Spicy Pepper & Patchouli Palm Free Cold Process Soap Recipe

This palm free cold process soap recipe is scented with a pepper fragrance oil that’s been blended with patchouli, clove and cinnamon essential oils. The spicy fragrance blend of this palm free cold process soap recipe makes it suitable for either sex due to it’s unisex scent. However, as both pepper fragrance oils and pepper essential oil both  accelerate trace and can quickly cause cold process soap to seize, this palm free cold process soap recipe is recommended for soapmakers with some experience under their belt. If you’re new to soapmaking but still want to give this homemade palm free cold process soap recipe a try, simply omit the pepper fragrance oil from the recipe.

In addition to the other ingredients in this palm free cold process soap recipe, I also included calendula flower powder. Calendula flowers are traditionally used in skin care products to help support healthy skin and assist with minor wounds. It is a common ingredient in many herbal oils, salves and lip balm recipes. Alternately you can also infuse the olive oil in this palm free cold process soap recipe with whole calendula flowers prior to creating this homemade soap.

Spicy Pepper & Patchouli Palm Free Cold Process Soap Recipe

© Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen

Ingredients:

7.2 oz. lard (pig tallow)
11.52 oz. pomace olive oil
5.4 oz. rice bran oil
7.2 oz. 76° melt point (refined) coconut oil
1.8 oz. castor oil
2.88 oz. sunflower oil

11.8 fluid oz. distilled water
4.8 oz. lye/sodium hydroxide

.5 oz. sodium lactate (60% solution)
1 oz. patchouli essential oil
.3 oz. Madagascar pepper fragrance oil (or .15 oz. black pepper essential oil)
.15 oz. cinnamon leaf essential oil
.05 oz. clove bud essential oil
.5 oz. calendula flower powder
whole black peppercorns, to suit (optional)

Soap Notes:

Water as % of oils = 33%
8% superfat

This palm free cold process soap recipe yields 10-12 bars of soap that will weigh around 4 oz. each depending on how they are cut and fits inside my DIY wooden loaf soap mold.

If you do not want to use tallow, palm oil is the closet alternative. You won’t need to recalculate the lye for this substitution unless you are changing the batch size or superfat for this palm free cold process soap recipe. However, by using palm, this homemade soap recipe will obviously no longer be palm free. Rice bran oil can easily be substituted with olive oil or grapeseed oil and sunflower oil with safflower oil. However you will want to run the numbers back through a lye calculator just to be safe.

If you like this palm free cold process soap recipe but prefer a different scent, simply substitute the fragrance oil and essential oils with up to 2-2.25 oz. of your fragrance oil of choice. (Or up to 1 oz. per pound of oils.) To substitute essential oils for this homemade soap recipe use 1-3% of the total oil weight in your choice of essential oil(s). However, defer to manufacturer’s usage recommendations if they vary from typical rates of usage.

Instructions:

To create this spicy pepper & patchouli palm free cold process soap recipe, you’ll need to follow your basic cold process soapmaking method instructions. (If you’ve never made cold process soap before here’s a good, inexpensive beginner’s cold process soap recipe.) Be sure to take all proper safety precautions when working with lye including goggles and gloves.

Begin by measuring out the distilled water in fluid ounces. Pour into a heat safe pitcher. Next, using a digital scale weigh out the lye. Slowly pour the lye into the water in a well ventilated area and stir until all the lye has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Now weigh out the lard along with the olive, rice bran, coconut, castor and sunflower oils using a digital scale and combine in a stainless steel pot. Heat until all the ingredients have melted, then remove from heat. Prepare your fragrance and essential oils by weighing them out into a glass Pyrex measuring cup and set aside. Do the same with the sodium lactate and calendula flower powder.

When the lye-water and soapmaking oils have cooled to around 85°-90°F you’re ready to make soap.

Add the sodium lactate to the cooled lye-water and stir.

Add the calendula flower powder to the soapmaking oils and mix with a stick blender until evenly distributed.

Now slowly pour the lye-water into the soapmaking oils. Mix with a stick blender until you reach a very light trace. Add the fragrance and essential oils and continue mixing either with the stick blender on the lowest setting or by hand. The soap will will thicken very quickly. It will also very likely seize. Don’t panic. Simply pour or spoon the soap into your prepared mold. If it solidifies on you simply put on gloves and press the soap into the mold. As it begins to gel – this also happens very quickly – it will mush into place for you. Push the soap evenly down into the mold.

If desired add whole black peppercorns to the top of the soap and gently press into the top of the soap using gloved hands.

Leave the soap uncovered and set aside for 24 hours.

After 24 hours your can unmold your homemade soap loaf and cut it into bars. Allow bars to cure 4-6 weeks before use, then wrap and label as desired.

For more of my homemade soap recipes as well as bath and beauty DIY’s be sure to visit Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen. You can also follow me on Pinterest for collections of not only my homemade soap recipes and beauty DIY’s but also some of my favorites from around the web. Or, for more palm free cold process soap recipes go here.

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