My favorite method of making soap has been hot process (using a crock pot), because of the shorter drying (curing) time, usually a few days. But lately, I am beginning to appreciate making cold process soap, because cold process soap often looks more refined and delicate than hot process soap.
Take this cold process sea salt soap for example, I use virtually the same recipe as my hot process salt bar soap, and I can pour my cold process sea salt soap into soap molds with intricate designs, which is impossible to do with hot process salt bar soap. Trust me. I’ve tried many times and have failed miserably EVERY TIME. I think it is because hot process soap is very thick to begin with, and after I add sea salt, the whole mixture thickens and hardens very quickly, making it impossible to pour into any cute, adorable molds that have a lot of details. For cold process sea salt soap, I haven’t had the same issue and have made some very pretty soap. The longer drying (curing) time of at least 4 weeks sucks. But hey, all good things come to those who wait.
Cold Process Sea Salt Soap, Palm-Free Ingredients, with Crushed Lavender Buds
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Yields: about 28 oz of cold process sea salt soap
Dry (Cure) Time: at least 4 weeks
Ingredients for This Cold Process Sea Salt Soap with Crushed Lavender Buds
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- Coconut Oil – 16 oz. My favorite is Trader Joe’s Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. Any brand of pure coconut oil will work.
- Olive Oil – 2 oz. My favorite is Trader Joe’s Imported Olive Oil. Any brand of pure olive oil will work. For this cold process sea salt soap, I use lavender buds infused olive oil. (More on how to infused oil.)
- Sea Salt – 7 oz. My favorite is Trader Joe’s Sea Salt (fine crystals). You can also use Real Salt Sea Salt.
- Lavender Buds – 2 teaspoons. I got mine at Target. Amazon offers dried lavender buds. Add the lavender buds into olive oil, then use a stick blender to crush the lavender buds.
- Coconut Milk – 6 oz. I use Whole Foods 365 Organic Coconut Milk. You can also try Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk.
- Lye – 2.35 oz. I get my Food Grade Lye from Amazon. Yes, 100% Lye Drain Opener works too. It actually works pretty well. I’ve used Roebic Laboratories Drain Cleaner Crystals, which I got from Lowe’s. Make sure it’s 100% Lye though.
- Lavender Essential Oil – 1/2 teaspoon. I use NOW Foods Lavender Essential Oil.
- Tea Tree Essential Oil – 1/4 teaspoon. I use NOW Foods Tea Tree Essential Oil.
- Cute Silicone Molds. I use an Insect Silicone Cake Mold.
Make Cold Process Sea Salt Soap with Crushed Lavender Buds, Sea Salt, Coconut Milk and Coconut Oil
You have made soap before, right? If you haven’t, I don’t recommend that you begin with this cold process sea salt soap, because after you add the sea salt, your soap mixture will thicken and harden very quickly, and you will need to work super fast. There are plenty of soap recipes for first time soapers, including Olive Oil Crock Pot Soap and Rebatch Soap and Hand Milled Soap, both make hot process soap.
Also, as noted in my other posts, you have to take safety precautions when working with lye and making soap from scratch. Remember to wear your protective gear, including your chemical resistant gloves, long-sleeve shirt, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. I keep vinegar around to naturize any potential lye spill. And I don’t make soap around my little one. I do it when she’s taking her long nap or has gone to bed for the night. Learn more about soap making safety here.
Step-by-Step Instruction on How to Make Cold Process Sea Salt Soap with Crushed Lavender Buds
1. Make lye solution. I add 2.35 oz of lye into 6 oz of FROZEN coconut milk to make my lye solution. I use coconut milk because of its nourishing properties. Here is a post on how to make lye solution using coconut milk. You have to be patient, because you have to gradually add the lye to the coconut milk.
You can substitute water for coconut milk, and, unlike using coconut milk to make lye solution, you won’t need to freeze your water before adding lye.
Here are some pictures showing the frozen coconut milk slowly melting as I gradually add lye to it.
2. Warm or melt Coconut Oil and pour it into a large bowl. You can use a glass or plastic bowl, but don’t use an aluminum bowl because lye reacts with aluminum and will release some nasty stuff into your soap.
3. Using a plastic or silicone spatula, mix the lye solution and the oil. Then use a stick blender to bring your soap mixture to trace (pudding consistency).
4. Add Lavender Buds to Olive Oil, then use a stick blender to crush the lavender buds. I use lavender infused olive oil here. Add crushed lavender buds and olive oil to the soap mixture.
5. Add essential oil to the Sea Salt. Then add Sea Salt to the soap mixture.
6. Mix everything quickly and well. Pour your cold process sea salt soap into molds. The cuter the better.
7. Wait 1 to 2 hours before unmolding your cold process sea salt soap. Allow your soap to dry (cure) for at least 4 weeks before use. During this period, the lye will fully react with the oil, making your soap gentler.
That’s it! Isn’t the cold process sea salt soap adorable?! I’ve been very impressed with how much details there are in the soap and I like the soap’s lovely milky color. I know I can’t get the same result with hot process soap. The only annoying part about the cold process sea salt soap is that I have to wait at least 4 weeks to use the soap. I’ve been hiding the soap from my little one because every time she sees it, she tells me that she wants to bring all of it to the bathroom, so she can try each and every piece individually. I think that’s her way of saying she really likes the soap and that her Mama did a good job.
Will you be giving this cold process sea salt soap recipe a try? I’d love to hear about your creation? What are your thoughts about the 4-week waiting period? Does it turn you off and keep you as a hot process soaper? Share your thoughts, and let’s connect! And happy soaping!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is my family’s fav soap I’ve made and they’re already asking me to make it again.
Plz mam or sir can u reply im trying to know fron half year bit ain’t getting anythibg from anyone or reply how to make olive oil soap with salt & which salt pink himalayan salt or sea salt & want to make for 2 people for 1 year & i prefer cold process bcz hot process is not for beginner i guess so plz reply🙇🙇🙇
Salt bars are normally made with a high percentage of coconut oil, as it produces a bubbly lather. This is to balance out the addition of salt, which inhibits lather. Olive oil, on the other hand, produces a mild and gentle bar of soap but it doesn’t lather well. Adding salt into it would basically give you a bar of soap that won’t lather at all- it will clean but may feel slimy. I mean, you can definitely do this but I wouldn’t really recommend doing so.
Is there a particular reason that you want an olive oil soap with salt?
Most experienced soapers recommend that you don’t use glass to mix your lye/liquid solution. It can etch the glass and weaken it. There have been horror stories of glass breakage spilling lye everywhere. Not many, but it’s not worth the risk. I use a quart size yogurt container and place that inside a steel pot in case the plastic fails. Been doing this for 2 years, no problems yet. I haven’t tried a salt bar yet. Thanks for the recipe. Might try it tomorrow.
I made this soap and I love it! I was able to unmold it within an hour which I really liked. I’ll definitely make it again.
Oh fantastic! A creamy salt bar is definitely one of my favorite things too! I hope you’ll also try some of my other soaping recipes.
Where can I find the molds. Thanks
For this cold process sea salt soap I used an insect theme silicone mold. The product link is listed above in the post. There are also other adorable silicone molds that you can try. Please let me know how your cold process sea salt soap turns out!
If we don’t have a stick blender, can we get away with not using one? what could you use instead?
I highly recommend using a stick blender when making soap from scratch. You can usually get a new one for not much money, or you can get a used one from a thrift store for a few dollars. Otherwise, you can use a whisk to hand mix your oil and lye. Be patient. It will take a while (at least an hour or so) for you to reach trace. Please reach out if you have more questions.
would a hand mixer work or no?
Great question. Yes, you can use a hand mixer to make soap, whipped soap, to be exact. A hand mixer will incorporate air into your soap. It will make your soap light and airy. Be sure to use a deep container for your oil and lye, because the mixture can spill and splatter out of a shallower container when you use a hand mixer. Let me know how it goes!
thank you!! will do
I started making cold process soap about six weeks ago, definitely going to try this recipe! I often use coconut milk, I’ve found if I freeze two thirds of it, then put the final third on top of the frozen, I can blend the lye in quite a bit faster. It didn’t overheat.
Oh! what a great idea! It can be a bit tough to mix lye with completely frozen coconut milk. I’m definitely going to try your method for my next batch that uses coconut milk. Thank you!!
Have you ever tried this with coarse sugar. I’ve been concerned it would melt during the initial curing. Does this happen with the salt?
Interesting question! People add sugar to increase the soap’s lather and bubbles. People add salt to make the soap harder and longer lasting. You certainly can add sugar to this recipe, but because of the high salt content, sugar in this particular recipe probably won’t add much (if any) lather or bubbles. I don’t think salt melts when used to make salt bars, because you can often see small pieces of salt on the cured/dried salt bars.