A cold process soap made with raw, unfiltered honey, beeswax, and skin loving oils for a bar that’s gentle on skin and lathers beautifully!
Over the last few years I’ve made my fair share of soap. It’s safe to say that once you start making your own soap it’s hard to go back to anything else.
From coffee soap to milk soap, loofah soap, and even dish soap bars, making your own soap is so rewarding. While it does take a considerable amount of ingredients from the start, over time, those ingredients will make several batches of soap.
Bastile soap is a type of cold process soap with a high amount of olive oil (70% or more). While this Bastille soap has 50% olive oil, I still regard it as Bastille. It’s great for even the smallest of kiddos, and very gentle on skin. However, because it is so high in olive oil, it needs ample time to cure.
When making this soap, please allow at least 6-8 weeks (if not longer) for the bars to cure after being cut from the mold.
Honey Bastile Cold Process Soap
A gentle and moisturizing cold process soap made with honey and beeswax and a superheat of 6%. This recipe makes 8 bars of soap.
INGREDIENTS INCLUDE:
- castor oil 2.54 oz – 8%
- coconut oil, 76 deg, 3.96 oz – 12%
- olive oil 16.5 oz – 50%
- rice bran oil 1.98 oz – 6%
- shea butter 1.98 oz – 6%
- lard 4.95 oz – 15%
- beeswax .99 oz – 3%
- water 12.54 oz
- lye (sodium hydroxide) 4.31 oz
- raw, unfiltered honey, 3 TBSP – 42.52 grams
FIRST: PREPARE THE MATERIALS
#1: Suit up for safety. Put on goggles, wear gloves and don clothes that have long sleeves. Go a step further and make sure all distractions are out of the room/house – kids, pets, etc. Use a well-ventilated area (I like to use my kitchen sink because I have a few windows behind it that provide ventilation).
#2: Weigh out the water you will be using in a plastic cup or pitcher and set aside and allow to cool. You might want to stick the lye water in the freezer or fridge to allow it cool faster.
SECOND: MIX UP THE SOAP
#3: Prepare all of your ingredients – and have everything set aside to start:
- Thermometer (one that you don’t use for food)
- 1 rectangular mold
- Pyrex 8 cup measuring device – not required, but so handy to have!
- Immersion Blender – you don’t have to spend oodles but you will want something reliable with a metal stick, not plastic.
- Lye – this is the brand we use
- Digital Scale to measure your ingredients
I would avoid using a spherical mold for this soap. The honey will heat up the soap considerably and a spherical mold will create so much heat that the soap batter may volcano from the top.
#4: Sprinkle the lye into your water, a little at a time. Stir slowly as you continue to add little bits of lye until the lye is fully dissolved. Set the mixture aside to cool to a temp of 90-115 degrees F.
#5: Combine your oils that you have weighed out. Add to a pot on the stove and heat slowly. Add the beeswax and honey and keep the mixture on low heat until the beeswax dissolves. Once dissolved, allow the oils to cool to a temperature of 100-115 degrees F.
#6: Pour the lye mixture into the oils. Use your immersion blender to stir mixture together, making sure to pulse the immersion and take 15-20 second breaks. Don’t overheat your stick blender.
#7: Blend until the mixture starts to thicken. Blend with your stick blender until the mixture reaches a thick trace. It may take anywhere from 3-7 minutes if not more.
THIRD: MOLD, GEL AND CUT
#8: Pour the batter into the soap mold. Tap the mold on the counter to make sure you eliminate any air bubbles. Use a paddle or long spoon to spoon out as much of the batter as you can.
#9: Allow the soap to sit for 24 hours. Place the soap mold in a place that won’t be disturbed. Allow the soap to process through gel phase for 24 hours. Then gently remove from the mold and slice into eight 4-5 oz bars. Lay the bars on wax paper on a cookie sheet and allow them to cure for at least 8-10 weeks.
Due to the high amount of olive oil in the bars, allow the bars to cure for at least 8-10 weeks before using.
Have you ever made Bastile soap? Or have you ever considered making your own cold process soap at home?
HOW DID YOUR HONEY BASTILE SOAP TURN OUT?
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