaving as well.

When I use it, I spritz on a solution of water (1 cup) and apple cider vinegar (1 tsp) after rinsing and leave the vinegar solution on and go about my business. But others who have used it just use conventional commercial conditioners.

 

[Slinkybambi]

Any recipe for lye free cleasing bar?

I would love a suggestion on a soap-free cleansing bar - I would like to make with no lye..... any suggestions?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I would love a suggestion on a soap-free cleansing bar - I would like to make with no lye..... any suggestions?

I think a new thread in the bath and body section would be the best option to get some ideas for that. Not all members here make non-lye products

 

[Newcombgirl84]

Share your favorite soap or bath and body product recipe with us!

I use
16 oz Coconut Oil
16 Oz Palm oil
16 oz Olive Oil (Pomace)
6 oz Shea butter

8.51 oz lye
20.88 water

Comes out great every time.

 

[Terri E]

My Very FAVORITE Soap Recipe!!
Bubbly, creamy and moisturizing!

 

[SoapAddict415]

I love that this thread is still here! I found 2 of my earlier recipes that I thought were lost forever. I'm so glad that I shared them here.

 

[kasandrashy]

French Vanilla Latte Soap

this is my go to base:

17oz olive oil
7.75 oz Coconut oil
6.5 oz Sweet Almond oil
5oz Cocoa butter
3.5oz Shea butter
5.5oz sodium hydroxide
16.25 oz water

this will fill a 4lb mold or two 2lb molds etc

My favorite way to prepare this-

French Vanilla Latte Soap:

1 cup coarsely ground coffee
1 oz vanilla fragrance
2oz coffee bean fragrance
2tsp titanium dioxide
1tsp light-brown mica(optional)
3-4tsp medium brown mica

Heat 1 cup of fresh coarsely ground coffee beans on a pot with 20 oz of water, stirring constantly, continuing this for much longer than you would for making coffee. (You need to remove a lot of that pigment so it won’t spot in your soap) Strain grounds through metal sieve, allow coffee to cool, while coffee is cooling spread the used grounds on a clean baking tray and cook in oven on 175 until dry. Remove grounds from oven and put them in a cup after they cool.
...later
Measure your fragrance oils into the same small cup.
Weigh 16.25 oz of your distilled coffee into non reactive mixing container (you should have some leftover but if you let it simmer or boil by accident you may need to add some more distilled water) mix in your sodium hydroxide. Weigh your oils into non reactive container pour lye into oils mix until butters are dissolved. Stick blend just until emulsification.
Divide roughly in half, add some of the soap mixture from one container to a measuring cup and add your medium-light brown mica (If you want a darker color or your coffee is lighter than you expected) and titanium dioxide to the cup, use a mini blender or small whisk to combine and add it back to the container. Do the same with the other container this time adding just your darker brown mica pigment. Add half the fragrance oils to your lighter soap and Stick blend until light trace. Next pour in your coffee grounds to your lighter soap (reserve some for sprinkling on top if you’d like) and mix with whisk or spatula until combined.
Pour into your molds until halfway up.
Stick blend your darker soap with the fragrance oil until light to med trace.
Next you can return to your mold and texture the bottom layer if you’d like I like doing this but if it’s super smooth and flat that’s a nice look too.
spray with alcohol if you’d like
Once it’s set carefully pour the darker layer over the bottom one. Hold it close to the first layer and if you need to- break the fall with a spoon or spatula.
Let set a few minutes and then texture the top again. You can sprinkle the top with coffee grounds for decoration or even put a couple of beans on top.

tip: make more of the coffee grounds, hell you can drink the coffee if you use your kitchen supplies, and lay a thicker layer of coffee grounds on the entire top for a natural exfoliation layer just don’t texture the top layer of you do this.

I noticed from some of the recipes that quite a few oils and a few other ingredients are used in just one recipe. Wouldn't using many kinds of oils, like five or more, result in a higher cost per bar?

sure it can result in a higher costing bar like if you make a Castile soap (all olive oil) it’s gonna be cheaper than a bar made with Shea butter, olive oil, sweet almond oil and coconut oil BUT different oils and butters impart different properties to the soap. For instance, coconut oil is a good cleansing agent but it’s a bit drying so adding shea butter is conditioning and sweet almond oil absorbs more quickly into the skin so dry skin will get more hydration before it’s washed down the drain ALSO you won’t get good quality out of most oils if you use them as 100% of your oil base. You can do it with olive oil but most others will either be too hard, too soft, too gritty or too drying some won’t even set up. I see it as cutting down on cost because I want high quality ingredients hell I put some camellia seed, hemp seed or temanu oils in but the other less expensive coconut and olive oil are there and that actually lessens the cost than if I made a whole bar out of one of those luxury oils.

Re: Share your favorite soap recipe

What superfat have you been using? I have dry, sensitive skin and I've found 7% or higher works best for my skin. I also like buttermilk or cream in my soaps.

10% usually for me

 

[shunt2011]

@kasandrashy the two posters you quoted have not been here in a very long time.

 

[kasandrashy]

@kasandrashy the two posters you quoted have not been here in a very long time.

Sorry I just joined and I realized that after I posted. Any chance you can delete the quotation posts anc just leave my recipe? I’ll pay attention better. Thanks !

 

[Teddy G]

I've been making soap for several years now, I've tried some different recipes but nothing out of the ordinary. I've been sticking to this recipe for the past year now, I quite like it but am also open to tweaking it.

Olive Pumice 30%
Coconut Oil 30%
Palm Oil 20%
Avocado Oil 10%
Caster Oil 5%
Shea Butter 5%

This makes a very solid bar, nice suds and bubbles and my skin seems to like it. I scent it with essential oils only, usually around 60g of EO depending on the scent. Sometimes add charcoal or pumice or oatmeal or coffee, nothing too fancy. I superfat at 5%. After reading a lot on this site, I see some people say Shea Butter at 5% is useless, is this the consensus, should I replace the Shea Butter or bump it up? Any feedback is welcome. Thanks,

 

[AliOop]

After reading a lot on this site, I see some people say Shea Butter at 5% is useless, is this the consensus, should I replace the Shea Butter or bump it up? Any feedback is welcome. Thanks,

I can feel the difference of 5% Shea when I use it, and many others do as well. I can also feel the difference of tussah silk, goat milk, vinegar, and AVJ.

Others say they feel nothing when some of those things are added, and that it is all label appeal. Others can only feel it at 10% or more.

Bottom line, if you like it in your soap, keep using it. If you aren’t sure, make a batch without it and compare.

ETA: I don’t feel any difference between powdered and fresh GM, but others do. Maybe it is a recipe difference, or what our respective skins are able to detect.