Smoky Vetiver Cold Process Soap Recipe

I had this little bottle of precious Vetiver essential oil sitting on my desk for a very long time. My plan was to use it in a cold process soap recipe. Every now and then I would open it and take a sniff. I was intrigued by the thick, viscous amber colored fluid. The smell was like no essential oil I had tried up to that point: woody, earthy with a hint of smokiness.

But I didn’t know what to do with it. I had read up on different ways to blend it with other essential oils, and everyone seemed to say that it was good for anchoring scents, but too much would overpower the blend. What I wanted was to figure out a way to have the Vetiver front and center with supporting notes that would enhance it’s deep masculine earthiness.

After lots of experimenting I came up with a blend that I really love. It certainly is a manly scent, but can be enjoyed by gals who love masculine scents as well. I hope you love this vetiver soap recipe as much as I do 🙂

For this tutorial I will be using my trusted Pringles can to make a round soap. You can find many pictures of how to prepare and line it for soapmaking here.

You ready to give this vetiver soap recipe a try? Great, let’s get started:

If you’ve never made cold process soap, make sure to read up on lye safety, equipment needed and my beginner tutorial, before you dive in.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning at no additional cost to you will I earn a commission, if you choose to click through and make a purchase.

What you’ll need:

• three 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
• stick blender
• accurate digital scale
• empty Pringles can
• freezer paper
• tape
• spatula
• whisk
• pipette (optional) to measure out essential oils

Cold Process Soap Recipe: for 30 oz / 840 g of soap:

this recipe uses a superfat of 5% and a lye concentration of 38%

• lye:  3 oz / 84 g
• distilled water: 4.8 oz / 137 g
• coconut oil (30%): 6.3 oz / 180 g
• canola oil (25%): 5.3 oz / 150 g
• shea butter (20%): 4.2 oz / 120 g
• kokum butter (14%): 3 oz / 84 g
• castor oil (6%): 1.3 oz / 36 g
• sesame oil (5%): 1 oz / 30 g
• lime essential oil: 7 g
• cedarwood (virginia) essential oil: 8 g
• vetiver essential oil: 8 g
• kaolin clay: 1 Tbsp
• activated charcoal: 1/2 tsp

Instructions:

Preparing the Mold:

1. Cut out a piece of freezer paper about 7 x 9 Inches
2. Cut the bottom of the Pringles can off, so that the remainder measures about 7 Inches tall
3. Firmly tape the cap on (you don’t want any soap batter seeping out at the bottom)
4. Line the can with freezer paper – the coated side facing inward

Making the Soap:

1. Prepare the lye solution
2. Measure and melt the coconut oil, shea butter and kokum butter over low heat
3. Add canola, castor and sesame oil
4. Wait until lye solution and oils have cooled down to room temperature
5. Prepare kaolin clay by dissolving it in 1 Tbsp of oils from your base
6. Measure and add essential oils
7. Combine lye solution and melted oils and butters by stick blending until emulsified (this recipe traced quick for me, you want to allow yourself time to incorporate colors and swirls)
8. Separate out a third (or 280 g) of the batter and add 1/2 tsp of activated charcoal
9. Add kaolin clay to the remaining batter
10. Thoroughly whisk in the colorants making sure there are no more clumps
11. Create an “in the pot swirl” by pouring the black batter into the white. Pouring the batter in three different spots making a circle, take your spatula and go through each black spots only once moving in a circle
12. Pour the batter into the mold and tap it down to release any air bubbles
13. Insulate the mold with a heavy towel
14. After 18 – 24 hours cut into bars
15. Cure for 3-4 weeks

Want more awesome natural soap recipes? Why not try:

• Lemongrass Calendula Soap
• Cucumber Mint Soap
• Triple Infused Lavender Soap

Until next time. Happy Tinkering!