Olive Oil Soap Recipe

Learn how to make true castile soap!! A very basic recipe of a natural 100% olive oil soap, one of the most well-known ingredients for handmade soap. Excelent for beginners. In the end, you will have a hard and very moisturizing, silky and smooth bar of soap.

Difficulty: Beginners

Weight: 225g (7,9 oz)

Superfat: 5%

Lye concentration: 36%

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1

Method: Cold Process

Cosmetic: Soap Bar

Servings: soap bars

Author: Sofia Matias

Cost: $0,6 - $4 / 0,5€ - 3,5€

Equipment

Ingredients

Lye Water

Oils

225 g extra virgin olive oil

Add After Trace

4 drops grapefruit seed extract (GSE) (anti-oxidant)
6,5 ml essential oil lemongrass (optional) you can also use peppermint / litsea cubeba / lavender)

Instructions

Get Ready!

Wear goggles and gloves! Look at “Safety Precautions” in the video above or in Soap Making Safety Precautions
Watch the video above about "Cold Process Soap Making Tutorial" or read the post Learn To Make Cold Process Soap for instructions on cold process soap making before starting. These are generic but important steps for all recipes.
Assemble everything: ingredients, equipment, safety equipment. Prepare your workstations. Measure all the ingredients. Don’t start the recipe without having everything ready!
The essential oil is optional. It adds scent to soap. I have suggested lemongrass for this soap, but you can choose your favorite between peppermint, litsea cubeba, tea tree or lavender, or a blend. Just don't exceed the quantity.

Prepare the Lye Water

Make the lye solution according to How To Make Lye Water. If using fine salt, add it to the water and dissolve it very well before doing the mixture. Add the lye and mix it until the vapors start to dissipate and the water clears. Strain it to catch any undissolved lye crystals.
If using sodium lactate, add it in cooled lye water (below 55ºC - 130ºF) and mix well.

Heat the Oils

Heat the olive oil to aprox. 35ºC - 40ºC (95ºF - 104ºF). This step is only to speed up trace, you can actually use it at room temperature.

Make the Soap Batter

Use as a target temperature 35ºC-40ºC (95ºF - 104ºF) for the oil-solution mixture. This recipe has a water discount to reduce trace time and cure time. Higher temperature also helps to reach trace.
However, I've made this soap at 30ºC room temperature (it was a hot summer day) and took me 11 minute to reach trace.
Mix the lye water with the oils. Pour carefully using a spatula.
Reach trace with the immersion blender. Recipes of 100% olive oil soap take time to reach it, you may need to use the stick blender for about 10-15 minutes. In the end, it should be a liquid opaque pale yellow batter.
After trace, add the extract and essential oil. Mix with a spatula.
Pour the soap batter in the molds with a pitcher. I don't recommend using box soap molds for olive oil, only silicone ones. Sprinkle with alcohol or witch hazel. You can put in pre-heated oven for gel phase.

Molding and Curing

100% olive oil soaps take time to solidify. By using sodium lactate or fine salt, your soaps will solidify faster. However, it is advisable to leave it in molds for up to 7 days, because of soda ash.
Let the soap set in molds for 2 to 7 days (depending on your patience :) )
Unmold and let the bars cure for 8 weeks minimum. Some soap makers state that Castile soap bar is optimal at 6 months. Maybe because I always use sodium lactate or salt, mine are good to go after 2 months. See How To Cure Soap.

Video

Tried this recipe?Send a pic to @herbalcochete!