Soaper's Recipe Page
Here in the
body are the sacred rivers; here are the sun and moon as well as the pilgrimage
places. I have not encountered another temple as blissful as my own body.
- Sahara 
Soap Recipes
(note: The best soap recipes are measured by weight because different oils weigh differently by volume. However, some recipes can be adjusted when this is considered.)
Basic Soap
10 1/2 oz. Coconut oil
10 1/2 Palm oil
7 oz. Olive oil
3 1/2 Cocoa Butter
2 oz. Vitamin E (preservative)
2 1/3 Aloe Vera Oil (concentrate)
11 oz. Water
4 1/2 oz. Lye (NaOH or Sodium Hydroxide, 'Red Devil' brand NOT Draino)
Instructions:
Wearing apron, gloves, glasses or face shield and avoid breathing fumes, do the following: Measure water in large clear heavy duty (Rubbermaid) pitcher and lye in stainless steel cup. Pour lye into water and stir with stainless steel spoon (NEVER pour water into lye!) Set aside in a safe place and allow to cool. You know your lye mixture is ready to use when it is clear and comfortable to touch the outside of the pitcher, or around 110F - 120F measured with a candy thermometer. Next weigh all the oils and melt them together in a stainless steel pot except for the Vit. E and the Aloe Vera oils. Check oil temperature and allow to cool if above 120F. When lye and oils are at the same approximate temperature, slowly pour the lye into the oils stirring briskly with stainless whisk or wooden spoon. Stir continuously for 4 - 5 minutes. Have your molds prepared and ready to pour the soap. Stir and check soap every couple of minutes until soap begins to thicken and become opaque. Once you are sure soap is thickening, you may add the Vit. E and Aloe Vera oils. Stir well and add the scent. Full trace is the point where a thin trail of soap will remain on the surface of the soap for a moment. Working quickly at full trace, pour the soap into molds and cover for 12 - 24 hours. Unmold soap and allow to 'cure' for 2 - 4 weeks. If soap does not unmold easily, you may place soap in the freezer for 8 hours to overnight. Remove mold from freezer and gently thump with mallet or rolling pin.
Mango Butter Soap
300 grams Coconut Oil
300 grams Palm Oil
100 grams Mango Butter
55 grams Vitamin E (concentrate)
311 grams Water
131 grams Lye
As mentioned above, most soap recipes are measure by weight. A good gram scale is an indispensable soapmaker's tool. However, if you do not have a gram scale you can multiple the grams in your recipe by .035. This will give you ounces. Be sure you round you numbers up or down consistently! An example is: 300 grams of Palm Oil X .035 ounces = 10.5 ounces of Palm Oil. Easy! Right?
Balm Recipes
Basic Lip Balm
1 TBS. Cocoa Butter
1 TBS. Jojoba Oil
1 TBS. Bee's Wax
1 TBS. Sweet Almond Oil
Instructions:
Melt all ingredients together into a double boiler. Wisk in sugar syrup and flavoring if desired (Peppermint Essential Oil makes a nice lip balm). Once solution has cooled slightly, pour into lip balm tubes and allow to cool for 24 hours. Depending on the size of your tubes, you may get one or more tubes from this recipe. Increasing the recipe is easy. Just remember the ratio is 1:1:1:1. That could mean 1 cup to 1 cup... or 1 pound to 1 pound...
Belly Balm
1 cup Rose Water
1/8 tsp. Borax dissolved in Water
2 TBS. Walnut oil
2 TBS. Avocado Oil
6 TBS. Sweet Almond Oil
1 TBS. Vitamin E (concentrate)
1 TBS. Cocoa Butter
1 tsp. Wheat Germ Oil
1 TBS. Rose Hip Seed Oil
1 tsp. Rose Essential Oil
6 TBS. Vodka
Instructions:
Measure all oil (except rose eo and Vit. E) in a double boiler and bring almost to boil. You should not hear any popping with a couple drops of water sprinkled in pan and you should see no smoke at all. At the same time heat the water in another pan. Bring to a low boil and add 1/8 tsp. Borax (Sodium Borate), stir and set aside. Check oils again. If good and hot but not boiling remove from heat, turn off burner and whisk in 6 TBS. of the hot water/Borax solution and 6 TBS. Vodka. Whisk by hand 2 minutes and then add Vitamin E and Rose Essential Oil. Blend 3 minutes and pour into sterile jar. Let the balm set 2 hours and shake jar. Let set over night before using.
(Note about ingredients: Avocado oil contains Vitamins A, D, E, which help to heal stretch marks. Vodka and Borax aide in binding the water to the oils. Vitamin E acts as a natural preservative and healing agent and Rose Hip Seed Oil is known for its scar healing abilities.)
Dream
Balm 
Taken from Rosemary Gladstar's, Herbs for Natural Beauty
1/4 ounce Chamomile
1/4 ounce Roses
1/4 ounce Hops
1/4 ounce Mugwort
1/4 ounce Lavender
1 cup Almond oil
1/4 cup Beeswax
Instructions:
In a double boiler over low heat, slowly bring the herbs and oil to simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. Be certain not to overheat or burn the oil. Using a large strainer lined with cheesecloth, muslin, or coffee filters, strain herbs from oil.
Return herbal oil to pan and add the beeswax. It will melt quickly if grated. Stir Test the consistency of your balm by placing one tablespoon in the refrigerator. When it reaches desired consistency, quickly stir in enough essential oils to strongly scent the dream balm.
Pour into glass containers with tight fitting lids. Label with stars and moons and spiral symbols - all gateways to dreamland!
To use, gently massage a small among of Dream Balm over the temples, nape of the neck, and behind the ears just before bedtime.
Spa Recipes
Salt Scrub/Glow
2 lbs. Dead Sea Salt
1 lb. Epsom Salt
1/4 cup Borax
1/2 cup Vitamin E
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup Jojoba Oil
1/2 lb. Shredded Soap
2 TBS. Glycerin
2 tsp. Vitamin C
1 tsp. Lime Zest
1 tsp. Orange Zest
3 tsp. Lime Essential Oil
Instructions:
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly. Add oils together and combine with dry. Store in a clean, dry, air tight container. To use massage about a cup into skin once or twice a week.
Spa Salts
2 cups Borax*
1/8 cup Dead Sea Salt
1/8 cup Kaolin Clay
Instructions:
Combine borax*, salt, and clay. Use a wire whisk to mix all the ingredients evenly. Scent with essential oil(s). The mix will absorb a lot of oil.
Cover with a porous cloth and let sit several hours to dry. Blend well with a wire whisk again. Add 4-6 tablespoons of the salts to bathwater, allowing the salts to dissolve in the water before bathing.
(*note: Borax is a the natural mineral Sodium Borate. This mineral softens the water, is a cleansing agent, and has the unique ability to suspend soap particles in water so they do not adhere to the skin or clog the pores)
Have you got the urge to create? Go to our Wholesale Soapmaker's Supply page and order the ingredients online!