How To Make Pure Coconut Oil Soap

Homemade basic recipe of a natural soap with a wonderful ingredient: coconut oil, resulting in a super cleansing, smooth and skin-friendly soap.

Difficulty: Beginners

Weight: 225g (7,9 oz)

Superfat: 20%

Lye Concentration: 25%

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1

Method: Cold Process

Cosmetic: Soap Bar

Servings: soap bars

Author: Sofia Matias

Cost: $3 - $12 / 2,5€ - 10€

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!
NOTE: The mica, or soap dye, as well as the essential oil, are optional ingredients. The idea is to turn this coconut soap into a lavender one.
You can choose other colors. You can choose other essential oils like litsea cubeba, tea tree or peppermint.
Or you can skip the scent and dye entirely for a totally natural coconut soap.
Add 0,5-1 tsp of coconut oil into to a small cup, add the dye and stir well to avoid lumps. You can add 1/2 teaspoon for a stronger tone and 1/4 teaspoon for a soft tone. The recipe in the video used 1/2 teaspoon.

Make the lye solution according to How To Make Lye Water. Mix it until the vapors start to dissipate. Strain it to catch any undissolved lye crystals.

Use as a target temperature 35ºC for the oil-solution mixture. If necessary heat the coconut oil a little.
Pour the lye water into the oils. Starting stick blending.
Now add the oily dye mixture to the soap batter and stir well.
Reach trace with the immersion blender.
Add the extract and essential oil (s) after trace. As coconut oil is a hard oil, use a spoon and avoid the stick blender, or the soap batter might seize. Pour the batter into the molds as soon as possible.

Pour the soap into the molds using a pitcher. Sprinkle with alcohol or witch hazel, to avoid soda ash. Let it set for 12 to 18 hours. You can use pre-heated oven for gel phase.
Unmold and let the bars cure for 4 to 6 weeks. See How To Cure Soap.