Today I’m sharing how to make tallow soap. Grass fed tallow has amazing skin benefits, and it makes a beautiful soap.
How to make tallow soap
Soap making is really fun. I was a bit intimidated by it at first. But, I’m so glad I jumped in and learned how easy it actually is!
It’s also has so much creative potential. You can go all out with scents, designs, and colors. I’ve kept mine pretty basic, in keeping with both practicality and a homesteading vibe.
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My soap bars are their natural cream color, and I slice them with a cutter that gives them pretty ridges. The texture also helps them lather easily.
In my life in general, I like to avoid artificial fragrances, so using essential oils was a given. Plant Therapy essential oils are high quality and smell wonderful. They’re what I use in all my creations.
Lavender is a favorite scent of mine for soaps. Peppermint is also very nice. For baby soap, I like a combination of lavender and chamomile.
Soap can either be made with the hot process, or cold process. The hot process can be nice for when you need soap quickly.
I prefer the cold process, because the beneficial properties of the oils are kept intact. I also like how the bars end up looking when the cold process is used.
With the hot process, the saponification process happens quite quickly with the use of heat. Soap made with the cold process has to cure for around 4 weeks before the bars are ready to use. Using the cold process can take some planning ahead, but I feel that it’s worth it.
Soap recipes
The tallow soap I make uses a simple recipe that I designed. I’m including it here. Once you’ve tried one recipe a few times, you might find it fun to experiment with designing new recipes. I like to use soapcalc.net to calculate everything.
Soap can have different amounts of something called superfat. That just means that if there is some oil left over in the recipe that isn’t converted into soap by the lye, it has a certain percentage of superfat.
I like to have 8% superfat in my soap recipe. That allows the soap to be moisturizing as well as cleansing.
For more info on all the reasons why I love to add tallow to my soap recipes, check out this post on why add tallow to soap here.
Let’s talk about soap making equipment.
You don’t really need a lot of special equipment to start making soap. One thing most people have to buy is a kitchen scale that reads to the second decimal.
The only things I own for soap making that don’t overlap with my kitchen utensils are my bucket and wooden spoon for the lye water, soap molds, and cutter. Anything that is used for soap making can be washed and used again for kitchen use.
Here is a list of everything you’ll need as far as equipment:
- Scale that reads to two decimal places
- Crockpot or large pot on the stove
- Immersion blender
- Rubber or silicone spatula
- Large heat-safe container or sturdy plastic bucket
- Wooden spoon
- Thermometer
- Soap molds
- Soap slicer (if using loaf-style molds)
- Wax paper
- Towels
- White vinegar
- Rubber gloves
- Safety glasses
Soap making safety
There are a few things to keep in mind when making soap. Lye is extremely alkaline and will burn if it comes into contact with the skin. It’s important to wear rubber gloves and wear safety glasses when working with lye.
If some lye water or the soap mixture does come into contact with the skin, be sure to have some white vinegar on hand to neutralize it. You’ll also use some white vinegar to clean up the soap-making equipment.
What does the soap making process look like?
It might seem at first that soap making has many different steps, but it’s actually just three main stages. First, I measure the ingredients and melt all the oils.
Second, I mix the lye water and then combine it with the oils. I blend with an immersion blender until the mixture starts to thicken.
Once it is the consistency of light pudding, it has reached what is called “trace.” At this point, I add the essential oils. Third, I put the soap into a mold.
I wrap it in towels because it’s important for the soap to cool slowly. I let it sit for 24 hours, slice it into bars, and then let the soap cure for four weeks.
Measuring the ingredients
It’s important to be accurate when measuring soap ingredients. You want everything to be in the proper amounts so that the oils are converted to soap in the correct proportions. The oils, water, and lye are all measured by weight.
Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know to get started, let’s jump in and make some soap!
How to make tallow soap instructions
Ingredients:
- 24 oz. grass-fed tallow
- 8 oz. refined coconut oil
- 8 oz. olive oil
- 15.2 oz. water
- 5.49 oz. lye
- 1.75 fl. oz. essential oil
Directions:
- Weigh tallow, coconut oil, and olive oil, and put into a crockpot on high, or a pot on the stove on low heat.
- Weigh the water in a heat-safe container or sturdy plastic bucket, and weigh the lye separately.
- Once oils are melted, check the temperature. You want the oils to be 100 degrees F. Let oils cool if necessary.
- Once oils are at 100 degrees F, take the lye and water outdoors. Wearing gloves and safety goggles, carefully and slowly pour the lye into the water. Stir gently.
- Once the lye water has turned from cloudy to clear, leave it to cool for 10 minutes.
- Carefully pour the lye water into the oil mixture.
- Use an immersion blender to mix the soap. After a few minutes, it will grow creamy, and start to thicken. Mix until it has reached “trace,” the light pudding consistency.
- Add the essential oils and blend again to incorporate.
- Pour soap into molds, top with wax paper, and wrap molds in towels.
- After 24 hours, remove soap from the mold and slice it into bars. Let cure in an area with good airflow for 4 weeks.
How to make tallow soap video
More soap making
How to render tallow with the easy crockpot method
How to render and purify tallow so it is odorless and white
Have you ever made soap?
What kind did you make? If you haven’t yet, what ingredients and essential oils do you want to use? Let me know in the comments!
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Grass-fed beef tallow
Refined organic coconut oil
Organic olive oil
Lye
Plant Therapy lavender essential oil
Scale
Immersion blender
Soap mold & slicer
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Bumblebee Apothecary Tallow Soap
Today I'm sharing how to make tallow soap. Grass fed tallow has amazing skin benefits, and it makes a beautiful soap.
Ingredients
- 24 oz. Grass fed tallow, by weight
- 8 oz. Olive oil, by weight
- 8 oz. Refined coconut oil, by weight
- 15.2 oz. Water, by weight
- 5.49 oz. Lye, by weight
- 1.75 fl. oz. Essential oil
Instructions
- Weigh tallow, coconut oil, and olive oil, and put into a crockpot on high, or a pot on the stove on low heat.
- Weigh the water in a heat safe container or sturdy plastic bucket, and weigh lye separately.
- Once oils are melted, check their temperature; you want them to be 100 degrees F. Let cool if necessary.
- Once oils are at 100 degrees F, take the lye and water outdoors. Wearing gloves and safety goggles, carefully and slowly pour the lye into the water. Stir gently.
- Once the lye water has turned from cloudy to clear, leave it to cool for 10 minutes.
- Carefully pour the lye water into the oil mixture.
- Use an immersion blender to mix the soap. After a few minutes, it will grow creamy, and start to thicken. Mix until it has reached "trace," the light pudding consistency.
- Add the essential oils and blend again to incorporate.
- Pour soap into molds, top with wax paper, and wrap molds in towels.
- After 24 hours, remove soap from mold and slice into bars. Let cure in an area with good air flow for 4 weeks.
