Craft Shop - Making Your Own Coconut Soap

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Start by selecting Recipe 1 or 2 from below.  The equipment and directions are the same for both.

Recipe 1: Lathering Skin Bar (20% superfat)

Note: Because this soap is highly superfatted it can create a very dense lather when rubbed directly on skin. 

  • 33 oz Coconut Oil, 76 degree
  • 4.83 oz. Lye (NaOH)
  • 12.54 oz. Water
  • .5 – 1 oz. Essential Oils (optional)

Recipe 2: Laundry Soap (1% superfat) 

  • 33 oz. Coconut Oil, 76 degree
  • 5.9 oz. Lye (NaOH)
  • 12 oz. Water
  • .5 – 1 oz.  Lavender or other Essential Oils (optional)

For soap making purposes there are several types of coconut oil. I recommend the oil that has a melting point of 76 degrees.

                                                  Equipment

Note: According to Anne Watson, author of Smart Soapmaking, you can use your regular kitchen utensils as long as you follow these guidelines:

  • crock pot – 8 quart
  • stick blender
  • digital scale
  • thermometer
  • glass measuring cups
  • small glass bowls
  • plastic spoon with long handle
  • rubber spatula
  • sink or bowl filled with vinegar and water for cleaning anything that comes in contact with lye. Follow by cleaning with soap.
  • protective equipment: long-sleeved shirt, plastic/rubber gloves, safety glasses or protective eye gear
  • soap mold – A standard sized bread pan is perfect for this batch, cardboard boxes will also work
  • parchment paper for lining the soap mold.

                                                 Directions

  1. Weigh your ingredients and set your crockpot to low.
  2. Add water to a medium-sized glass or ceramic bowl and take it outside along with the lye and long-handled spoon. While wearing your protective gear and taking care not to breathe the vapors, slowly add the lye to the water while mixing gently. Order is important here, so make sure it is the lye you’re pouring into the water.  The mixture will get very hot so be careful! Let it transition from cloudy to clear, then bring it inside. Let cool for 5-10 minutes while you work on step 3.
  3. Place coconut oil in a saucepan and heat to 120-130F. Make sure that your thermometer is not touching the bottom of the pot when taking your reading. (You can skip this step if you want to add your oil directly to the crockpot and wait for it to melt, but I prefer not to wait.)
  4. Place coconut oil in your crockpot and set to low.
  5. Add lye to crockpot (being careful not to splash) and stir a few times.
  6. Using the stick blender begin mixing toward “trace.” You’ll know trace is achieved when the mixture has the texture and thickness of a light pudding.
  7. Cover and let cook on low. During this process the oils should rise up the sides like a wave and then fold back into the mixture. Mine usually takes 45 minutes – 1 hour but the cooking time will vary depending on how hot your crock pot is. Check on it often. If it rises up the sides and seems like it might overflow just give it a quick stir and it will reduce in volume.
  8. When the soap is ready it should look a little like semi-translucent vaseline with no oil puddles in the middle. There are two ways to test and see if it’s done. First, dip a PH test strip and wait several minutes for it to fully change color. It should be between 7-10. If it is higher than 10 it’s not done. For a slightly less scientific approach, take a little of the soap and rub it between your fingers. It should feel a bit waxy. Now touch it to your tongue. If it ‘zaps’ you, it’s not done. Note: It is really important to make sure all the lye is converted – otherwise the finished soap can burn!
  9. If you’re adding essential oils, wait until the mixture cools a little and then add them, otherwise they will lose their fragrance.
  10. Spoon mixture into your mold and let cool. If you want to speed up this process put it in the fridge.
  11. Unlike other bars which need to harden for 24 hours before being cut, coconut oil makes a very hard bar that will be difficult to cut if you let it dry too long. Cut as soon as it’s cool and firm.
  12. In an area with good air flow, place bars on a rack/tray with about an inch of space between them. Allow them to dry out and harden for another few days. Though you can try your first bar right away, it’s best to let them sit for 2-3 weeks to let the conditioning properties fully develop.

Source: https://www.mommypotamus.com/

                                    Did you know that...

  • Every bit of the coconut is used. As a result, coconuts are called the “Tree of Life” and can produce drink, fiber, food, fuel, utensils, musical instruments, and much more. 
  • When intra-venous (IV) solution was in short supply, doctors during World War II and Vietnam used coconut water in substitution of IV solutions.
  • Botanically, the coconut palm is not a tree since there is no bark, no branches, or secondary growth. A coconut palm is a woody perennial monocotyledon with the trunk being the stem.
  • Possibly the oldest reference is from Cosmas, a 5th century AD Egyptian traveler. He wrote about the “Indian nut” or “nut of India” after visiting India and Ceylon, Some scholars believe Cosmas was describing a coconut.
  • In 16th century, Sir Francis Drake called coconut “nargils”, which was the common term used until the 1700’s when the word coconut was established. Coconut growing regions are as far north as Hawaii and as far south as Madagascar.
  • The sailors aboard Vasco de Gama’s ships gave the coconut its name.  They called it “Coco”, named after a grimacing face or hobgoblin.  The brown, hairy husk and three face-like dimples made them think the seed looked like a sort of spirit.  When the “coco” came to England, the suffix of nut was added and that’s how the name came about.
  • Falling coconuts kill 150 people every year – 10 times the number of people killed by sharks.
  • Coconut oil was the world’s leading vegetable oil until soybean oil took over in the 1960’s.There are more than 20 billion coconuts produced each year.
  • Coconut oils contain MCT’s, a median chain triglycerides which are easy to digest.  The oil is source of energy and has an accelerating effect on the metabolism. Coconut oils are very healthy and good for your heart.
  • Coconut oils also contain four growth hormones, called cytokinins, and three sets of chromosomes – or triploids – that help the development of many organisms.  Coconut water is considered the “father of modern tissue culture science”.