Homemade Bar Soap (Cold Process – Basic Olive Oil)

Name: Homemade Bar Soap (Cold Process – Basic Olive Oil)
Cuisine: From Scratch
Ingredients: 700 g Olive oil (pomace or pure); 200 g Coconut oil; 100 g Shea butter or cocoa butter; 110–115 g (calculate precisely with soap calculator) Sodium hydroxide (NaOH / lye); 250 ml Distilled water; 30–40 ml (optional) Essential oils (lavender, tea tree, etc.)

A recipe from From Scratch.

From ScratchBarSoapColdProcessFromScratchNaturalHomemadeVeganOliveOilSoap

Homemade Bar Soap (Cold Process – Basic Olive Oil)

Nutrition (per serving)

0Calories

0 gProtein

0 gCarbs

0 gFat

0 gSugar

0 mgSalt

Ingredients

700 g Olive oil (pomace or pure)
200 g Coconut oil
100 g Shea butter or cocoa butter
110–115 g (calculate precisely with soap calculator) Sodium hydroxide (NaOH / lye)
250 ml Distilled water
30–40 ml (optional) Essential oils (lavender, tea tree, etc.)

Method

Safety: Gloves, goggles, long sleeves, ventilation. Never add water to lye.
In heat-safe container, slowly add NaOH to cold distilled water (not reverse) → stir gently → solution heats up → cool to 38–43 °C.
Melt coconut oil + shea butter → mix with olive oil → heat to 38–43 °C (same range as lye).
Slowly pour lye solution into oils → blend with stick blender 3–10 minutes until light trace (pudding-like consistency).
Add essential oils → blend 30 seconds more.
Pour into silicone mold or lined wooden box → tap to remove bubbles → cover lightly with cardboard → insulate with towel.
Let sit 24–48 hours until hard (soap will heat up and gel during saponification).
Unmold → cut into bars → cure on rack in well-ventilated area 4–6 weeks (turn occasionally) — soap becomes milder and harder over time.
Makes 12–16 bars — gentle, moisturizing olive-oil-based handmade bar soap.