It’s hard to believe that in more than seven years of blogging we have never shared a cold processed soap recipe on The Natural Beauty Workshop. We have some really incredible soap makers buying supplies from us and reading our blog so I guess I felt a little bit intimidated when it came to making soap. This year I decided to finally dive in to the topic of soaping, and I’m so glad that I did. It’s been a lot of fun working on my own recipes, and so rewarding to see my soap shelf filling up with handmade bars.
This recipe includes Coconut Oil which provides hardness, and plenty of cleansing power, Sweet Almond Oil for its moisturizing benefit, and Castor Oil to boost the soap’s lather. These three Oils produce a bar with a medium hardness, and a mild moisturizing lather. I also included some Almond Meal which adds a nice touch of exfoliating texture to the bars. I scented the soap with our Pina Colada Plant-Based Fraggrance Oil, but you can certainly leave it unscented, if you like, or add a different Fragrance Oil or skin-safe Essential Oil instead.
My Coconut Almond Soap Recipe is superfatted with Almond Oil. What’s superfatting? I’m glad you asked! (Wink.) Most recipes, including this recipe, use additional oil beyond what’s needed in the bare-bones soap making ratio. The “extra” oil not only helps makes soap moisturizing, it also helps act as a buffer, protecting your formula from failure due to the tiny variations in measurements that occur between scales. As a general rule, making soap without superfatting should only be attempted by experienced soap makers. This recipe is superfatted at 5% which is a pretty standard percentage to use. That means that it includes an extra 5% of Oil beyond what is necessary to create soap.
Soap Making Tip: When you are purchasing ingredients, pay close attention to whether the ingredient is being sold by weight or by volume. The measurements for this recipe are given by weight, and may not be equal to the volume measurement of the same number. For example, eight ounces of carrier oil by volume (1 cup) may weigh less than 8 ounces on a scale. If you are purchasing ingredients by volume, order a little more than what the recipe calls for in weight.
Coconut Almond Soap Recipe
Makes 2 pounds
Ingredients (measured by weight)
- 6.4 ounces and 1.6 ounces Sweet Almond Oil, divided
- 1.6 ounces Castor Oil
- 16 ounces Coconut Oil (76 Degree)
- 8 ounces Olive Oil
- 5 ounces Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH/Lye)
- 11.5 ounces water
- 1.5 ounces Pina Colada Plant-Based Fragrance Oil (optional)
- 4 tablespoons Almond Flour
Directions
- Start by double-checking this recipe in our Soapulator or in another soap calculator that you know and trust.
- Prepare yourself by making sure you are suitably dressed in clothes and shoes that cover your arms, legs, and feet completely. Gather your equipment, ingredients, and safety gear in a clean, secluded workspace where noone will be coming in and out. Keep children and pets out of your workspace at all times.
- Line your soap mold with wax paper and set it aside.
- Put on your goggles and safety mask, then carefully measure and divide all of your ingredients using an accurate scale.
- Add the water to a deep, heat-proof container with high walls. Next add the lye and allow it to dissolve. Be careful not to breath in the fumes as the chemical mixes with the water. Set the mixture aside in a safe place, then move on to the next step.
- Melt the Coconut Oil until it reaches about 100 – 110F degrees. Add Castor Oil, Olive Oil, and 6.4 ounces of the Sweet Almond Oil to the pot and remove it from heat.
- Measure the temperature of the lye mixture. When it comes down below 110F check the oils temperature again. When both the lye mixture and the oils mixture fall between 90 – 110F they can be mixed.
- Add the lye mixture into the melted oils and then begin stirring. Using an immersion blender (also called a stick blender) will speed this process up quite a bit. The mixture will need to be stirred until it thickens to a point called “trace”. Trace is when the mixture is thick enough to drizzle a trail across its surface, similar in consistency to a pudding or custard.
- When the soap reaches trace add the remaining 1.6 ounces of Sweet Almond Oil and the Pina Colada Plant-Based Fragrance Oil. Stir again for about one minute to make sure the ingredients are well combined. Stir the Almond Flour in next using a spoon or spatula instead of the blender.
- Pour the soap into your soap mold, tapping it gently to make sure it distributes evenly. Cover the top with plastic wrap, and if the mold has a top, put the top on. Wrap the mold in a towel or a blanket and allow it to harden for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours the soap should have hardened enough for the soap to me un-molded. If it still seems soft give the soap another 24-48 hours before trying again. Gently tap or turn the soap loaf from your mold then slice it into bars. Set the bars on a cooling/drying rack somewhere cool and dry.
- The soap will be finished curing in four to six weeks. Leaving the soap to cure for the full six weeks will result in a soap that is harder and more mild.
For more detailed instructions on making Cold Processed Soap please check out our first Soap School Post, How to Make Cold Processed Soap.
This was our second post in our new Soap School series. During 2015 we’ll be sharing many more posts on soap making, including recipes, technique tutorials, and more. You can join in the fun by sharing your own soap making photos on social media using the hashtag #NBWSoapSchool. You can also email us your photos at hostess@naturalbeautyworkshop.com or share them to our Facebook or G+ pages. Let us know what you are working on and what you would like to see in future Soap School posts. Have a soap making question? We’d love to tackle it for you!
I see it interesting but I like the measure ml rather than ounces and I want to try… where can I get all these ingredients and these equipment too that you have mention
You can buy all of the ingredients for this recipe, and a wooden soap mold, thermometer, and scale at http://www.FromNatureWithLove.com. Use the discount code NBWS4277 to save 7% on your order. The other safety gear and supplies can be found at most grocery stores. Lye can be purchased online. Just do a web search for “where to buy lye for soap making” to find some suppliers. The ingredients in this recipe must be measured by weight. If you’d like to weigh the ingredients in metric, please convert them to grams. ML measures by volume which won’t be accurate in this recipe.
Hi!
Is there any good alternative for almond flour? Can I use any kind of flour?
Why do you need it in the recipe?
Thank you
Julia
Hello Julia, We used Almond Flour to add a bit of exfoliation to this formulation. You can substitute any other exfoliant, such as Rice Husk Powder or Grape Seed Powder. You can also omit the flour/exfoliant altogether, if you prefer.
Thank you!
Do you think could maybe coffee ground make the same effect?
You are most welcome, Julia. Coffee grounds make an excellent exfoliant in soap! Though, keep in mind it will add more abrasion that a finer exfoliant, such as the almond flour.
Hi!
Is there any good alternative for almond flour? Can I use any kind of flour?
Why do you need it in the recipe?
Thank you
Julia
Dear,
May I ask how your experience is with this soap bar?
As there is a general rule that if you use more than 30% of coconut oil in your recipe it will be too drying for the skin. Usually they’ll use a larger superfat/discount then… but in my opinion the 30% rule is’nt always correct..
Thank you so much,
Love,
Charlie
Great question! Higher percentages of coconut oil can be drying to some. This formulation is also balanced with a high percentage of moisturizing olive oil and almond oil, and a 5% superfat. You can make this bar even more mild and less cleansing by increasing your superfat percentage and/or using equal portions of coconut oil, olive oil, and almond. Just be sure to always run your new recipe throw a soap calculator, such as our Soapulator.
How long did it take for your soap to harden and fully cure?
Sometimes using “softer oils” can lengthen the time before you can cut them or even take them out of the molds.
Hello Mishell, This batch of soap was unmolded after 24 hours and we waited 4 weeks for curing before use. Along with a high percentage of softer oils, the batch may take longer to unmold if the air is humid and the soap batch has not gone through the gel stage. Also, you can rarely go wrong by waiting longer for the soap to cure!
Hi Kelly
I would like to ask you about additives. Previously I have added lavender buds and they have turned brown in the soap.
How can this be avoided and why doesn’t this happen with an additive like almond flour ?
Thanks x
Hello Jo, Thank you for reaching out. Most botanicals will eventually turn brown and mold when added to soap batches. Some formulators prefer to add botanicals to the tops of their soap batches. Over time, they may go ‘off’, as well, though. Calendula petals are an exception to this. The petals maintain their beautiful orange/yellow color whether inside or outside of the soap batch.
Hello, I have been really excited to try this recipe.
As a new soap maker, I didn’t realize you were supposed to mix the lye with the water, rather than just let it dissolve. I swished it around and then later returned to realize the lye had hardened at the bottom of the container. I poured what I could of the lye water into the oil mixture, but it isn’t thickening. Any recommendations? Can I turn it into liquid soap at this point? I have about a half-inch of hardened lye at the bottom of the container left over.
Any recommendations for what to do with the hardened lye as well?
Thank you,
Sarah
Hello Sarah, We recommend safely disposing of this batch as there is no way to be sure how much lye was actually added. As for the lye, you can carefully put the remaining portion down your drain with running water as a drain cleaner. Please refer to the MSDS sheet from your supplier for other ways to properly dispose of lye.
We are attaching a soaping tutorial we think you may find helpful: Soap School: How to Make Cold Processed Soap
Hi, would this be a good face and body soap?
Hi Brandie, This formulation is gentle for both face and body for most people. You can remove the fragrance oil if there is any concern about sensitivity.
Thanks, I can’t wait to try it out 🙂
That’s fantastic, Brandie! Please let us know how it goes.
Hi,
This soap looks amazing, excited to make it.
Can I use half Jojoba oil and half Sweet Almond oil for the liquid oil portion this recipe?
Thank you,
Karen.
Hi Karen, You sure can switch up the oils. Just run the new formulation through a soap calculator to double check the lye amount. Let us know how it goes!
Hello, how much does this recipe yield? I want to make sure I have the right sized mold.
Hello Valkyri, This formulation makes a 2-pound batch of soap.Let us know if we can be of further help to you!