With this recipe, you’ll be able to create a luxurious bar of soap that will leave your skin feeling super clean and lasts long in the shower. The beeswax helps the bar stay hard, while the coconut oil provides deep cleansing without drying out the skin. The color and fragrance are picked to be one that men love.
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- All-natural ingredients so you can feel confident about what you’re using on your skin.
- A deep cleansing experience that leaves skin feeling super clean and hydrated.
- Can be customized with different colors or fragrances to suit any man’s preference.
- Long-lasting bar of soap that will last through multiple showers and baths.
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
Here’s what you’ll need to make
- water
- lye
- coconut oil
- olive oil
- beeswax
- Cavalier fragrance oil
- green mica soap colorant
🥣 Equipment
Soapmaking requires special equipment, but it’s very useful for other things in the kitchen too.
- A digital scale (I use this one every single day.)
- Stick blender
- Safety gear (gloves, eye protection, and long sleeves)
🍴Instructions
❗️If this is your first experience with soapmaking, I highly recommend reading my Beginner’s Guide to Soap. (There’s a video too!)
Step One: measure the ingredients
Using a digital scale, measure the lye and water in separate containers and measure the oils and beeswax.
Step Two: make the lye water
Mix the lye and water carefully, stirring until the lye is dissolved. Set the mixture aside in a safe place.
Step three: melt the oils
Melt the beeswax over low heat until it is completely melted and heated to 140 degrees. It will take a while to melt the beeswax, so be patient. Set it aside to cool once it is melted. Prepare your soap mold and any color or fragrance you are using before you begin pouring the melted wax.
Step Four: stick blend to trace
When the oils and water have cooled to 120 degrees, pour the lye water into the melted oils. Use a stick blender to mix until “trace” is achieved. This means that the soap has thickened slightly and there is a trail of soap on top of the batter rather than it sinking in immediately.
Step Five: add color and fragrance
Add desired fragrance or color, stirring in by hand. If you continue to stick blend here, the mixture can seize up.
Step six: Pour into mold
Pour into a soap mold, gently smoothing out the top. Place at room temperature to cure.
Step six: unmold
After 24 hours, take the mold out of the container, cut it into bars, and let it sit for 2 weeks before using.
🧺 Storage instructions
Proper storage will also help ensure that your homemade bar soap lasts as long as possible.
Store in a breathable container away from direct sunlight. I like to use a cardboard box with layered newspaper.
Allow the soap to dry completely before storing.
Keeping your homemade bar soap away from steam and water will also help it last longer.
Once you move the bar to the shower or bath, use an elevated soap dish so it can dry out between uses.
🔍 FAQs
Yes, but with the understanding that you are now creating your own custom soap recipe and need to be comfortable using a lye calculator. I have a video on how to do that here. Otherwise, you’ll need to follow the recipe as written.
Use a digital scale. It’s 100% essential. Do not eyeball it or attempt to use measuring cups.
Yes, you will need a soap mold to make soap bars. You can find all kinds of molds online or at craft stores. A simple loaf-style mold is the easiest for beginners, but there are many different options available.
There’s no “official” difference, but women often prefer a more moisturizing and bubbly bar. And of course, they will have different color and fragrance preferences.
👩🔬 Expert tips
- Prep all fragrance and color before you stick blend. This recipe moves fast.
- Don’t wait much longer than 24 hours before unmolding and cutting or the bars may be too hard.
- To help your color blend in easily, take a few teaspoons of the melted oils and mix in the powder before adding to the batter.
- I wouldn’t attempt layers or swirls with this particular recipe.
📘 Related Recipes
📖 Here’s the recipe
Men’s Soap Recipe
Equipment
- Safety gear
- soap mold
Ingredients
- 9 ounces water
- 3.75 ounces lye
- 9 ounces coconut oil
- 9 ounces palm oil
- 8 ounces olive oil
- 2 ounces beeswax
- 2 tablespoons Cavalier fragrance oil
- 1 teaspoon green mica
Instructions
- Measure the lye and water in separate containers. Mix carefully, adding the lye to the water, and stir until dissolved. Set aside in a safe place.
- Measure the oils and beeswax and melt over low heat until completely melted and heated to 140 degrees. The beeswax will take a while to melt. Set aside to cool. Prepare your soap mold and any color or fragrance you are using.
- When the oils and water have cooled to about 120 degrees, pour the lye wsater into the melted oils and blend using a stick blender. Mix until "trace" is achieved, or the soap thickens slightly and a trail of soap rests on top of the batter rather than immediately sinking in. Add desired fragrance or color, stirring in by hand.
- Pour into a soap mold, gently smoothing out the top. Place at room temperature to cure. Un-mold after 24 hours, cut into bars, and allow to cure for 2 weeks before using.
Notes
Me suscribo a tu canal. Me encantaron tus fórmulas!! Yo peso en gramos, pero no es problema en la calculadora cambiaré onzas a gramos. Muchas felicidades por tu hermoso canal 👏👏😍🥰
I haven’t scoured the web for this but I’m curious if the water used in handmade soap is fine from the tap or if you use bottled, distilled or otherwise not treated city water. TIA!
i use tap well water! no issues ever
Hi Katie,
I just have one question about this men’s soap recipe. Is it supposed to have palm oil in it?? In the overview photo palm oil is featured but in the recipe it isn’t???
goodness! yes! it is. terrible that i left that out. 9 ounces of palm, it’s in there now. Thanks!