Create Your Own Bold Men’s Soap with This Cold Process Recipe

ByKatie
9 Comments

If you want to make soap at home, this men’s soap recipe is a great starting point. It makes a tough, super-cleansing bar with a strong, outdoorsy fragrance that’s perfect for the rugged individual in your life (or anyone who appreciates a thorough clean!). The best part is you need a few basic supplies and ingredients; before you know it, you’ll make your own soap.

Whether you’re after a personal project or a unique, handmade gift, this soap is bound to make an impression. It’s among my top picks for deeply cleansing cold-process soap recipes. The chosen color and scent are hits with men, though you can pick whatever you like.

Men’s Soap Recipe

A hard, super-cleansing bar that's perfect for the manly man in your life.
Print Recipe
light green bar of homemade soap.
Prep Time:5 minutes
Curing time:1 day
Total Time:1 day 5 minutes

Equipment

  • Safety gear (gloves, eye protection, and long sleeves)
  • digital scale (I use this every single day)
  • Stick blender
  • soap mold (silicone or wooden molds work well)
  • Heatproof Containers
  • Stainless Steel Pot
  • Thermometers
  • Soap Cutter or Knife

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

Want To Save This For Later?

I’m email you a link so you can find it when you need it.

You'll join my email list which you will love. And if you don't, unsubscribe in one click. ❤️

Instructions

  • Prepare the lye solution.  Before handling all the ingredients, wear your safety gear (gloves, eye protection, long sleeves). Then, measure the lye and water in separate containers. Slowly add the lye to the water (never the other way around), and stir carefully until the lye is completely dissolved. Set the lye solution aside in a safe place to cool.
    lye water in pyrex cup.
  • Prepare the oils and beeswax. Measure the coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, and beeswax. Melt them over low heat in a large pot. The beeswax will take longer to melt, so be patient. Once fully melted, remove from heat and allow the oils to cool to 140°F.
    oil in pot.
  • Cooling and Mixing.  When both the lye solution and the oils have cooled to 120°F, slowly pour the lye solution into the oils. Use a stick blender to combine the mixture. Blend until “trace” is achieved—the soap thickens slightly, and a trail of soap rests on top without immediately sinking.
    stick blender mixing soap.
  • Add the fragrance and color.  Add the fragrance oil and green mica (if using) to the soap mixture. Stir gently by hand to incorporate.
    Tip: Avoid over-blending at this stage, as the mixture can seize up if you continue to blend with the stick blender.
    green soap batter in pot.
  • Pour into mold.  Pour the soap batter into your prepared mold, smoothing the top as needed. Leave the mold at room temperature to set for 24 hours.
    soap batter in mold.
  • Unmold and cure.  After 24 hours, carefully unmold the soap and cut it into bars. Allow the bars to cure for at least 2 weeks in a well-ventilated area before using them for optimal hardness.
    cutting board witth loaf of soap being sliced into bars.

Notes

This soap gets hard fast, so prepare your tools and ingredients before mixing.
Different scents can change how quickly your soap sets or even make it harden too fast.  Stick to scents made for soap and do a small test first if you’re not sure.
To mix color without clumps, blend the color powder with some melted oils before stirring it into the main mix.
Adding a little cocoa butter or shea butter can moisturize your soap.
Try using different oils like sunflower or castor oil to tweak how your soap feels and what it does for your skin.
You can create your scent by mixing essential oils.  Add them when the soap has thickened a bit.  I get my fragrance oils and colorants at Nurture Soap.
Consider adding poppy seeds or flower petals to your soap for something extra.
If you want your soap to be solid and last longer, mix a teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils into your lye water once it cools.  This makes the soap harden faster and easier to take out of the mold.
To check if the soap is ready and safe to use, try the “zap test” after curing.  Lightly touch it with your tongue.  If it zaps, it’s not ready and needs more time to cure.
Try to unmold and cut the soap within 24 hours so it doesn’t get too difficult to work with.
Servings: 10 bars
Author: Katie

This soap recipe is great for anyone looking to make a strong, effective soap. It features a bold scent called Cavalier and a bit of green mica for color, making it look and smell good. The best part is it uses all-natural ingredients, so you can feel good about what you’re putting on your skin. The soap deeply cleans and hydrates, leaving skin feeling very clean. You can also tweak it with different colors or scents to match any guy’s taste. Plus, this durable soap bar will last for many washes.

If you love making cold-process soap, you might want to try Cold Process Soap for the Shower recipe. It’s perfect for crafting everyday bars that work great in the shower!

mens soap on cutting boards.

I hope it becomes a favorite for you, too.

Tips For The Best Homemade Men’s Soap

  • Making soap is similar to cooking; you need to be exact. Use a digital scale to measure your ingredients, particularly the lye and oils. Measuring how much space something takes up instead of its weight can mess up your soap.
  • Mixing lye with water can let off strong smells that might irritate your nose or throat. It’s a good idea to do this step somewhere with plenty of fresh air, like by an open window or outdoors.
  • When working with lye, taking the necessary precautions, such as wearing gloves and eye protection, is important. For a more detailed guide on lye safety, check out this helpful Lye Safety Guide.
  • Be careful to use the right tools when mixing lye. Stainless steel or plastic that can handle heat are safe options. Avoid aluminum because it reacts badly with lye and could spoil your soap.
  • It might be tempting to rush, but you must let the lye water and oils cool down to the right temperature. If they’re too hot, your soap might not come together right and could end up rough. Being patient helps you get smooth, good-looking soap.
  • When you mix the lye and oils, the mixture will thicken quickly. Before you start, have everything you need—mold, colors, and scent—ready to move quickly.
  • If it’s often humid where you live, try making soap on a less humid day or in a place where you can control the moisture in the air. Too much humidity can mess with the soap drying properly, leaving you with softer bars.
  • Beeswax needs more heat to melt than oils, so let it melt completely before adding the other oils. You might find wax bits in your finished soap if you don’t. If you’re interested in adding even more moisturizing ingredients to your soap, you might want to try my Shea Butter Soap Recipe. Shea butter adds a rich, creamy lather and is perfect for dry skin.
  • When the soap mixture gets thick and leaves a trail, that’s your cue to stop mixing. If you keep going, the soap could get too thick to pour easily, and you might not be able to get it into the mold in time.
  • After you pour the soap into its mold, you can cover it lightly to keep the heat in. This helps the soap harden evenly and can make it look smoother.

Here’s a simple list of the basics to make this soap recipe work. Knowing what each one does helps a lot before you start.

ingredients on blue board.
  • Lye (sodium hydroxide): You need lye to change oils into soap, a process called saponification. You can find it online or in hardware stores, but make sure it’s pure sodium hydroxide without anything else mixed in.
  • Beeswax: Beeswax makes the soap harder, so it doesn’t wear out too quickly. It melts slower than oils, so take your time to melt it properly and avoid any clumps in your soap. Try using cocoa butter or shea butter for more moisture, but know your soap might become a bit softer.
  • Palm oil: Palm oil helps make the soap hard and creates a good lather. You can buy it from soap supply websites, but if you care about the environment, look for palm oil that’s got an RSPO certification, which means it’s sourced in a way that’s better for the planet. Lard or tallow can also work in its place to keep the soap hard, though the feel might be a bit different.
  • Stick blender: A stick blender is helpful because it mixes your soap quickly, getting it to the right thickness (“trace”) quicker than mixing it by hand.
  • Cavalier fragrance oil: This strong, earthy-smelling oil gives your soap its unique smell. Make sure to use fragrance oils that are safe for soap making, as not all oils are okay for the skin. Choose any skin-safe fragrance or essential oil you like instead.
  • Green mica: Mica is a natural coloring that adds color to your soap without changing its feel. It’s simple and won’t leave color on your skin or counters. Feel free to use different mica colors or skip it for a soap that’s all-natural in color.

These basic tools and ingredients will help make sure your soap comes out well, and knowing why they’re used makes the whole process smoother.

Usage Suggestions

You can pair this soap with bath salts, an exfoliating scrub, handcrafted lotion, or loofah soap for a complete bath experience.

Troubleshooting and Help

How do I know when the soap has reached “trace”?

“Trace” is when the soap batter thickens enough to leave a little trail on the surface after lifting the blender. It’ll look like a light pudding or custard. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect at first—it gets easier to recognize with practice!

Why does my soap have white powder on top after curing?

That’s soda ash, and it’s harmless! It happens when lye reacts with carbon dioxide in the air. To prevent it, spray the top of the soap with rubbing alcohol right after pouring it into the mold. If you already see it, you can wipe it off or leave it—no big deal.

Do I need a stick blender, or can I mix by hand?

While you can mix by hand, it’s going to take a lot longer to reach trace—sometimes up to an hour! A stick blender makes the process much faster and more consistent. If you don’t have one, mixing by hand is fine, but be ready for a good arm workout!

Can I use essential oils instead of fragrance oil?

Definitely! Essential oils work great in soap, but make sure you use skin-safe oils that won’t irritate. Also, some essential oils can be more potent than others, so you might want to adjust the amount based on the strength of the scent.

What should I do if my soap mixture seizes?

Soap can seize (harden quickly) if you blend too long or if certain fragrances cause a reaction. If this happens, don’t panic! You can try to quickly scoop the mixture into the mold and smooth it out. It might not be as pretty, but it will still be usable. Next time, try mixing the fragrance by hand instead of with the blender.

Can I use fresh herbs or flowers to color the soap?

Fresh herbs and flowers look beautiful, but they tend to turn brown in soap due to the high pH levels during the saponification process. If you want to add natural color, dried herbs work better, or you can use natural colorants like clays or powdered botanicals.

How long should I wait before using the soap?

You should let the soap cure for at least 2 weeks, but the longer, the better! The excess moisture evaporates during this time, making your bars harder and longer-lasting. Trust me, the wait is worth it! If you’re short on time and want a quicker method to make soap ready to use faster, check out my guide on Hot Process Soap. It’s another great way to create homemade soap with a different technique.

These are just a few questions people might have. Feel free to ask if something else comes up!

Storage Instructions

After cutting the soap into bars, the first step is to let them cure in a well-ventilated space for at least 2 weeks, though longer is even better. Place the bars on a drying rack or surface where air can circulate. Be sure to turn them every few days to allow for even curing.

Once the soap is fully cured, store your bars in a cool, dry spot away from direct sunlight. You can stack them in a drawer, basket, or shelf. If you stack the bars, it’s a good idea to place wax paper between them to prevent sticking.

It’s also important to avoid storing your soap in an airtight container. Soap must breathe; tightly sealed containers can trap moisture, causing the bars to sweat or soften.

As for freezing, it’s not recommended. The high-fat content in soap can cause it to become crumbly or lose its texture when frozen. Storing at room temperature is the best way to maintain the quality of your soap.

With proper storage, your soap will stay hard, maintain its scent, and last long!

Making your cold process soap is a rewarding and enjoyable activity. With natural ingredients and patience, you can create a high-quality bar perfect for everyday use or as a thoughtful gift. Follow the steps carefully, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different oils and fragrances to find your favorite combination.

close up. of finished bars.
Click here to subscribe

By Katie Shaw

picture of smiling female

Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.

More About This Site

More You'll Love

9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I just made your recipe for my husband’s birthday gift and he loves it! I made it using the hot process method and it turned out lovely! It lathers and cleans well! Also, the fragrance ratio is perfect! It’s nice and subtle (I used black ice fragrance oil)! Next time around, I’ll double the batch! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!

    Reply

  3. 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 👏👏😍🥰

    Reply

  4. 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!

    Reply

  5. 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???

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating