can you use hand soap to wash your face

THE SIMPLEST COFFEE MELT AND POUR SOAP RECIPE

Coffee Melt and Pour Soap: A Beginner-Friendly Recipe for Quick, Natural Bars

Coffee melt and pour soap is an ideal, easy recipe for beginners. With just a few special ingredients, you can create a large batch of healthy, moisturizing soap free from harmful chemicals. These bars come together so quickly, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought soap!

Making useful things from scratch really gives you that “winning” feeling when it comes to homemaking. Swapping a homemade creation for a store-bought one brings you one step closer to living like a homesteader—at least, that’s what I like to tell myself. There’s something deeply satisfying about it.

Check out my homemade orange blossom face wash and honey oatmeal soap with pink clay.

One of the main reasons I started making soap for my family was to avoid harsh chemicals found in store-bought options and save some money. Last Christmas, my girls and I decided to make gift baskets filled with useful, handmade items for their teachers. We tried soap making, and we were instantly hooked!

This coffee melt and pour soap recipe is so easy, and you’ll only need to buy a couple of ingredients and supplies to make a batch that can last for months. The process is quick, too—believe it or not, your soap will be ready to use in less than a day!

Homemade coffee soap also makes a fantastic gift for coffee lovers!

Ingredients And Supplies For This Melt And Pour Coffee Soap Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

  • Goat’s Milk Soap Base – Goat’s milk is rich in fatty acids that help promote healthy skin and lock in moisture.
  • Raw Honey – Full of antioxidants, raw honey helps repair skin damage while retaining moisture for a soft, smooth feel.
  • Used Coffee Grounds – Used coffee grounds provide a lovely coffee scent without being too grainy. They also stay suspended better in the soap than fresh ground coffee.
  • Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract elevates the soap, making it smell like a delicious latte. Mmmmmm!
  • Essential Oils (Optional) – While not essential for this recipe (pun intended), essential oils add a delightful fragrance. I love using orange essential oil for an extra layer of scent. This brand is my go-to for projects like this because it’s affordable and has a strong, pleasant aroma!
  • Where to Buy – Hobby Lobby offers the best prices for goat’s milk soap base. Just keep an eye out for their soap-making supply sales!

SUPPLIES:

  • Soap Mold
  • Bowl to melt your soap base in
  • Whisk
  • Scale to weigh the soap base

What Is Coffee Soap Good For?

Coffee soap is fantastic for those with dry and itchy skin, as it helps to hydrate and soothe. It’s also gentle enough for kids to use, making it a family-friendly option for all ages.

Can You Use Coffee Grounds In Melt And Pour Soap Recipes?

Yes! It’s best to use coffee grounds that have already been brewed so that the soap isn’t too grainy. Simply remove the used grounds from your coffee filter and gently pat them dry with a paper towel.

When making melt and pour soap, wait until the soap base has cooled slightly before adding the coffee grounds. As the soap base cools, it thickens a bit, which helps keep the grounds from sinking to the bottom as they would in a hotter, runnier soap. This ensures an even distribution of the coffee grounds throughout the soap!

How Much Coffee Grounds For Melt And Pour Soap?

When using used coffee grounds for your soap, you’ll need about 1/4 cup of grounds per pound of soap base. This ratio ensures the soap gets the right amount of coffee scent and exfoliating power without becoming too gritty.

Can You Mix Honey In Melt And Pour Soap?

Raw honey is packed with antioxidants that are great for the skin, along with deep moisturizing properties. Additionally, raw honey from bees is known for its anti-fungal and anti-viral benefits, making it an excellent addition to melt and pour soaps. Despite its sweet, sticky nature, using honey in homemade soaps won’t make them sticky at all—just soft and nourishing!

What Essential Oils Work Well In Coffee Soap Recipe?

  • orange
  • geranium
  • cedarwood
  • vanilla
  • cinnamon
  • patchouli
  • grapefruit

How To Make This Coffee Melt And Pour Soap Recipe

Prep – Pat the coffee grounds dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.

Melt – Cut the soap base into 1″ cubes and melt it in a bowl in the microwave. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted.

Stir – Whisk in the coffee grounds, vanilla extract, and honey. If you’re using essential oils, add them now as well. Let the soap base mixture cool slightly to help prevent the coffee grounds from sinking to the bottom.

Pour the Mixture into the Soap Molds – Carefully pour the soap mixture into your molds, filling them all the way to the top.

Harden – Allow the soap to fully harden for at least 2 hours. Once set, simply pop the bars out of the molds and they’re ready to use!

Tips

  • Cool Slightly – Wait until the soap base has cooled slightly before adding the coffee grounds. As the base cools, it thickens, which helps keep the grounds from sinking to the bottom as they would in a hotter, runnier mixture.
  • Variations – Experiment with different essential oils in your coffee soap to add a unique fragrance and make it even more delightful.
  • To Store – Use the soap right away or store it in a dry place for later use.
  • Gifting – These homemade coffee soap bars make perfect additions to gift baskets for special occasions like Mother’s Day or Christmas!

conclusion

In conclusion, making your own coffee melt and pour soap is a simple and satisfying way to create a moisturizing, chemical-free product that’s perfect for both everyday use and gifting. With just a few ingredients like goat’s milk soap base, raw honey, coffee grounds, and essential oils, you can craft a batch of soap that’s not only beneficial for your skin but also easy to personalize. Whether you’re treating yourself or giving a thoughtful gift, homemade coffee soap offers a unique, practical, and natural option that’s sure to impress.

HONEYCRISP APPLE COLD PROCESS SOAP RECIPE

Washington state is renowned for its delicious apples, and it’s no surprise that the state produces 6 out of every 10 apples consumed in the U.S.! To showcase this local gem, we’ve incorporated applesauce from BelleWood Acres, one of Northwest Washington’s largest apple orchards. Located just 15 minutes from the Bramble Berry offices, BelleWood Acres is a beloved part of the local community, and using their applesauce in this cold process soap is a great way to support nearby makers.

While many associate apples with traditional red and green colors, this soap draws inspiration from the Honeycrisp apple, featuring shades of bright red, pink, green, and a hint of yellow. A Hanger Swirl technique creates beautiful vertical color patterns reminiscent of the stripes found on Honeycrisp apples. The Apple Macintosh Candle & Soap Fragrance Oil gives the soap a fruity, slightly tart scent, perfect for bringing a fresh, apple-filled vibe to your skincare routine.

If you’ve never added a puree to your soap before, don’t worry! Adding applesauce to this cold process recipe is easy and safe. The applesauce goes through the saponification process, just like the oils and lye. The high pH of the soap batter ensures that the applesauce will not spoil in the soap (which is why adding purees to melt-and-pour soaps is not recommended).

To accommodate the extra water in the applesauce, this recipe includes a 10% water discount. I also recommend soaping at slightly cooler temperatures to counteract the natural sugars in the applesauce, which can accelerate the trace. If you live in a hot climate, placing the soap in the fridge after pouring it into the mold can help keep the temperatures in check. The natural sugars will also contribute to a nice, fluffy lather in the final bars.

When choosing your applesauce, be sure it doesn’t contain added preservatives or extra ingredients, as these could cause unpredictable results in your soap. Stick with pure applesauce for the best outcome!

What You’ll Need:

10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
Hanger Swirl Tool
9.5 oz. Olive Oil (27%)
10.5 oz. Coconut Oil (30%)
8.8 oz. Palm Oil (25%)
1.8 oz. Shea Butter (5%)
3.5 oz. Avocado Oil (10%)
1 oz. Castor Oil (3%)
5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
10.4 oz. Distilled Water (10% water discount)
2 oz. Applesauce
1.7 oz. Apple Macintosh Candle & Soap Fragrance Oil 
Buttercup Mica
Kermit Green Mica
Sunset Orange Mica
Raspberry Mica

Safety First:
Before beginning, always prioritize safety. Ensure you are wearing goggles, gloves, and long sleeves while working with lye. Keep children, pets, and any other distractions out of the soaping area. It’s crucial to work in a well-ventilated space when making soap.

Color Preparation:
In separate containers, mix:

  • 1 tsp. Buttercup Mica and 1 tsp. Sunset Orange Mica with 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil.
  • 1/2 tsp. Kermit Green Mica and 1/2 tsp. Raspberry Mica with 1/2 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil (such as sweet almond or sunflower oil).
    Use a mini mixer to ensure there are no clumps and the mica is fully dispersed.

Fragrance Preparation:
Measure out 1.7 ounces of Apple Macintosh Fragrance Oil into a glass container that’s safe for fragrance oils. Set aside.

Apple Preparation:
Measure 2 ounces of applesauce and set aside for later use.

Steps for Soapmaking:

Step One:
Carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until it is fully dissolved and the liquid appears clear. Set the lye solution aside to cool. If you want a firmer soap that releases more easily from the mold, consider adding sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe, which in this case would be 2 teaspoons.

Step Two:
Fully melt and combine the coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, castor oil, shea butter, and avocado oil. Be sure to melt and mix the entire amount of palm oil before measuring and adding it. Once the oils are fully melted, add the applesauce and use a stick blender to mix for about a minute. Blending the applesauce into the oils before adding the lye helps to create a smoother consistency without speeding up trace.

Step Three:
Once the oils and applesauce mixture is well blended, carefully add the lye water to the oils. Use a stick blender to mix until you reach a thin trace. After about 10-20 seconds of blending, you’ll begin to notice the soap batter darkening into a honey-like color. This change is due to the natural sugars in the applesauce, which react during the saponification process.

Step Four:
After reaching a thin trace, divide the soap batter into four equal containers, each holding about 400 mL of soap. Take a moment to admire the beautiful color change! The batter should have transformed into a rich, honey-toned shade, thanks to the applesauce’s natural sugars.

Step Five:
Add the following amounts of dispersed mica into each container. Use a whisk to fully incorporate the color into the soap batter:

  • Container A (Pink): 1 tsp. dispersed Raspberry Mica + 1 tsp. Sunset Orange Mica
  • Container B (Green): 1 tsp. dispersed Kermit Green Mica
  • Container C (Orange): 1 tsp. dispersed Sunset Orange Mica
  • Container D (Yellow): All of the dispersed Buttercup Mica

Step Six:
Evenly divide the Apple Macintosh Candle & Soap Fragrance Oil into each container (it’s fine to eyeball it). Use a whisk to fully incorporate the fragrance oil into each container of soap batter, ensuring that the scent is evenly distributed throughout the soap.

Step Seven:
Begin pouring stripes of each color down the length of the mold. The order in which you pour the colors doesn’t matter, so feel free to start with any color. For this tutorial, the order was orange, followed by pink, green, and yellow. Pour the colors from varying heights to allow them to break through and mix into the layers below. Don’t worry about being overly precise—this part is about creating a fun, natural swirl effect!

Step Eight:
Continue pouring the colors into the mold, aiming for about four pours of each color. As you fill the mold, you’ll notice that the layers start to build up. Once you’re almost at the top, leave a small amount of each color to reserve for the top layer. This will allow you to create a nice finishing touch on the soap’s surface.

Step Nine:
Insert the Hanger Swirl Tool into one side of the mold, all the way to the bottom. Drag the hanger against the bottom of the mold toward you, covering about 1/8th of the way. Once you’ve dragged the hanger, pull it up slowly until it nearly breaks through the top of the soap, but don’t let it fully break the surface. Then, move the hanger slightly over and push it back down into the soap, dragging it along the bottom again for another 1/8th of the mold. Continue this process, bringing the hanger up just before it reaches the top, moving it over, and pushing it back down. Repeat the motion, but this time go in the opposite direction to create a swirling effect. Remember, this doesn’t need to be perfect—imperfections can make the design look even more unique and beautiful!

Step Ten:
Gently tap the mold on the counter to help release any trapped air bubbles and settle the soap batter. Once that’s done, drizzle each color on top of the soap, following the length of the mold. This will add a beautiful finishing touch and enhance the swirl effect when you cut the soap later.

Step Eleven:
Take a chopstick or dowel and gently insert it into the very top layer of the soap. You only want to swirl the top layer to create a nice effect without disturbing the rest of the soap. Drag the tool down the length of the mold, but do so in the opposite direction of how you poured the soap on top. This will create the most visually interesting swirl pattern. Be careful not to over-swirling, as it could cause the colors to blend together and lose their vibrant separation. Once you’re satisfied with the design, lightly spritz the surface with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash from forming as it cures.

Step Twelve:
Due to the extra sugar content in the applesauce, this soap may go through a gel phase, causing it to get quite hot. If you’re working in a cooler room temperature, you can leave the soap out on the counter without insulation for the first 24 hours. However, if you’re in a hotter climate, it’s best to place the soap into the fridge for 2 hours or even overnight to keep temperatures manageable. After the initial curing phase, let the soap sit in the mold for about 3 days to fully harden.

Once the soap has set, carefully remove it from the mold and cut it into bars. Allow the bars to cure for 4-6 weeks before using to ensure they reach their full hardness and lather potential. Enjoy your homemade Honeycrisp Apple soap!

Conclusion

Making Honeycrisp Apple Cold Process Soap is a fun and rewarding way to create a beautiful, fragrant, and unique soap. By incorporating local ingredients like applesauce, you not only enhance the soap’s natural qualities, such as a fluffy lather, but you also support your local community. With the vibrant colors inspired by the apples, and the addition of Apple Macintosh fragrance oil, your bars will evoke the sweet and tart essence of fresh apples.

The process requires attention to detail, from the careful mixing of oils and lye to the precise pouring and swirling of colors, but the result is a batch of soap that’s both visually stunning and gentle on the skin. After curing, you’ll have a delightful soap that you can enjoy or gift to others, knowing you’ve created something special from scratch. Enjoy the satisfaction of crafting your own handmade soap!