Charcoal Soap Recipe

Activated charcoal soap has been all the rage for a while now. And, for good reason since activated charcoal has great skin benefits. Learn how to make this soap in 2 different ways: one is a black soap with great detox power, and the other is sporting fancy swirls and a divine masculine scent. They're both amazing!

Jump to:

• Benefits of Charcoal Soap
• Activated Charcoal Soap Recipe
• Equipment
• Ingredients
• How to Make Charcoal Soap for Face
• How to Make Charcoal Swirled Soap (Soap Recipe for Men)

I have to say that using soap for cleansing my face wasn't always my jam. You see, back when I went to dermatology school our teachers would always say to never ever use soap on our face. I'm pretty sure that they weren't thinking about homemade soap though. Because that stuff's amazing even for my dry skin type.

Cleansing my face using my own soap is now part of my skincare routine. In the wintertime, I use my gentle facial soap. In the summer, however, when humidity is skyrocketing, definitely charcoal soap.

In this post, I've compiled two different versions of charcoal soap. The first is perfect for a beginner to tackle and is a straightforward classic charcoal soap. The second features a more advanced swirl technique with a unique woodsy essential oil blend using an upcycled mold.

You can mix and match these two recipes to your heart's desire. As long as you carefully follow the instructions and lye safety precautions.

Interested in making charcoal soap without lye? Check out my easy melt and pour charcoal soap recipe.

Benefits of Charcoal Soap

Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been through a process of high temperatures where oxygen has been forced into it. Making it more porous and able to absorb toxins. Here's what it can do for your skin:

• remove impurities and help with deep cleansing
• absorb excess oil from oily skin which otherwise could lead to clogged pores
• help clear blackheads and blemishes
• gently exfoliate and reduce pore size
• may help brighten skin
• in combination with tea tree oil which is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory it can greatly improve acne-prone skin

Activated Charcoal Soap Recipe

If you've never made cold process soap before, make sure to familiarize yourself with lye safety precautions and necessary steps in my "How to make soap at home - Beginners Guide" before you dive in.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here.

Equipment

• stick blender/immersion blender
• accurate digital scale
• round silicone soap mold or:
• for upcycled mold (optional): empty Pringles can, freezer paper, tape
• 2-3 heat-resistant containers: one to make the lye solution, one to blend up your soap, and (a smaller one to separate out the part of the soap that will be colored black, for swirled soap)
• 2 small plastic cups
• 1 small glass cup
• spatula
• whisk
• sharp kitchen knife

Ingredients

makes 8 bars of soap

Lye Solution:

• lye (sodium hydroxide): 3 oz / 84 g
• distilled water: 5.5 oz / 156 g

Solid oils:

• coconut oil (30%): 6.3 oz / 180 g
• shea butter (20%): 4.2 oz / 120 g
• cocoa butter (14%): 3 oz / 84 g

Liquid oil:

• olive oil (25%): 5.3 oz / 150 g
• castor oil (6%): 1.3 oz / 36 g
• sesame oil (5%): 1 oz / 30 g

Additives (facial soap):

• tea tree essential oil: 21 g
• kaolin clay: 1 Tbsp
• activated charcoal powder: 3 tsp

Additives (swirled soap):

• lime essential oil: 7 g
• cedarwood (virginia) essential oil: 8 g
• vetiver essential oil: 8 g
• kaolin clay: 1 Tbsp
• activated charcoal powder: 1 tsp

How to Make Charcoal Soap for Face

For this soap I used the round silicone soap molds for ease of use. You can use the upcycled mold and follow the instructions outlined in the swirled soap section further down.

1. Gear up for safety: put on gloves, goggles, wear long sleeves and make sure you're in a well-ventilated area
2. Measure lye into a small plastic cup

3. Measure water into a medium-sized container

4. Create a lye solution by carefully adding lye to water while stirring. Be careful not to inhale any fumes while doing this! Set aside to cool.

5. Measure and melt coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter over low heat in a boiler or water bath, or on 30-second intervals in the microwave

6. Add olive oil and castor oil

7. Add kaolin clay and charcoal powder

8. Measure and add essential oils

9. Using a stick blender mix the clay, powder, and essential oils into the base oils until you see no more clumps

7. Wait until lye solution and oils have cooled down to about room temperature (bowls feel warm to the touch not hot)

8. Combine lye water and melted oils and by stick blending until the batter starts to thicken (thin trace), continue stirring with your spatula until the batter reaches medium trace (pudding consistency)

9. Pour the soap batter into the mold

10. Let the soap rest in a safe spot

11. After 36 hours release soap from the mold by pulling on the sides of the mold first, then pushing from the bottom

12. Cure soap for 4-6 weeks, then store in an empty shoebox away from heat and humidity for up to 12 months

How to Make Charcoal Swirled Soap (Soap Recipe for Men)

Mysterious, woodsy, yet bright and refreshing is how I would describe the scent of this wonderful charcoal soap. Certainly more a masculine kind of scent, but one that might appeal to men and women alike.

In order to get the dramatic round swirl, you'll need a round deep mold, that's why I'm using the old Pringles can. You can use the round silicone mold mentioned above, but your swirl pattern will be slightly different.

Making the soap

Follow the instructions outlined above up to step 7. By then you should have your lye water solution, oils, and mold ready.

7. in a small plastic cup mix 1 teaspoon of charcoal powder with 1 tablespoon of water, safe for later

8. Into a small glass cup measure out essential oils

9. Add essential oils and kaolin clay to base oils. Using your stick blender mix until no more clumps are visible.

10. Wait until lye solution and oils have cooled down to about room temperature (bowls feel warm to the touch not hot)

11. Pour lye water into base oils (pouring down the shaft of the blender will help reduce air bubbles)

12. Stick blend until oils are just emulsified and then continue stirring using a spatula until you reach medium trace.

13. Separate out a third (280 g / 10 oz) of batter and add 1 teaspoon of activated charcoal dispersed in water, whisk thoroughly

14. Create an "in-the-pot swirl" by pouring the black batter into the white. Pouring the batter in three different spots from high up so the batter reaches all the way down. Take your spatula and go through each black spot only once moving in a circle.

15. Pour the batter into the mold aiming for the middle, then tap it down to release any air bubbles

16. Let the soap rest in a safe spot

17. After 18 - 24 hours release from mold by pushing from the bottom, remove the paper, and cut into bars using a sharp knife

18. Cure soap bars for 4-6 weeks, then store in an old shoebox away from heat and humidity for up to 12 months