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Emily

Shea Butter Soap Bars

5 from 5 votes
This simple soap recipe is perfect for anyone wanting the best for their skin at a great cost. Packed with nourishing oils, this shea butter soap bar recipe is sure to be one of your favorites.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Additional Time 1 day
Servings: 10 Bars
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lye solution
  • 298 g distilled water
  • 116 g lye, NaOH
Fats & Oils
  • 454 g shea butter
  • 182 g beef tallow from grass fed beef if possible
  • 136 g castor oil
  • 136 g coconut oil
  • 27 g essential oils lavender, lemon grass, patchouli, eucalyptus, make sure any essential oil you use is safe for the skin

Equipment

  • Digital kitchen scale
  • Stainless steel bowl
  • Heat proof glass
  • Whisk
  • rubber or nitrile gloves
  • Safety glasses/goggles
  • 42oz soap mold with silicone insert

Method
 

  1. Before beginning make sure you can work distraction free for at least two hours. No kids or pets around when you are making soap. Wear your safety gear and tie back your hair if it's long.
Weigh out all ingredients
  1. In separate bowls weigh out all ingredients. I like to weigh out the oils/fats first, then the water, and last the lye.
Make your lye solution
  1. In a well ventilated area, carefully pour the lye into your water, never the other way around. Snow falls on the lake. Stir continuously until the lye has fully dissolved. Do not inhale any fumes the lye solution will produce at this time.
Melt the oils
  1. Combine all oils into a stainless steel pot or bowl. You can also use a crockpot. Set the oils to melt over low heat. Shea butter can become grainy when heated to quickly. Break apart any large chunks and stir occasionally as it melts.
Check the temps
  1. Once the oils have fully melted check the temperature of the oils and the lye solution. If they are under 140F and within ten degrees of each other, move on to the next step. If they are still too warm, give them a few more minutes to cool down.
Make your soap batter
  1. Carefully pour the lye solution into the melted oils. Stir vigorously with a whisk for 1-2 minutes or until the oils and solution are fully emulsified and the soap batter has reached the consistency of a thin pudding, aka trace.
  2. If you'd like to add any essential oils, do so now and whisk those in.
Mold, cut, and cure
  1. Pour the soap batter into your prepared mold. Wiggle it around and bang in on the counter to release any air bubbles and smooth out the top. Decorate the top as desired.
  2. Optional. You can spritz the top of the soap with rubbing alcohol to help prevent soda ash formation. You can also wrap your soap in a towel or old blanket to help the soap go through a gel phase.
  3. Set aside in a safe place for 24 hours.
  4. The next day, unmold the soap and cut into 1" wide bars. Place the bars in a well ventilated area out of direct sunlight to cure for the next 4-6 weeks before use.

Notes

Soda ash is a naturally occurring substance that is produced when unsaponified lye comes into contact with the carbon dioxide in the air. It is totally harmless and does not effect the usefulness of your soap. To help prevent soda ash formation, spritz the top of the molded soap batter with rubbing alcohol and leave it molded for at least 24 hours.