Orange and Cinnamon Soap Recipe

Sliced Orange & Cinnamon Soap

This is one of my all time favourite cold process soap recipes.

 

This is Orange, Cinnamon & Clove Soap and the batch in the photos was made before I got my soap cutter, so I cut it with a large knife, hence the wobbly edges. I stuck some whole cloves into each bar for fragrance but these can be removed before use to avoid injury.

I thought you might like my recipe;

Soap Base: makes approx 1kg (percentages are given for sap calculations)

500g Olive Oil 32.5%
275g Coconut Oil 18%
225g Palm Oil 14.5%
145g Sodium Hydroxide 9.5% (this is very toxic stuff so take care)
375g Water 24.5% (yes, the water is weighed not measured)

This is how I calculated how much sodium hydroxide I needed, using the sap value of each oil that I used;

0.134 x 500g = 67g
0.190 x 275g = 52g
0.141 x 225g = 32g
Total = 151g

Then I decided that I wanted a superfatted soap which is more moisturising on the skin, so I reduced the amount of sodium hydroxide by using this calculation;

151g x 96% for superfatting = 145g

Superfatting just means that not all of the fat saponifies completely and you get a fattier, softer soap. Not as gross as it sounds.

Then I calculated the essential Oils @ 1% = 15g total - made up as; 10g Orange essential oil, 5g Cinnamon essential oil

I used this brilliant cold process methos as described on The Soap Kitchen's website.

Sometimes adding orange oil can mean that it takes longer to saponify than usual, so you will have to stir patiently. I used a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper for the mold and kept that tray just for soap so as not to contaminate any food. Remember to insulate the mold so that the soap cools slowly and leave your soap slices for the recommended period (about a month) before using it or giving it as a gift because it needs to cure so that it isn't caustic.

In the UK you cannot sell homemade cosmetics and soaps without a certificate for each product and strict records for each batch. There are also strict rules about labelling. It is perfectly ok to give them as gifts though.

Some packaging or wrapping ideas for giving handmade soaps as gifts;

Hessian band tied with raffia

Paper band label

Cellophane

Tissue paper

Organza gift bags

Tied with raffia to a soap dish/face cloth, etc.

In a handmade card box (or try this one )

There are a lot of recipes out there and plenty of videos on You Tube, why not take a look or have a go yourself? Just remember to follow all the safety advice as sodium hydroxide and raw soap mix is nasty stuff (your finished soap will be perfectly safe, once cured).