This cold press soap recipe ticks lots of boxes for me as it's a lovely hard bar with creamy bubbles, very conditioning, laced with runny honey and beeswax. It's a perfect luxury bar of soap for the shower or bath.
Recipe for Beeswax and Honey Soap - 500g
140g Lard - with no additives
125g Olive Oil - the cheapest you can buy, preferably not Extra Virgin
115g Coconut Oil
90g Shea Butter
30g Beeswax
190g Distilled or Bottled Water - please do not use tap water
68g Sodium Hydroxide
2tspn Runny Honey
15ml Essential Oils - like Sweet Orange, Rosewood, Clary Sage
To Make your Beeswax and Honey Soap
Either line a loaf mould with bubble wrap which will look just like honeycomb when set or pour into moulds that have bees stamped into them.
Weigh out your lard, coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax, place in a double pan and melt.
Pour the water into a heatproof measuring jug, using a long handled spoon gradually pour the sodium hydroxide into the water while stirring at the same time until all has dissolved. The water will heat up very quickly to around 200f (93c). Place jug in a bowl of ice cold water to cool.
Place the olive oil into the container you are using to make your soap batter, pour the oils from the saucepan onto it, stir and leave to cool.
Allow your lye (sodium hydroxide and water) and your base oils to cool to around 90-110f (32-43c)
Pour your cooled lye into the base oils and stir.
Using a hand blender blend the batter until you reach 1st trace.
Add your essential oils and runny honey, blend through the batter.
Pour your batter into the mould.
Cover with a towel - this will allow your soap to gel properly - heat to around 200f (93c) and then cool down again. It will also help to prevent soda ash from forming on the top of your finished soap.
Wait for at least 24hrs before you unmould.
Your soap will be ready to use after about six weeks.
N.B - Care should be taken when using honey as the sugars in the honey can cause the batter to excellerate through the traces quickly.
If you are worried about making your own soap or using different ingredients please think about booking onto the Soap Making Course where I will quide you all the way through.
Happy Soaping
x Diane