Slow Cooker Soap Recipe
This basic soap recipe uses coconut oil and olive oil and is made in a slow cooker. A simple and moisturizing recipe you can make at home!
Ingredients
- 16 oz coconut oil
- 16 oz olive oil
- 4.844 oz lye
- 12.16 oz water
- 1 oz essential oils (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare your mold. Wood molds will need to be lined with freezer paper or wax paper. Silicone molds are ready to use as is. You can also use any box if you line it with freezer paper, wax paper, or a thick garbage bag. I’ve heard of people using empty Pringles containers, but haven’t tried it.
- Make sure that your work area is clean, ventilated and that there are no children nearby. This is not a good recipe to let children help with since lye is caustic until mixed with water and oils.
- Weigh out 16 ounces of olive oil and 16 ounces of melted coconut oil and pour them both into the slow cooker.
- Turn on high just until the oils heat up and then reduce to low heat.
- While oils are heating, carefully measure the lye and water separately. TIP: This is the only thing I ever use disposable plastic cups for. They don’t weigh anything on the scale so they make measuring easy. I keep three separate cups labeled “Water”, “Lye”, and “Oil” to use for this purpose only. I reuse them each time so they aren’t wasted and I don’t worry about anyone drinking out of them since we don’t usually use these types of cups.
- Carefully take the cups with the measured water and lye outside or to a well ventilated area.
- Pour the water into a quart size or larger glass jar.
- With gloves and eye protection, slowly add the lye to the water. DO NOT ADD THE WATER TO THE LYE (this is really important).
- Stir carefully with a metal spoon, making sure not to let the liquid come in direct contact with your body.
- As you stir, the mixture will become white and cloudy and get really hot. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes to cool. It should become clear when it has cooled.
- When the oils in the slow cooker have heated to about 120-130°F, slowly stir in the water and lye mixture.
- Quickly rinse the container used for the water and lye mixture out in the sink. I rinse well and then re-rinse with white vinegar to make sure all the lye has been neutralized.
- Use a stick blender to blend the mixture in the slow cooker for about 4-5 minutes or until it is opaque and starting to thicken.
- Cover and keep the slow cooker heat on low to thicken. I set a timer for 15 minutes and check it every 15 minutes until it is ready. It will start to boil and bubble on the sides first. After about 35-55 minutes (depending on the slow cooker) it will be thick enough that the entire surface is bubbly and the sides have collapsed in.
- Turn the heat off and remove the inner bowl of the slow cooker.
- If you are going to use essential oils for scent, add them now. I added lavender and orange.
- Quickly and carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared molds.
- Cover the molds with parchment paper and set them in a cool, dry place.
- After 24 hours, pop the soap out of the molds. It can be used right away, but I prefer to let it set for a few more days so that it lasts longer.
Notes
Clean-up Tips
As I mentioned, keeping separate tools for soap making simplifies the process since things don’t have to be cleaned enough for food use. I still clean all tools carefully with dishwashing soap and water and rinse with vinegar just to be sure.
Since we are making soap, I typically soak the crock from the slow cooker with all tools in it for 8+ hours to dissolve and use the soapy water to help clean all the tools.
As I mentioned, keeping separate tools for soap making simplifies the process since things don’t have to be cleaned enough for food use. I still clean all tools carefully with dishwashing soap and water and rinse with vinegar just to be sure.
Since we are making soap, I typically soak the crock from the slow cooker with all tools in it for 8+ hours to dissolve and use the soapy water to help clean all the tools.