Coffee soap is one of those things that sounds like it would be complicated to make, but it’s actually quite simple. Making coffee soaps is a great way to enjoy the benefits of coffee for your skin. Coffee has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making it great for soap making.
Coffee lovers can’t start their day without a fresh cup of joe, but what about using that coffee to make soap?
I can’t start my day without coffee. It’s my ritual and part of my morning routine. I love the fresh smell of coffee brewing and the taste of a fresh cup of coffee. The rich aroma, refreshing smell of freshly ground coffee beans, and the fact that it’s a stimulant all make me love coffee. An extra large cup of coffee with cream and sugar is the perfect way to start my day. Coffee gives me energy and a boost to work on my projects for the whole day.
But did you know that you can also use coffee to make soap? That’s right, coffee soap!
Coffee soap is gentle enough for daily use and can be made with coffee grounds or coffee extract.
Handmade soap is a great way to show your skin some love. Not only does it look pretty, but it also provides a variety of benefits for your skin. Coffee soap is no exception- it’s a great choice for people with oily skin, and the caffeine in coffee can help reduce the appearance of cellulite.
Natural soap makers use various ingredients to make their soap, and coffee is one of them. Besides, they use healthy ingredients such as coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, and fattier oils. These nourish the skin, and coffee can act as a scrub to remove dead skin cells.
Coffee Soaps – What they’re good for?
Coffee soaps have numerous benefits that appeal to many different skin types. They have the ability to give your skin energy as in the morning it provides a pick-me-up.
Here are four benefits of using coffee soap in your skincare routine that you should talk about or brag about!
- The caffeine in coffee is known to help with cellulite. The antioxidants found in coffee can also help improve the appearance of your skin by slowing down the signs of aging.
- Coffee is anti-inflammatory and great for acne, rosacea, and eczema. If you are fighting with dark circles or puffy eyes, using coffee soap can help reduce the appearance.
- A great exfoliator; Coffee soap is also a great exfoliator due to the coffee grounds that are in it. This will help to scrub away dead skin cells, revealing the softer, smoother skin beneath.
- Coffee has astringent qualities that help to combat the aging process. Astringents shrink and tighten the skin.
- Lastly, coffee soaps can also help to improve circulation, giving your skin a healthy glow.
Can you put coffee grounds in coffee soaps?
Using fresh ingredients available in your kitchen is a great way to add nourishing benefits to homemade soap. You can infuse oils with herbs, add purées or extracts, and even add fresh coffee grounds.
When you prepare a fresh pot of coffee, what do you do with the used coffee grounds? Do you drain it and throw it away? Or do you save it for another purpose? If you are like most people and just discard them, then you’re missing out on a valuable ingredient for soap making- used coffee grounds.
Coffee grounds can be a healthy addition to handmade soap. They add a light exfoliating action and can also be used to color the soap. They provide a beautiful layered design to the soap, and they also give it a warm latte color without the need for any additional soap coloring.
You want to make sure that the coffee grounds are very fine for use in soap. Either You can grind them yourself in a coffee grinder, or you can purchase them pre-ground from a coffee roaster.
To use coffee grounds in natural soap, simply add them to the melted soap base during the mixing process. You can start with a little amount and add more as needed. Be sure to mix well to distribute the coffee grounds throughout the soap evenly.
In addition, you can use coffee grounds for both types of soap, cold process, and melt and pour.
DIY Coffee Soaps With Melt and Pour Method:
Making coffee soaps with melt and pour soap base is probably the easiest and quickest method. If you are a beginner in soap making, I would like to recommend you read the safety and precautions section before you start.
However, coffee soaps are not just for the expert soap maker. Even beginners soap makers can appreciate a good coffee soap recipe.
For beginners, I recommend making coffee soap in small batches; once you make the perfect coffee soap in a small batch, you can go for large batches.
The combination of coffee and lard creates a soap with a hard bar, good lather, and a nice coffee smell.
What Ingredients You Need:
- Melt and Pour Soap Base (I used goat milk melt and pour soap base)-1 lb
- Or you can use shea butter soap base
- Coffee grounds- ¼ cup
- Vanilla essential oil-¼ tsp
- coffee fragrance oil
What Tools You Need:
- Scale
- Microwave or Double Boiler
- Spatula or Knife
- Mold (I used a silicone loaf mold)
Instructions:
- First, weigh the melt and pour soap base or shea butter soap base(choice is yours). Cut it into small pieces and put it in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Second, microwave the soap base for 30 seconds. Take it out and stir. Repeat this process until the soap base is completely melted.
- Thirdly, add the coffee grounds and stir well. Make sure the coffee ground is fully melted into the soap base.
- Fourth, add the vanilla essential oil and coffee fragrance oil and mix well.
- Fifth, pour the soap mixture into the mold.
- Now, let the soap cool and harden. Once completely hardened, remove it from the mold and cut it into bars.
- Your coffee soap bars are now ready to use.
Tip: If you make coffee soaps for the first time, make them in a small batch. Once you get the hang of it, you can make a big batch. Besides, you can play around with different coffee and essential oil combinations to get the perfect soap for you.
DIY Coffee Soap Bars With Cold Process Method:
Making a coffee soap bar with the cold process method is simple and easy, even if you’ve never made soap before. You can add coffee grounds to your soap for a natural exfoliating effect. What’s more, coffee soap is precious for your skin because it contains several benefits.
Use Coffee Instead Of water:
In the cold and processed soap making method, coffee can be used as a liquid in place of water. Mixing coffee instead of water with lye will create a more potent coffee soap. You can use either freshly brewed coffee or instant coffee.
Using distilled water to brew coffee is essential, as hard water can cause soap scum or residue. Mix it with just enough distilled water to make a paste if you’re using instant coffee.
In the cold and process method, you’ll need to mix the lye with the liquid (coffee or water) until it’s completely dissolved. Then, add your oils and stir until the soap reaches a trace. So, it’s simple to make soap with coffee; all you need is a little patience and some practice.
When you mix coffee and lye, the smell will be unpleasant in the final bar. This is because the lye reacts with the coffee grounds, and it takes time for this reaction to dissipate. However, the smell will disappear once you add the other ingredients and the soap goes through the saponification process.
In addition, we use espresso fragrance essential oil to give our soap a delightful coffee scent. You can use the essential oil of your choice or have it in hand, but I find the expresso fragrance perfect for coffee soap.
Essential oils that work well in coffee soap recipes
You can use any essential oil you like in coffee soap, but some oils work better than others. For example, I find that lavender oil, almond oil, and citrus oils work well in coffee soap.
Coffee fragrance oil, espresso essential oil, or vanilla essential oil also make a block of great smelling soap. But, as you all know very well, soap making is an art, and every person has their preference, like or dislike for certain fragrances. So, feel free to experiment and find the perfect scent for your coffee soap.
What Ingredients You Will Need To Make Coffee Soaps
- Sodium Hydroxide Lye-7. 5 oz.
- Plain Coffee-17.8 oz.
- Espresso Fragrance Oil-3 oz.
- Used Coffee Grounds-2 Tbsp.
- Whole Espresso Beans (for the top)
Oil-16 oz(Almond oil or olive oil are the best choices because they are light and have a little scent that could interfere with the final product. You could also use other light oils like grapeseed oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, or soybean oil)
Equipment You Will Need:
- Soap Mold with Sliding Bottom
- Silicone Liner
- Measuring spoons
- Safety goggles
- Apron
- Disposable gloves
- Large pot or slow cooker (at least a gallon)
- Stick blender
- Soapmaking thermometer
- Kitchen scale
- Spatula
- Knife
- Cutting board
Safety Note On Lye:
Lye is a highly corrosive substance that can cause chemical burns. It is important to take all necessary precautions when working with it. Always wear gloves, goggles, and long sleeves when handling lye. Never pour water into the lye; always add lye to the water. If you get lye on your skin, rinse immediately with cold water. If you get it in your eyes, flush with cool water for 15 minutes and seek medical attention.
Always store lye in a safe place where children and pets cannot reach it. When you make soap, always work in a well-ventilated area.
Instruction To make Coffee Soaps:
Preparing Coffee:
The first step is to make the coffee. You can use plain coffee or espresso beans. If you are using whole espresso beans, roast them until they are dark brown. Then grind the beans to a fine powder. If you are using pre-ground coffee, make sure it is a coarse grind.
Use distilled water or filtered water to make the coffee. Do not use tap water because it can contain chlorine, which will react with the lye and produce toxic fumes water to make the coffee. Also, If the water is too hard, it can cause soap scorching.
The coffee strength is up to you. The darker-strength coffee makes a dark color bar. The lighter the coffee, the paler the bar will be.
Now, cool the coffee to room temperature. You can do this by placing it in the fridge for about an hour or letting it sit out on the counter until it cools.
Coffee Lye Solution:
This one step is where you need to be especially careful. Measure out the lye and slowly add it to the coffee while stirring constantly.
The mixture of coffee and lye will start to warm up and get very hot. Make sure to mix them well until all of the lye flakes are fully dissolved. The lye and coffee mixture temperature will reach about 180 degrees F. At this point, the mixture will begin to acquire a brown tinge and acquire a distinctively unpleasant odor. But this is normal because when we add essential oil to the soap base, the unpleasant odor will disappear.
Now, set the coffee-lye solution aside to cool for about 30-60 minutes or until it reaches room temperature. Placing this mixture in a fridge or freezer saves your time, but the sudden temperature changes can crack your glass container. So, it’s better to leave it on a kitchen counter to cool. Meanwhile, take a break and enjoy some hot coffee.
Measure Oils and Butters:
Now it’s time to measure oils and butter. This recipe uses a total of 16 oz. of oils and butter. Melt the oils and butter together in a large pot or slow cooker. If you use solid oils and butter, such as cocoa butter or shea butter, melt them over low heat until they are liquid. Once the oils and butter are melted, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Mixing Lye Solution With Oils:
Once the oils and butter have cooled to room temperature, slowly add the coffee-lye solution to the pot while stirring constantly.
Take an immersion blender and incorporate it until it becomes thick and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Just be careful not to splash the hot mixture on yourself. Blend well until you reach a light trace. This means that when you drizzle the mixture back into the pot, it should leave a faint trail on the surface of the soap.
Adding Color and Fragrance:
Now it’s time to add color and fragrance. You can use any color you like or leave the soap uncolored. For this recipe, we are using a total of 12 drops of espresso fragrance oil. But, you can use peppermint essential oil or vanilla essential oil because they also go well with coffee. Add the fragrance oil to the soap and stir well.
Adding Fresh Coffee Grounds:
Now, make your soap fancier so it will look like a cake by adding fresh coffee grounds. To add a touch of realism, separate some mixture in a container and add a drop of brown food color.
Pour the fresh coffee grounds into the soap mixture and stir well. Don’t add too much, or your soap will be too gritty.
Pouring the Coffee Soaps:
Now, it’s time to pour the soap into a soap mold. Use any mold you like or have in hand, but we use a silicone loaf mold for this recipe.
First, pour the light color soap mixture into the soap mold and swirl it around with a spoon. Next, add the dark coffee grounds solution and do the same thing. Finally, pour in the remaining soap mixture and swirl it around.
Drop whole coffee beans in the middle of the soap all the way down the mold once you’re satisfied with the top. Press coffee beans into the top of the soap so they’ll stay firm.
Letting the Soap Cure:
Let the soap sit in the mold for 24-48 hours to harden. Once it’s hardened, remove it from the mold and cut it into bars. Enjoy your coffee soap bars!
What makes coffee soaps so precious for your skin?
Handmade soap or natural soap is already amazing for your skin. But what makes coffee soap extra special is that it has the potential to be an antioxidant powerhouse. That’s right; coffee soap can help protect your skin from free radicals, which are the villains that cause wrinkles and signs of aging. So if you’re searching for a soap that can help you fight the good fight against time, coffee soap is a great choice.
Its gentle exfoliation properties can also help remove dead skin cells, dirt, and cellulite, which can make your complexion look brighter and more radiant. Plus, the caffeine in coffee soap is known to tighten and firm skin. In addition, it helps improve your skin’s appearance. Coffee soap is definitely worth a try.
Use of organic coffee in skincare products
Organic coffee is popularly known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties. This makes it a perfect candidate to be used in skincare and related products. Studies have shown that coffee can help protect the skin from damage caused by UV rays, and it can also help improve the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. Organic coffee soap is one way to enjoy the benefits of this powerful ingredient.
FAQs related to Making Coffee Soaps:
1. What’s the difference between coffee soap and just using coffee grounds in my regular soap recipe?
Coffee soap is made with coffee grounds that have been brewed and then added to the soap recipe. This gives the soap bar a nice, dark color and a coffee scent. Coffee soap is also said to have some extra skin benefits, thanks to the caffeine and other antioxidants found in coffee.
2. How much coffee should I put in my homemade soap?
Well, it depends on the recipe you are using. But as a simple rule, start with one cup of coffee for every two pounds of soap base. You can increase the amount of coffee if you like a stronger scent or color. But adding too much coffee can disturb the balance of the soap recipe. Instant coffee gives the same results as regular fresh ground coffee.
3. Which oils are best to use in coffee soap?
Coffee soap is usually made with oils that are good for dry or sensitive skin, like olive oil, coconut oil, or shea butter.
4. Can I use coffee grounds in my homemade soap?
Yes! You can add coffee grounds to soap recipes for a gentle exfoliation effect. Just make sure to strain them out before using the soap so you don’t end up with gritty soap.
5. Can I add vanilla extract to my coffee soap or use essential oil?
Yes! Both vanilla extract and essential oils can be used to add a nice scent to coffee soap. Just make sure to use a safe amount, and always test a small batch first to make sure the scent is compatible with the other ingredients in your soap.
Endnote:
Coffee soap is a great way to add some extra skin benefits to handmade soap. Coffee is an antioxidant-rich ingredient that is said to help improve skin health. Plus, the coffee scent is a great way to add a little bit of luxury to your bathing experience.
Coffee is not only widely drunk but also used in many different ways. It can be used as a body scrub, face mask, and even shampoo. The benefits of coffee are incredible both for our inside and outside. So, if you’re looking to make a soap that not only smells great but is good for your skin, coffee soap is a great option!
