New Soapmaking Book + A Triple Butter Silk & Agave Soap Recipe
I’m super excited to be able to share not only a new soapmaking book with you but a new soap recipe as well! This triple butter silk & agave soap recipe is from Jan Berry’s new soapmaking book, Simple & Natural Soapmaking! As the author behind both The Nerdy Farm Wife blog and her previous book, 101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health & Home, Jan Berry brings her expertise as an herbalist to you in a new soapmaking book that offers a modern twist on creating truly natural, eco-friendly soaps.
A Must Have New Soapmaking Book
Simple & Natural Soapmaking is a comprehensive guide to creating your own natural homemade soaps using foraged botanicals, essential oils and other common ingredients. Beginning soapmakers will discover detailed soapmaking tutorials, soapmaking recipes and step-by-step photos to help guide them through the process of modern soapmaking. There are fifty unique soap recipes in total, all of which are inspired by her very own herb and vegetable gardens as well as the farm, forest and sea.
This beautiful soapmaking book covers both traditional cold process soapmaking as well the more modern hot process soapmaking method. In addition to these recipes, Jan’s new soapmaking book also features guides on the properties of various essential oils, oil and milk infusions with healing herbs and easy decoration techniques.
While suitable for beginners, Jan’s new soapmaking book is also a great resource for seasoned soapmakers as well. The beautiful photos, appealing soap recipes and in-depth tutorials make this new soapmaking book a treasure for any soaping library.
Right now, if you pre-order Simple & Natural Soapmaking, you’ll receive complimentary access to Jan’s 6 Weeks of Soapmaking Success eCourse! (Normally $47, yours free!) This soapmaking course dives deeper into six areas of soapmaking that are often challenging or intimidating to soapmakers. Each lesson will equip you with the information you need to experience further success in your soapmaking endeavors as well as provide inspiring soapmaking videos to demonstrate that lesson’s theme.
You can pre-order Simple & Natural Soapmaking here. Once you’ve ordered your new soapmaking book, you can obtain access to the soapmaking success ecourse here. Lesson 1, Success with Fruits & Veggies, and Lesson 2, Success with Flowers & Herbs, are available now with a new course releasing each subsequent week on the following schedule:
• July 20: Success with Alternative Liquids
• July 27: Success with Natural Colorants
• Aug 3: Success with Simple Soap Designs
• Aug 10: Success with Soap Label Design
Ready to give Jan’s triple butter silk & agave soap recipe a try? You’ll find her creamy conditioning homemade soap recipe below.
Triple Butter Silk & Agave Soap Recipe
By Jan Berry
Yield: 7 to 8 Bars of Soap (2.5 LBS/1.13 KG)
This sumptuous soap recipe is brimming with ingredients that your skin will adore. A trio of creamy conditioning butters ensures that your skin is well nourished, while silk adds an unparalleled touch of luxury. The natural sugars from agave syrup provides a small boost to lather, but if it̕s not available, honey can be used in its place.
Ingredients:
8.75 oz (248 g) distilled water
3.85 oz (109 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
Small pinch of Tussah silk
7 oz (198 g) coconut oil (25%)
3 oz (85 g) cocoa butter (10.7%)
3 oz (85 g) mango butter (10.7%)
3 oz (85 g) shea butter (10.7%)
12 oz (340 g) olive oil (42.9%)
1 tsp (5 ml) agave syrup mixed with 1 tsp (5 ml) water
1.23 oz (35 g) lavender essential oil (optional)
Instructions:
Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, carefully stir the lye into the distilled water. Add a small pinch of silk, then stir thoroughly. Set the lye solution aside in a safe place to cool.
Melt the coconut oil and solid butters, then add to the olive oil. Add the lye solution to the warm oils. Using a combination of hand stirring and an immersion blender, stir the soap until it reaches a light trace.
Stir in the essential oil, if using, and diluted agave syrup. Pour the soap batter into a prepared mold or individual molds. Cover lightly with a sheet of wax or freezer paper, then a towel or light blanket. Peek at the soap every so often; if it starts developing a crack, uncover and move it to a cooler location.
Keep the soap in the mold for 1 to 2 days, or until it̕s easy to remove, then slice it into bars when it̕s firm enough not to stick to your cutting tool. Cure on coated cooling racks or sheets of wax paper about 4 weeks before using.
If you’d like more detailed information on making cold process soap from scratch, you can find my tutorial for cold process soapmaking here. You may also be interested in my own cold process green tea & agave soap recipe available here.
To discover more soapmaking resources as well as additional homemade soap recipes, be sure to follow my Simply Soapmaking Pinterest board. You can also find more great bath, body and beauty recipes as well as a collection of food recipes and DIY projects on my Pinterest boards here.
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