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Home » Soap Making

Gentle Face Soap Recipe

Published: Aug 4, 2019 · Modified: Jan 31, 2025 by Celine Logan · This post may contain affiliate links · 45 Comments

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Rose clay and coconut milk powder make this cold process soap recipe especially gentle and nourishing for use on the face. Scented with beautiful essential oils and full of skin loving oils.

This facial soap recipe uses nourishing and cleansing rose clay and coconut milk powder. A real treat for your skin!

bar of soap in pottery bowl.
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Equipment
  • Recipe
  • How to Make Facial Soap
  • Face Soap Recipe (Printable)

I've been resisting using handmade soap on my face for the longest time. I always had in the back of my mind what had been drilled into our heads at esthetitian school: "Never ever use soap on your face".

I could see that a nice bar of charcoal soap could be beneficial for someone with very oily, acne-prone skin, but for my dry and sensitive skin? Uh, no thanks.

About a year ago, I started testing and formulating my own face soaps. For my face, I'm ok with using higher-priced oils that I usually wouldn't use in a regular body bar. Yes, you could argue that soap is a wash-off product and that it all goes down the drain anyway. All I can say is that my skin feels and looks great. After washing, my face doesn't feel stripped of its natural oils or tight. It feels clean, fresh, healthy and ready for some of my homemade face serum.

Ingredients

  • Rose Clay - lso called pink kaolin clay. This is one of the gentlest clays, which makes it suitable for sensitive, dry and mature skin. It can gently draw impurities and excess oils from the skin.
  • Coconut Milk - is an excellent skin food containing vitamins C,E, and B6, iron, magnesium, and unsaturated fatty acids. It can help moisturize and soften your skin. In soap, it also creates a creamy and gentle lather.
  • Shea Butter -  has long been known for its great ability to soften and soothe dry skin. It lends a certain degree of hardness to a bar of soap as well as a creamy, luxurious lather. Its real superpower in soap is its high percentage of "unsaponifiable." Unsaponifiables are beneficial substances that survive the saponification process. These substances aren't fatty acids; therefore, they don't react with lye, making the finished bar even more moisturizing and nourishing.
  • Jojoba Oil - technically not an oil, but a liquid wax with an extremely long shelf life. Very similar to the skin's composition, it is highly penetrating, regenerating, and protective. With a whopping 50% of unsaponifiable, even small amounts will add a ton of skin-loving properties to a soap bar.
  • Rosehip (Seed) Oil - a highly nourishing oil with remarkable rejuvenating properties often used to treat wrinkles and damaged skin. It will add moisturizing and conditioning properties in soap due to its high percentage of linoleic and linolenic fatty acids. Please ensure the oil you're using is fresh since the shelf life is only 6 months; otherwise, it can spoil your soap.
face soap in soap dish.

If you've never made cold process soap before, I highly recommend you read my articles about lye safety, necessary equipment and my beginner's tutorial.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you will I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Equipment

  • Safety Equipment: goggles, gloves, long-sleeved shirt and mask (optional)
  • Sunflower Single Cavity Soap Mold
  • Stick blender/Immersion blender
  • Accurate digital kitchen scale
  • 2 medium-sized containers (no glass, one for lye solution, one for oils)
  • Spatula

Recipe

This recipe makes 28 oz (800g) of soap and is superfatted at 8%. Measurements are by weight, not by volume; using a scale is essential.

  • Distilled Water: 5 oz (140 g)
  • Lye Sodium Hydroxide): 2.5 oz (70 g)
  • Olive Oil: 7 oz (200 g)
  • Shea Butter: 5 oz 140 g)
  • Coconut Oil: 5 oz (140 g)
  • Rosehip Oil: 1 oz (30g)
  • Jojoba Oil: 1 oz (30g)
  • Rose Clay: 1 ½ teaspoon (I got mine from Nurture Soap, but you can find it here also)
  • Kaolin Clay: 1 tsp
  • Coconut Milk Powder: 1 Tbsp
  • Lavender Essential Oil: 12 g
  • Geranium Essential Oil: 4 g
pouring lye into water.
Stir lye into water to create a solution
Learn to make your first cold process soap using an empty pringles can
Slowly pour lye solution into oils
soap batter in mold.
Place molds on a cutting board before filling

How to Make Facial Soap

  1. Gear up for safety: Put on gloves, goggles and long sleeves. Make sure there are no kids or pets around
  2. Place the sunflower molds on a cutting board
  3. Create a lye solution by pouring the lye into the water (never the other way around!), avoid inhaling fumes coming from the solution; stir until lye is dissolved, then set aside to cool
  4. Melt shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler on low heat or in the microwave on 30-second bursts
  5. Add olive oil, rosehip oil and jojoba oil to melted shea butter and coconut oil
  6. Add essential oils to melted base oils
  7. Add rose clay, coconut milk powder and kaolin clay to base oils
  8. With your stick blender mix base oils until coconut milk powder and clays are well incorporated and you see no more clumps
  9. Carefully add lye solution to base oils by pouring it down the shaft of your stick blender to avoid air bubbles
  10. Stick blend until medium trace (thin pudding consistency) is achieved
  11. Pour soap batter into the mold and give it a few taps on the counter (to release air bubbles)
  12. After 24 - 36 hours release soaps from the mold
  13. Cure for 4 - 6 weeks
  14. Store in a dry cool place away from sunlight and humidity

Looking for more natural soap recipes? Why not try:

  • Calendula Soap
  • Avocado Soap
  • Banana Soap

Until next time. Happy Tinkering!

facial soap in soap dish.
0 from 0 votes
Print

Face Soap Recipe (Printable)

This soap is gentle and nourishing enough to be used on the face. Filled with soothing clay, coconut milk and essential oils.

Course Cold Process Soap Recipes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 28 days
Total Time 28 days 20 minutes
Servings 9 bars
Author Celine Logan

Ingredients

  • Distilled Water: 5 oz 140 g
  • Lye Sodium Hydroxide): 2.5 oz 70 g
  • Olive Oil: 7 oz 200 g
  • Shea Butter: 5 oz 140 g)
  • Coconut Oil : 5 oz 140 g
  • Rosehip Oil: 1 oz 30g
  • Jojoba Oil: 1 oz 30g
  • Rose Clay: 1 ½ tsp I got mine from Nurture Soap, but you can find it here also
  • Kaolin Clay: 1 tsp
  • Coconut Milk Powder: 1 Tbsp
  • Lavender Essential Oil: 12 g
  • Geranium Essential Oil: 4 g

Instructions

  1. Gear up for safety: Put on gloves, goggles and long sleeves. Make sure there are no kids or pets around
  2. Place the sunflower molds on a cutting board
  3. Create a lye solution by pouring the lye into the water (never the other way around!), avoid inhaling fumes coming from the solution; stir until lye is dissolved, then set aside to cool
  4. Melt shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler on low heat or in the microwave on 30-second bursts
  5. Add olive oil, rosehip oil and jojoba oil to melted shea butter and coconut oil
  6. Add essential oils to melted base oils
  7. Add rose clay, coconut milk powder and kaolin clay to base oils
  8. With your stick blender mix base oils until coconut milk powder and clays are well incorporated and you see no more clumps
  9. Carefully add lye solution to base oils by pouring it down the shaft of your stick blender to avoid air bubbles
  10. Stick blend until medium trace (thin pudding consistency) is achieved
  11. Pour soap batter into the mold and give it a few taps on the counter (to release air bubbles)
  12. After 24 - 36 hours release soaps from the mold
  13. Cure for 4 - 6 weeks
  14. Store in a dry cool place away from sunlight and humidity

More Soap Making

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    Shea Butter Soap (Cold Process)
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    Lard Soap Recipe (Cold Process)
  • Easy Lavender Soap Recipe (Melt & Pour)
  • bar of turmeric soap in soap dish.
    Turmeric Soap Recipe (Melt and Pour)
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    Recipe Rating




  1. Rebecca Dillon says

    August 04, 2019 at 12:18 pm

    I love this mold. Great recipe. I can't wait to give it a try.

    Reply
    • Celine says

      August 05, 2019 at 11:35 am

      Yes, it makes beautiful soaps. Thank you Rebecca. Happy Tinkering:)

      Reply
    • Tracy says

      September 26, 2024 at 5:24 pm

      I would like to print gentle facial bar and cucumber recipe doesn’t give options to print? Thanks

      Reply
      • Celine Logan says

        October 09, 2024 at 10:44 am

        Hi Tracy, I'm sorry I only saw this now. I will try to fix it.

        Reply
  2. Brenda says

    August 04, 2019 at 2:34 pm

    Hello Tweek & Tinker,
    I don’t have Kaolin clay can I Jesse it out of the recipe or substitute it?
    I really want to make it but can’t wait to go to the store or order it.
    Please advise?
    Thank you,
    Brenda DeAngelo
    Tuesday’s SOAP Treasures

    Reply
    • Celine says

      August 04, 2019 at 4:03 pm

      Hi Brenda, you could double the amount of rose clay instead but it will make your soap look darker. You could also just leave it out, that’s fine. Happy Tinkering 😊

      Reply
  3. Liz Ellis says

    August 04, 2019 at 5:37 pm

    Hi Tweak & Tinker
    As soon as I can get some rosehip oil - I will be making this
    Thank you for doing all the work and testing for us
    Liz

    Reply
    • Celine says

      August 05, 2019 at 11:34 am

      Hi Liz, can't wait to hear how it went. Happy Tinkering 🙂

      Reply
    • Terry says

      January 23, 2021 at 9:55 am

      Rosehip oil can be pricey...look at The Ordinary for great prices!

      Reply
  4. A Life Adjacent says

    September 08, 2019 at 8:36 pm

    This soap not only looks pretty, it must be so nourishing for your skin!

    Reply
    • Celine says

      September 11, 2019 at 10:28 am

      Yes, it's a very gentle nourishing soap.

      Reply
  5. Liz Ellis says

    September 11, 2019 at 4:19 pm

    Hi Celine
    I made it - it is just about finished curing and be put to use - it was so easy to make and such a wonderful soap batter to pour - i love it for that alone
    Because of that i went ahead and made it using green french clay - same result - it truly is my favourite soap batter - i have now bought more rosehip seed oil and jojoba oil to make more
    My family will be in love with this soap as much as i am
    Bless you for sharing your knowledge and i wish you a days of happiness to come
    Liz

    Reply
    • Celine says

      September 11, 2019 at 4:22 pm

      Hi Liz, I’m so glad you like this soap. Thank you for your kind words. I hope your family will love this soap as well. Happy Tinkering:)

      Reply
  6. tania says

    October 16, 2019 at 12:30 pm

    this soap looks fantastic. thank you.
    quick question, if I have a 20oz mold, how should i adjust the recipe to make a 20 oz bar?

    Reply
    • Celine says

      October 16, 2019 at 3:50 pm

      Hi Tania,
      I like to use to calculate and resize my soap recipes. For 20 oz it would be water: 4.9 oz, lye: 2.6 oz, Olive oil: 7 oz, Shea: 5 oz, coconut oil:4.8 oz, rosehip oil: 2.2 oz and jojoba: 1 oz. I hope that helps. Happy Tinkering 🙂

      Reply
      • Tania Comella says

        October 29, 2019 at 4:53 pm

        One more question please, to add the essential oils to my melted oils, what is the temperature that these melted oils need to be in order to add EO?
        Thanks

        Reply
        • Celine says

          November 01, 2019 at 10:12 am

          Hi Tania,

          you don't have to wait in order to add the essential oils.

          Hope that helps. Happy Tinkering 🙂

          Reply
  7. Tania Comella says

    October 16, 2019 at 4:55 pm

    Ahhh thanks! Can’t wait to make this awesome looking creamy soap.

    Reply
  8. tania says

    December 18, 2019 at 9:49 pm

    I have to tell you that I let my soap cured for 6wks. it is heavenly. I cant thank you enough for providing this information to us. This soap is so gentle and beautiful.
    what is the discount water you used? I wouldn't mind to make a large batch for friends and family 🙂

    Reply
    • Celine says

      December 20, 2019 at 9:01 am

      Thank you Tania! I'm so glad you enjoy this soap. Happy Tinkering 🙂

      Reply
  9. Liz says

    March 01, 2020 at 11:25 am

    Hello! Thank you for t!he great post! i am really looking forward to making this next week. Quick question though..Im confused by step 7 and 8. Step 7 says to add the coconut milk. Step 8 says to add coconut milk powder. I just want to clarify before i make this. Also, did you let this particular batch go through gel phase? Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Celine says

      March 01, 2020 at 4:29 pm

      HI Liz, thank you for catching this. I updated the post. It's only supposed to be added once 😉 I didn't gel this particular batch, I put it in the freezer. You can certainly gel this soap, but you have to keep an eye on it. You want to catch it before it overheats or cracks. Happy Tinkering 🙂

      Reply
      • Liz says

        March 01, 2020 at 10:20 pm

        Thanks so much for the clarification! I was thinking the freezer as well! Happy soaping!

        Reply
  10. Melinda says

    May 26, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    Hi Celine: This looks lovely! I'd love to make a larger batch. I'm a newbie and want to make sure I'm using the right amounts of everything. I have a 42 ounce mold. Could I simply double the amounts for the 20 ounce recipe above? Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Celine says

      May 26, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      Hi Melinda, if you double the exact amounts of every ingredient you should be good to go 🙂

      Reply
  11. Lynn says

    July 09, 2020 at 2:45 pm

    what is the water discount on this recipe?

    Reply
  12. Lynn Smith says

    July 09, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    I asked earlier about the water discount on this recipe. Could I just use fresh coconut milk instead of powder and water? Any adjustments needed if I do that? Please advise on water discount also.
    THANK YOU!

    Reply
    • Celine says

      July 11, 2020 at 8:29 pm

      Hi Lynn, it’s a 35% lye concentration (35% lye to 65% water). If you’re using fresh coconut milk I would mix the lye with 71g/ 2.5 oz of water and add to the oils 19g/ 0.66 oz of fresh coconut milk. That way you end up with the same amount of liquid in the end and don’t run the risk of scorching the milk. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  13. Karen says

    August 25, 2020 at 5:35 am

    This came out perfectly and came out of the mould easily after about 30hrs. I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Celine says

      August 25, 2020 at 6:47 am

      I’m glad to hear 🙂

      Reply
  14. Shelby A LaMothe says

    September 28, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    These smell heavenly! I can't wait for them to finish curing so I can try it! Sadly, mine did not turn out pink 🙁

    Reply
    • Celine says

      September 29, 2020 at 7:06 am

      Oh, it depends on the brand of your Rose clay.

      Reply
      • Shelby A LaMothe says

        September 30, 2020 at 1:24 pm

        3 days into the curing process, and they are a lovely shade of pink!

        Reply
        • Celine says

          September 30, 2020 at 2:16 pm

          That’s great Shelby!

          Reply
  15. June Eaton says

    November 19, 2020 at 8:49 am

    Hi there, other than rosehip oil can I substitute it with any other oils? Thanks!

    Reply
  16. Halyna says

    November 20, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    Hi. Really like this recipe and would like to give it a try. One question here: can I add activated charcoal instead of clay?
    Many thanks

    Reply
    • Celine says

      November 20, 2020 at 7:04 pm

      Yes absolutely, that would make a great facial soap for oily skin 🙂

      Reply
  17. Terry says

    January 23, 2021 at 10:03 am

    Celine,
    Thank you so much for this great recipe! And thank you for listing the ingredients in percentage % so I am easily able to adjust the size to fit my mold of choice! (Using a soap calculator for lye and water). I am going to substitute the water with aloe vera water. Now to wait for to six weeks! I am planning on starting a website and selling my Soap. Is it OK if I name this Soap after you? “ Celine’s Rose Soap”

    Reply
    • Celine says

      January 24, 2021 at 11:22 am

      Hi Terry, that sounds like it’s going to be a gorgeous soap. Of course, you can name your soap after me 😉 I feel very honored 💕

      Reply
  18. Liz says

    January 23, 2021 at 10:49 pm

    hi celine
    i have another question re this soap and then a general enquiry on soaping
    this soaps question first
    will it matter if i leave out the rose clay - or the french green clay or even the activated charcoal - then add some titanium dioxide - just wondering so that if i make it again in the future i have some possibilities to play around with
    now the 2nd question - - am sorry its a bit long - i had a problem the other day with a totally different soap i was making
    i spritzed the top with isopropyl alcohol - covered it and tucked it away
    sometime overnight it wrinkled - really bad and has made the soap look ugly
    now i have asked a couple of soapers on line why and they all blamed me - apparently i am not supposed to use it at all - i am supposed to make soap with a water discount - well this soap did have a water discount - they didnt believe me - they were in fact rather snotty and arrogant about it - made me feel a fool and put me off for a couple of days - just a couple but i am heading back in to my soaping heaven after my hospital visit this week - i was told to always finish a soap with an IPA spritz to ward off soda ash - was never told that soda ash is less likely with a water discount - boy this is long haha - this has never happened to me before so what am i to do if i want to do straight layering where i have always spritzed the layer with or without mica before i pour the next layer - i am a bit worried that will wrinkle as well now - oh what to do - what to do - i hope you can help me
    thanks

    Reply
    • Celine says

      January 24, 2021 at 11:32 am

      Hi Liz, you can substitute the rose clay with titanium dioxide or any other clay.
      Water discount is in fact your best defense against soda ash. Personally I do both: discount and IPA. I’m pretty sure that your soap overheated during the saponification process. A phenomenon also called the “Alien brain”. If it’s quite warm where you are I wouldn’t cover the soap and maybe place the mold on top of two wooden spoon layed flat on the counter. That way the air can circulate around the bottom of the mold.

      Reply
  19. Liz says

    January 24, 2021 at 12:42 pm

    hi Celine
    Thank you so much for the answers and advice - now i know i can leave out the clay i will go ahead and try it that way
    never thought of heat - it is high summer for me and it can get up to 40 degs C usually i only soap over late summer - autumn and winter - this year i was home alone so thought i would start early on my soaping - wont do that again
    so i will continue with my summer holiday and kick my feet up knowing i am not as stupid as was implied from others
    liz

    Reply
    • Celine says

      January 24, 2021 at 1:13 pm

      Good luck Liz! Don’t listen to the bullies 😉

      Reply
  20. Breanna says

    December 18, 2022 at 1:28 am

    Hi Celine,

    I’m wondering how you came to the 71 Water and 19 Coconut Milk ratios. I’ve been searching how to formulate using Coconut Milk to replace some of the water content. I’m having a difficult time finding a straight forward calculation. Thank you! By the way, your soap is lovely!

    Reply
    • Celine says

      December 29, 2022 at 1:06 pm

      HI Breanna,
      it's been so long since I made this soap. I vaguely remember following the same recommended amounts as if it was goat milk powder or milk powder. Hope that makes sense.

      Reply
headshot celine.

Hi, I'm Celine, I've been making my own soap and skincare since 2015 to help my family's sensitive skin. You can do it too, I'll show you how right here.

More about me →

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