by Jan Berry
Chamomile “Almost Castile” Soap
This is a great recipe for a beginner since it only contains two oils. Traditional castile is a gentle, mild, 100 percent olive oil soap, with a low, creamy lather. By adding a small amount of castor oil to the recipe, we boost the bubbles while still retaining the mildness that makes castile perfect for those with supersensitive skin. I chose chamomile for this recipe because it calms and soothes rashes and other irritated skin conditions. If you don’t have chamomile flowers or tea, try using lavender, rose, plantain, violet or calendula instead.
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS OF SOAP
¼ cup (4 g) dried chamomile flowers or 2 chamomile tea bags
10 oz (284 g) simmering water
3.7 oz (105 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
26 oz (737 g) chamomile-infused olive oil (see here for how to infuse oils)
3 oz (85 g) castor oil
FOR THE CHAMOMILE TEA
Place the dried chamomile flowers or tea bags in a heatproof jar or pitcher. Pour the simmering hot water over the flowers and let steep until the tea cools to room temperature. Strain.
FOR THE CHAMOMILE SOAP
Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, carefully stir the lye into the cooled chamomile tea. The tea will turn from light yellow to bright orange, which is a normal reaction. Set the solution aside in a safe place out of reach of children and pets and let cool for about 30 to 40 minutes. The temperature should drop to around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C) during that time.
While the lye solution is cooling, gently heat the chamomile-infused oil until it’s about 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C). Add the castor oil. Pour the warmed oils into your soap-making pot or bowl, then add the cooled lye solution.
Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for about 30 seconds, then turn the immersion blender on and mix the soap batter, alternating every 30 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out. Continue mixing until trace is reached. Because this soap is high in olive oil, it may take up to 10 minutes to reach trace. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when it’s drizzled across itself.
FOR COLD PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap into a prepared mold. Cover with a sheet of wax paper, then the mold’s lid or a piece of cardboard. Tuck a towel or quilt around the mold to help it retain heat. Let it stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours, then remove and slice into bars. Soaps that are high in olive oil take a little longer to firm up and cure than other types of soap, so these bars will give you the best result if you let them cure for at least 6 weeks before using.
FOR HOT PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. After the final stir, spoon the cooked soap batter into a prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use the hot process soap right away, though it makes a longer lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
Variation: Castor oil was chosen for this recipe because it’s a great way to boost bubbles in an otherwise low-lathering soap. If you don’t have a way to get castor oil, though, you can use 3 ounces (85 g) of one of the following as a direct substitute for castor, with no other changes needed: cocoa butter (hardens soap), sweet almond oil (skin nourishing) or lard (hardens soap). If you use a substitute, keep in mind that your soap will still gently clean, it just might not lather as much.
Lavender Oatmeal Soap
Calming lavender is paired with soothing oats in this classic bar that’s well suited for those with dry, sensitive or itchy skin. Sweet almond oil is added for its ability to nourish skin, while coconut oil hardens the bar and contributes to lots of bubbles. Olive oil, a fantastic emollient that helps soften skin, rounds out the trio of oils in this recipe. Make sure that your oats are finely ground in this recipe or use colloidal oatmeal in its place. Its purpose in this soap is to help soften the water and soothe itchy, inflamed skin. Lavender essential oil adds a lovely, calming scent, but it’s optional. This recipe makes a wonderfully effective unscented soap, too!
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS
1 tbsp (7 g) rolled oats
4.18 oz (112 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
9 oz (269 g) water
17 oz (482 g) lavender-infused olive oil (see here for how to infuse oils)
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil
3 oz (85 g) sweet almond oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) lavender essential oil (optional)
Using an electric coffee grinder, grind the oats until they’re finely powdered. Set aside, to add later in the recipe.
Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, carefully stir the lye into the water until completely dissolved. Set the solution aside in a safe place and let cool for about 30 to 40 minutes. The temperature should drop to around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C) during that time.
While the lye cools, weigh out the oils and gently heat them to a temperature of around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C). Pour the warmed oils into your soap-making pot or bowl, then add the cooled lye solution.
Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for about 30 seconds, then turn the immersion blender on and mix the soap batter, alternating every 30 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out. Continue mixing until trace is reached. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes to reach trace. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when it’s drizzled across itself.
FOR COLD PROCESS SOAP
Stir in the ground oatmeal and lavender essential oil, if using. Pour the soap batter into a prepared soap mold, covering with a sheet of wax paper and then the mold’s lid or a piece of cardboard. Tuck a towel or quilt around the mold to help hold the heat in. Let the soap stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours, then remove and slice into bars. Allow the bars to cure in the open air for at least four weeks before using.
FOR HOT PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. After the hour has passed, stir in the ground oatmeal and lavender essential oil, mixed with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water if your soap is very thick. Stir well and then spoon the cooked soap into a prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use the hot process soap right away, though it makes a longer-lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
Old-Fashioned Rose Soap
This lovely soap features real roses, creamy shea butter and nourishing rosehip seed oil. Rose petal-infused olive oil softens and conditions skin, while coconut oil adds plenty of bubbles and creates a harder bar of soap. Shea butter is not only great for your skin, but it adds additional hardness to the bar. Rosehip seed oil was included for its fantastic skin-regenerating and healing properties. Rose kaolin clay contributes a natural pink color, but you can use half as much for a paler shade of pink or leave it out completely for a creamy white bar instead.
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS
1 handful fresh or dried rose petals
10 oz (283 g) water
4.14 oz (117 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
15 oz (425 g) rose petal-infused olive oil (see here for how to infuse oils)
1 oz (28 g) rosehip seed oil
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil
4 oz (113 g) shea butter
2 oz (57 g) castor oil
2 tsp rose kaolin clay (optional, for color)
1 tbsp (15 ml) water
1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) rose absolute or geranium essential oil (optional)
FOR THE ROSE-INFUSED WATER
Place the rose petals in a heatproof jar or container. Heat the water to a simmer and pour over the petals. Allow the rose infusion to steep until it’s room temperature or cooler. Make sure that your tea is fairly light, and not a dark brown color, or it
may affect the color of the finished soap. Strain the rose-infused water into a heavy-duty plastic or stainless steel bowl or pitcher.
FOR THE SOAP
Wearing gloves, goggles and long sleeves, pour the lye into the cooled rose petal infusion and carefully stir until it’s fully dissolved. It may turn a dark brown color as it meets the lye, but that’s okay at this point. Set the lye solution aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cooled to approximately 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).
While the lye solution cools, weigh the olive, castor and rosehip seed oil and place in your soap mixing pot or container. In a double boiler, heat the coconut oil and shea butter until melted. Pour them into the container with the olive and castor oil. This should bring the temperature to somewhere around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C).
In a small bowl, stir together the rose kaolin clay, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water and essential oil until smooth. This will be added at trace (for cold process soap) or after cook time (for hot process soap).
Combine the lye solution and the oils. Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for about 30 seconds, then turn the immersion blender on and mix the soap batter, alternating every 30 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out. Continue mixing until trace is reached. This recipe will reach trace within a few minutes. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when it’s drizzled across itself.
FOR COLD PROCESS SOAP
Thoroughly stir the clay, water and essential oil mixture into the soap. Pour the soap batter into a prepared soap mold, cover with a sheet of wax paper and then the mold’s lid or a piece of cardboard. Tuck a towel or quilt around the mold to help hold the heat in. Let the soap stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours, then remove and slice into bars. Allow the bars to cure in the open air for at least four weeks before using.
FOR HOT PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. After the hour has passed, stir in the clay, water and essential oil mixture, then spoon the cooked soap into a prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use hot process soap right away, though it makes a longer-lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
Thyme & Witch Hazel Clear Skin Facial Bar
The skin-healing properties of raw honey, tamanu oil and antiseptic thyme combine with the astringency of witch hazel in this acne-fighting soap. Skin-softening olive oil and bubble-boosting coconut oil form the base of the recipe, while sunflower oil adds a silky lather and is great for all complexions. Castor oil promotes a better lathering experience, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute more olive oil instead. Tamanu oil packs a powerful punch, so only a small amount is needed for its powerful antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and remarkable skin-regenerating benefits. Be aware that the addition of witch hazel to this soap tends to give it a slight medicinal smell. If you want to omit the witch hazel, you can do so; just increase the initial water amount by 1 ounce (28 g).
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS
½ cup (7 g) chopped fresh or dried thyme
8 oz (227 g) simmering hot water
4.17 oz (118 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
½ oz (14 g) raw honey
1 oz (28 g) witch hazel
15 oz (425 g) olive oil
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil
4 oz (113 g) sunflower oil
2 oz (57 g) castor oil
1 oz (28 g) tamanu oil
FOR THE THYME-INFUSED WATER
Place the thyme in a heatproof jar or pitcher. Pour the simmering hot water into the jar and let it steep for up to 1 hour, or until cool. Strain.
FOR THE SOAP
Pour the completely cooled tea into a heatproof plastic or stainless steel container. Wearing gloves, goggles and long sleeves, pour the lye into the cooled thyme-infused water and carefully stir until it’s fully dissolved. It may turn a different color as it meets the lye, but that’s okay at this point. Set the lye solution aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cooled to approximately 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).
While the lye solution is cooling, blend the honey and witch hazel together in a small bowl and set aside. This will be added to the soap later, at trace (for cold process soap) or after cook time (for hot process soap).
Weigh out and gently heat the oils until they’re about 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C).
Pour the cooled lye solution into the oils. Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for about 30 seconds, then turn the immersion blender on and mix the soap batter, alternating every 30 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out. Continue mixing until trace is reached. This recipe will usually reach trace within 3 to 5 minutes. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when it’s drizzled across itself.
FOR COLD PROCESS SOAP
Thoroughly stir the honey and witch hazel mixture into the soap, then pour the soap batter into a prepared soap mold. Honey tends to make soap heat up more than normal, so we don’t need to cover or insulate this soap. Let the soap stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours, then remove and slice into bars. Allow the bars to cure in the open air for at least four weeks before using.
FOR HOT PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. After the hour has passed, stir in the witch hazel and honey, then spoon the cooked soap into a prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use the hot process soap right away, though it makes a longer-lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
For best results, use this soap to wash your face nightly, followed by an antiacne toner such as Dandelion Thyme Vinegar Toner & Tonic. If needed, apply a light moisturizer such as Grapeseed & Thyme Lotion for oily skin.
Sunflower Shampoo Bar
Shampoo bars are a popular and eco-friendly way to wash hair. They work for many hair types, but if you have hard water, you may find it difficult to completely rinse the suds out. Be sure to follow a shampoo bar wash with a vinegar hair rinse to soften your locks and prevent buildup. Sunflower petals and oil make a great addition to shampoo bars since the extract is used in some high-end products to condition hair and add shine. Argan oil is included because of its abilities to nourish, strengthen and protect hair, but if it’s out of your budget, you can use sweet almond oil or more shea butter instead. Olive oil nourishes and conditions, while coconut oil hardens soap and adds plenty of bubbles. Shea butter moisturizes hair and scalp and also helps harden the bar. Small amounts of castor oil are often added to soap recipes to help stabilize lather, but in the case of shampoo bars, a higher amount is used and is almost essential for a great shampooing experience.
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS
4.02 oz (114 g) sodium hyrdoxide (lye)
10 oz (283 g) water
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil
2 oz (57 g) shea butter
10 oz (283 g) sunflower-infused olive oil (see here for how to infuse oils)
4 oz (113 g) castor oil
4 oz (113 g) sunflower oil
1 oz (28 g) argan oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemongrass essential oil (optional)
Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, carefully stir the lye into the water until completely dissolved. Set the solution aside in a safe place and let cool for about 30 to 40 minutes. The temperature should drop to around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C) during that time.
While the lye cools, weigh out the oils and gently heat them to a temperature of around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C). Pour the warmed oils into your soap-making pot or bowl, then add the cooled lye solution.
Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for about 30 seconds, then turn the immersion ble
nder on and mix the soap batter, alternating every 30 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out. Continue mixing until trace is reached. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes to reach trace. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when it’s drizzled across itself.
FOR COLD PROCESS SOAP
Stir in the essential oil, if using, then pour the soap into a prepared mold. Let it stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours, then remove and slice into bars. Let the bars cure in the open air for at least four weeks before using.
FOR HOT PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. After the hour has passed, stir in the lemongrass essential oil, if using, then spoon the cooked soap into a prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use the hot process soap right away, though it makes a longer-lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
To use the shampoo bar, just wet your hair with water and then gently rub the bar over it, massaging the lather onto your scalp and to the ends of your hair with your fingers. For long hair, you may want to work up a lather with your hands first and then rub it through your hair, to avoid tangles. Rinse well, then follow with a diluted vinegar rinse for a clean and healthy shine!
Hollyhock Shampoo Bar
This bar features moisturizing hollyhock leaves and flowers, making it ideal for normal to dry hair. Olive oil softens and conditions hair and scalp, while coconut oil adds lots of bubbles and hardness to soap recipes. Sweet almond oil and shea butter help to moisturize and relieve a dry, itchy scalp. A generous amount of castor oil ensures lots of lather and a great shampooing experience. I like to add a blend of lavender and litsea cubeba essential oils for a fresh floral scent, but you can leave them out for an unscented version. Be sure to follow a wash with a shampoo bar with a diluted vinegar hair rinse to help restore pH and promote shine.