How to Make Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter Soap

Most soaps are effective at cleaning, but some are luxurious–especially those that contain a large percentage of moisturizing butter and oils. This recipe contains cocoa butter as well as shea butter. Together, they make up about a quarter by weight of the total ingredients. Your skin will feel silky, smooth, and nourished. It’s easy and quick to make. However, the soap takes a while to cure. If you want, you can customize the soap by adding fragrance oils. These soap bars make great homemade gifts.

How to Make Soap 

What you’ll need

Equipment and Tools

• Kitchen scale
• Bowls to measure ingredients on the scale
• Microwaveable medium-sized bowl or pot
• For the micas, you will need two small bowls with a fork/whisk (optional).
• Safety goggles and gloves
• Pitcher (for lye solutions)
• Spoons made of stainless steel
• Immersion blender
• Soap bar mould

Materials

• Cocoa butter, 6 oz
• Shea Butter 5 1/2 Ounces
• Coconut oil 15 1/2 oz
• 4 1/2 ounces of lard or palm oil (for a vegetarian alternative).
• Olive oil 11 ounces
• Castor oil, 2 ounces
• You can choose any 2 ounces of essential oils or fragrances.
• Half a teaspoon of gold mica colorant is optional.
• 12 teaspoons of brown mica colorant
• Use two tablespoons of carrier oil, such as avocado, olive, or almond oil, to apply micas
• 12 1/2 ounces of distilled water
• 6 ounces of lye flakes

Instructions

Melt the oils

1. To melt the cocoa butter, place only the cocoa in your microwaveable bowl or pot. Heat the cocoa butter in the microwave for 3 minutes on 50% power. Melt the cocoa butter on low-medium heat.
2. Add the shea butter when the cocoa butter has partially melted. Continue heating until the butter is melted. Add the coconut oil, followed by the lard.
3. Heat until all butter and oils have melted. Add the olive oil and castor oil to the mixture.

Prepare the Micas (Optional).

1. As you wait for the oils, you can also measure out any micas you may be using. These are both completely optional for this recipe.
2. Pour your soap into a warm, rich swirl pattern, and place the gold mica in a small dish with one tablespoon of carrier oil. In a separate bowl, combine the brown mica with the gold. Stir well, both with a whisk or fork.

Make the Lye solution and add it to the oils.

1. Put on safety goggles and gloves before you begin. Pour the distilled water into your pitcher. Add the lye to the water and stir gently with a stainless steel spoon. As the lye dissolves, it emits heat. If you work too fast, the mixture can bubble. Allow the lye to cool down until it stops bubbling.

WARNING

1. Inhaling lye can cause serious burns to the eyes, skin, and lungs. Wear protective gear and work in an area that is well-ventilated when working with lye.
2. Add the lye to the oils. Mix the oils with an immersion blender until the mixture reaches ” trace,” which means the mixture holds its shape when you drag it through the blender.
3. If you are using fragrance, add it and mix a little more.

Swirl the Micas

1. Pour the color swirl, and pour the first bowl of mica on one side and the second bowl of mica on the opposite side.

Mix in the Micas Optional

1. Swirl the color into your mixture using the immersion blender without it being on. You can either leave the color swirls in place or blend it well to get a more subtle variation.

Mold the Soap

1. Pour the soap into your mold and let it cure. After about 24 hours, remove your soap bar from the mold. Let it cure for three to six weeks.