Shea Butter Soap Recipe
A creamy, conditioning cold process shea butter soap recipe with olive, coconut, sweet almond and castor oil.
BeginnerCold process5% superfatCure: 5 weeks
Why this recipe works
A generous amount of shea butter gives a hard bar with a creamy, conditioning feel. Sweet almond oil adds a silky touch.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | % | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 35% | 350 g | 11.2 oz |
| Coconut Oil (76°) | 25% | 250 g | 8 oz |
| Shea Butter | 25% | 250 g | 8 oz |
| Sweet Almond Oil | 10% | 100 g | 3.2 oz |
| Castor Oil | 5% | 50 g | 1.6 oz |
| Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) | 138 g | 4.4 oz | |
| Distilled water | 276.1 g | 8.8 oz |
Amounts are for 1000 g (or 32 oz) of oils, a batch of about 1414 g before curing. Water is 2:1 to lye by weight.
Method
- Put on gloves and eye protection and clear the work area.
- Weigh the water (or frozen liquid) into a heat-safe jug. Weigh the lye separately, then slowly add the lye to the water, never the other way round. Stir until dissolved and leave to cool.
- Weigh and melt the hard oils and butters, then add the liquid oils.
- When the oils and lye solution are both around 35–45°C (unless the tips say otherwise), pour the lye solution into the oils.
- Stick blend in short bursts until light trace (like thin custard). Stir in fragrance, colour and any additives.
- Pour into the mould, cover and leave for 24–48 hours.
- Unmould, cut into bars and cure on a rack in a dry, airy place.
Tips
- Melt the shea butter fully and stir well so it does not leave grainy spots.
- Shea speeds trace slightly, so have your colours and fragrance ready.
⚠️ Lye safety
Lye is caustic. Wear gloves and eye protection, work in a ventilated room, keep children and pets away, and always add lye to water. Always run any recipe through a lye calculator before making it, especially if you change an oil.
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