Fall Soap Recipe

Have you been enjoying this Fall? We certainly have! That's why we created this perfect fall soap recipe. The essential oil blend used here combines traditional autumn aromas with a bit of a twist. Frankincense provides a sweet and warm base while clove bud, cinnamon bark, and ginger bring that classic spicy touch that evokes the warmth of your favorite Fall baked goods. Lastly, the unique scent of bergamot brings it all together with a sweet citrus note and an unexpected, distinctive edge.  

For this recipe, we’ll be using a classic 30/30/30/10 oil ratio and superfatting the soap at 5%. We’ll be using olive, coconut, and palm oil, which pair well together in making a bar that will be firm when cured, has a great lather, and is gentle on the skin. The addition of shea butter and a 5% superfat adds an extra moisturizing element to this recipe. Any of the oils or butters in this recipe can be swapped out for your favorites. Just remember to recalculate the lye ratio with each replacement oil’s SAP (saponification) value and make sure that your oils work well together. This recipe will yield about 46 ounces of soap, which can be poured into your preferred loaf mold or individual bar molds. A fun fall themed mold may add that special touch to your finished product! In this recipe we use a warm orange color to compliment the autumn aroma, but you can use any color or combination of colors you prefer.

Ingredients

• 32 oz Oils
• 9.6 oz Olive Oil (30%)
• 9.6 oz Coconut Oil (30%)
• 9.6 oz Palm Oil (30%)
• 3.2 oz Shea Butter (10%)
• 14.86 oz Lye Solution
• 4.59 oz Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)
• 10.27 oz Water
• 2.3 oz Essential Oil Blend
• .2 oz Clove Bud essential oil
  
• .6 oz Bergamot essential oil
  
• .3 oz Cinnamon Bark essential oil
  
• .5 oz Ginger essential oil
  
• .7 oz Frankincense essential oil
• 2-3 ml of Sunset Orange liquid coloring

Supplies Needed

• Immersion blender
• Digital kitchen scale
• Small bowl for essential oils
• Glass bowl for lye mixture
• Large glass or stainless steel bowl for oils
• Pot or double boiler
• Spoon or rubber spatula
• Gloves
• Safety glasses or goggles
• 12 inch Silicone loaf mold or 15- 18 individual soap molds

Instructions

It is important to use caution and follow safe practices when working with lye and high temperatures. Safety glasses or goggles, long sleeve clothing, gloves, and a well- ventilated area are needed. 

1. Weigh and combine your essential oils, then set them aside. If you’re using more than one colorant, weigh and blend those as well. 
2. Weigh each vegetable oil and then combine them in a large bowl. Place the bowl on top of a large pot with 1/3 of water in it. Bring the water to a boil. Heat the oils until fully melted and blended, stirring occasionally.
3. While your oils are melting, weigh out the lye and water in two separate bowls. Slowly add the lye to the water while gently stirring until the lye is fully dissolved and the liquid is clear
   
4. Let your oils and lye mixture both cool to 130 degrees or below, ensuring that they are within 10 degrees of each other. 
5. Place your immersion blender into the oils, tapping it on the bottom of the bowl to release any air bubbles. This is a safety precaution that prevents the bubbles from coming to the surface when you begin mixing in the lye.
6. Slowly and gently pour your lye water into your oil mixture. You can pour down the side of you bowl or down the shaft of your immersion blender to reduce the chance of splashing.
7. Pulse your blender a few times, watching as the oils and lye start to combine. Switch between short pulse and stirring with the blender until the mixture comes together to a very light trace. This will allow time to add colors and fragrance without the soap becoming too thick to work with.
8. Working quickly, stir (do not blend) in the essential oil blend.
9. Add your colorant, a few drops at a time, and stir until the desired color is achieved.
10. Once your soap reaches about a medium trace, pour it into your mold or molds, scraping the bowl to ensure no soap is left behind. Tap the molds on your table or counter to release any trapped air bubbles.
11. Allow the soap to sit in the molds for 48-72 hours at room temperature. Unmold soap, cut into bars if using a loaf mold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.
12. Your beautiful, handmade soaps are now ready for use! Enjoy