Coconut Milk Bars

Coconut milk is gentle enough to be an excellent additive to facial bars. Its deep cleansing power and high fat content makes it intensely moisturizing without stripping away the skin’s natural oils. The coconut oil, along with a high vitamin E content, make this a good choice for those with dry, sensitive, or acne-prone skin.

Approximately 12 bars

Ingredients & Equipment

Lye-Water Amounts

• 5.0 ounces sodium hydroxide (lye)
• 8.9 ounces coconut water

Base Ingredient Amounts

• 9.0 ounces palm oil
• 9.0 ounces coconut oil (76°F)
• 1.8 ounces olive oil
• 1.8 ounces sweet almond oil
• 3.6 ounces canola oil
• 10.8 ounces rice bran oil
• 3.0 ounces canned coconut milk

Colorants

• 2 teaspoons Tangerine Wow!
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Fizzy Lemonade
• 1 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide Pigment
• 3¹⁄₂ tablespoons sweet almond oil (or other liquid oil)
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon Super Pearly White Mica

Fragrance

• 2.4 ounces fragrance oil blend made of:
  • 1 part Fresh Mango fragrance oil (0.6 ounces)
  • 1 part Mango Mango fragrance oil (0.6 ounces)
  • 2 parts Kumquat fragrance oil (1.2 ounces)

Equipment

• Standard equipment (see list on page 21)
• Mini-mixer
• Mini-whisk
• 50-ounce silicone loaf mold
• 2 large spoons
• Scissor-style mesh tea ball (or any fine mesh sifter/strainer)

Soap Safely!

• Work in a well-ventilated area. Do not breathe any fumes!
• Wear long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes.
• Don safety goggles (regular glasses are not sufficient protection) and rubber gloves during the entire soapmaking process.
• Keep children and pets away from your workspace.

Instructions

Prepare the colorant

Prior to starting the soapmaking process, mix the Tangerine Wow! in 2 tablespoons of the sweet almond oil, mix the Fizzy Lemonade in ¹⁄₂ tablespoon of the sweet almond oil, and mix the Titanium Dioxide in 1 tablespoon of the sweet almond oil, using the mini-mixer. Push the powder under the surface of the oil with the tip of the blade to saturate the powder before you begin or you’ll stir up a messy cloud of pigment. Mix the colorants thoroughly for the most even color results.

Make the Soap Mixture

1. 1. Add the lye to the coconut water (never the other way around), stir gently, and set aside until clear.
   
2. 2. Melt the palm oil in its original container, mix it thoroughly, and measure into a bowl large enough to hold all the oils and the lye-water with room for mixing. Melt and measure the coconut oil and add it to the bowl. Stir in the olive, sweet almond, canola, and rice bran oils.
3. 3. When the oils and the lye-water are both below 120°F, add the lye-water to the oils, pouring it over a spatula or the shaft of the stick blender to minimize air bubbles. Tap the stick blender a couple of times against the bottom of the bowl to release any air trapped in the blades. Do not turn on the stick blender until it is fully immersed. Stick-blend until light trace (the consistency of a melted milkshake) is achieved, about 2 minutes or less.
4. 4. Add the coconut milk and fragrance oil blend, and stick-blend or whisk in until just incorporated.
   
5. 5. Split the batch into three equal parts, each measuring about 2 cups. Color the batches as follows:
   • 5 teaspoons of the Tangerine Wow! mixture in one
   • ¹⁄₂ tablespoon of the Fizzy Lemonade mixture in the second
   • 1 tablespoon of the Titanium Dioxide mixture in the third

   Right before pouring each batch, stick-blend it to a thick trace (the consistency of pourable pudding).

   

Pour and Add Texture

1. 6. Pour the tangerine-colored batch into the mold.
   
2. 7. Using a spoon, ruffle up the texture of the layer. Because the soap is at a thick trace, it should be easily moldable. Create ditches and divots in the soap. The more texture, the more visual interest in the final bar.
   
3. 8. Pour the lemonade-colored batch into the mold.
   
4. 9. Using a clean spoon, ruffle up the texture of this layer just like the previous layer.
   
5. 10. Pour the white-colored batch on top.
   
6. 11. Using a clean spoon, push the soap toward the center of the mold lengthwise, creating a “mountain peak” going down the center of the mold.
   
7. 12. Dip the end of a spoon or tip of a mini-whisk into the soap at random intervals, creating mini-peaks on top of the soap. Again, the more mini-peaks the more visual interest!
   
8. 13. Open the mesh tea ball and put ¹⁄₈ teaspoon of Super Pearly White Mica in it. Close the clasp and gently shake mica over the top of the soap. Note: You can use an open fine-mesh strainer instead of a tea ball, as shown in the photo. Just be careful when you’re shaking mica.
   
9. 14. Take a deep breath, close your eyes or put your goggles on, and blow over the top of the soap. The pressure from your breath will ensure that the entire surface of the soap is coated nicely with a subtle shimmer and that the mica will stay.
   

Final Steps

1. 15. Do not insulate this soap. Gel phase may cause the coconut milk to smell bad and turn odd colors. Spray with 91% rubbing alcohol and let sit out for 1 to 3 days until it is ready to unmold.
2. 16. Cut the soap into bars and allow to cure in a well-ventilated area for 4 to 6 weeks, turning the bars over every few days to ensure that they cure evenly.