For a few years, I’ve been using this coconut oil recipe almost exclusively. I’ve added clay to color holiday soaps, but beyond that we’ve got the same basic pure white soap. I get 35 pound pails of coconut oil from a local distributor, Bulk Apothecary, and avoid shipping fees. You can make a lot of soap with 35 pounds of coconut oil (a year supply for us, plus a bunch to give away).

I’ve wanted to make a pumice soap with orange essential oil for cleaning greasy hands (like Fast Orange) for some time. Decided to make a couple other ‘special’ batches of soap too.

A skincare soap with tea tree oil using:

33 oz coconut oil
4.8 oz lye
9.6 oz water
2 oz tea tree oil

 

A colorful lavender scented soap with the same coconut oil recipe:

33 oz coconut oil
4.8 oz lye
9.6 oz water
1.3 oz lavender essential oil
.6 oz bergamot essential oil
2 t purple Brazilian clay

 

A ‘mechanic’ soap with pumice and orange essential oil for cleaning greasy hands. The soap will be 5% superfat instead of the normal 30% to aid in cutting greases:

33 oz coconut oil
5.74 oz lye
12.5 oz water
2 oz bitter orange essential oil
8 T pumice