Superfatting soap recipes for home crafting

Superfatting soap

The following recipes have the exact amount of lye to make soap that contains very little excess fat. This soap leaves skin perfectly clean and smooth feeling. The Pure Soap without essential oil is a good laundry product, dishwashing soap etc.

Some people like excess fat in recipes. For this I recommend 2 to 4 tablespoons castor oil added when the soap traces. Castor oil is emollient and contributes to soap lather. Adding castor oil after tracing along with 1 tablespoon essential oil also seems to help retain the soap fragrance.

Pure Soap

• 16 oz coconut oil
• 2.8 oz lye
• 1 cup water (8 fluid ounces)
• Fat and lye/water temperature about 120 degrees F
• Time in molds: 48 hours
• Age: 3 weeks

Pure Soap II (softer style)

• 16 oz weight coconut oil
• 2.9 oz lye
• 3/4 cup water (6 fluid ounces)
• Oil room temp
• Mix and use lye
• Estimated tracing 1 to 2 hours

When the soap traces, add 4 tablespoons castor oil to superfat the soap. Makes a smoother texture. Leave the soap in the mold 24 hours, freeze 3 hours, then remove from the mold. Age: 3 weeks.

Soap III

• 6 oz coconut oil
• 6 oz olive oil
• 5 oz vegetable shortening
• 2.6 oz lye
• 1 cup water (8 fluid ounces)
• Fat and lye/water temperature about 120 degrees F
• Time in molds: 48 hours
• Age: 4 weeks

Soap IV

• 9 oz vegetable shortening
• 4 oz coconut oil
• 3 oz lard
• 2.4 oz lye
• 3/4 cup water (6 fluid ounces)
• Fat and lye/water temperature about 120 degrees F
• Time in molds: 24 hours
• Age: 3 weeks

Soap V

• 10 oz vegetable shortening
• 6 oz coconut oil
• 2.4 oz lye
• 1 cup water (8 fluid ounces)
• Fat and lye/temperature about 120 degrees F
• Time in molds: 48 hours
• Age: 4 weeks

Soap VI & VII

• 16 oz lard or beef tallow
• 2.3 oz lye
• 3/4 cup water (6 fluid ounces)
• Estimated tracing 45 minutes
• Fat and lye/water temperature about 120 degrees F
• Time in molds: 24 hours
• Age: 3 weeks

Soap VIII

• Beeswax Castile
• 13 oz weight olive oil
• 2 oz beeswax
• 1 oz palm oil
• 2.1 oz lye
• 1 cup water (8 fluid ounces)
• (melt the beeswax with the fats)
• Fat and lye/water temperature about 150 degrees F
• Tracing time: about 12 minutes FAST!
• Time in molds: 48 hours
• Place the soap in a freezer for 3 hours, then remove it from the molds
• Age: 6 to 8 weeks for the bars to harden

Beeswax Soap IX

• (follow directions at "Soap VII)
• 16 oz weight olive oil
• 2 oz weight beeswax
• 2.2 oz weight lye
• 1 cup water (8 fluid ounces)

I really hope you feel confident enought to prepare your first batch of soap. Good luck and happy lathering.