Full credit to Jan Berry; aka; “The Nerdy Farmwife,” for this recipe. I thought I’d write a blog post about it because it’s just THAT good.
The recipe is as follows; (Here is the original page, by Jan Berry; https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/cold-process-cucumber-soap-palm-free/
Cold Process Cucumber Soap Recipe
Superfat is 6%. All measurements are by weight. You need an accurate digital scale to make soap.
1/4 (2 or 3 oz) of a cucumber, unpeeled
9 oz (255 g) cool or chilled water
3.83 oz (108 g) lye (sodium hydroxide)
12 oz (340 g) olive oil
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil (*or babassu oil)
4 oz (113 g) rice bran oil
2 oz (57 g) avocado oil
2 oz (57 g) shea, mango or avocado butter
1/2 tbsp French green clay mixed with 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) water
*Note: If using babassu oil instead of coconut oil, use 3.57 ounces (101 grams) of lye for a 6% superfat.
This was one of those recipes that was a bit more work, but oh, so worth it. You start by peeling and processing some fresh cucumbers.
For this recipe, I always make at least 4 (3#) loaves. That’s 40 bars. They do take a little more time to cure, maybe because of the higher moisture content?
I use just a food processor or our ninja to process the cucumber and mint. I also always add some peppermint and or spearmint essential oils later on- when I mix the soap; about 1 oz per pound of soap I make. Other great additions are Eucalyptus or even a touch of Tea Tree, but don’t go overboard, that scent is powerful and just takes over!
The cucumber has to be frozen because you’ll be adding lye to it, which will heat it rapidly to over 200 degrees, which will basically cook it and strangely; also turn it bright pumpkin orange. We don’t want that! So; take it from me, and freeze it in a zip lock bag like I did with the fresh aloe here.
You’ll want to freeze this as flat as possible (it’ll freeze faster that way and also be easier to break up to add to the lye water later.) It takes about a day for me to freeze the amount I use to make 40 bars, so if you are only making a little bit in comparison, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours.
I weigh all my oils and ingredients and get them all ready ahead while my frozen ingredients are staying cold. The oil can sit for a day or so- sometimes longer, I just make sure to cover them with plastic wrap and warm them a bit in the microwave ahead (90-100 degrees Fahrenheit) because I find this makes better soap and the process easier overall.
I use the frozen block of cucumber in the lye bucket plus the other liquids, then the lye, carefully, while constantly mixing to prevent the lye from sticking into a mass at the bottom of the bucket and forming “lye chunks.” Lye chunks are not fun.
The oils, after warming them to 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit, as stated above are ready as soon as you add your fragrance or essential oils and your French Green Clay! Then, using your stick blender on low, mix the lye water and the oils slowly, being careful not to over mix. If you wanted color, (I do add a little parsley or green mica powder, personally for some pop) you would add that to the oils before adding the lye too. My first batch I did not add color and it came out sorta a pale greenish beige. There is a photo of it in my last post here.
It shouldn’t take long for the mixture to come to trace, which is when it’s gotten a bit thick. Stop mixing there! It’s going to rapidly get thicker fast and begin to be difficult to pour, so get ready to pour! Pour it into your prepared molds and swirl if you would like with your hanger swirl or other tool. I like to use the natural batter color and a darker green (two tone) and mix them, but every batch I make is a little different- I am not known for my consistent designs. Consistency is not my strong suit, creativity is my strong point.
I sometimes like to decorate the top with dried flowers, poppyseeds or parsley leaves (dried.) Sometimes I like them just plain. These pictured above I made hot process (similar to cold process, but I cooked the soap batter, which speeds curing and gives it this rustic look!)
The effect of the soap, which is cut in 2 days or so, is a minty, fresh, bright, unisex Bar that is silken on the skin and gentle enough for the face. This soap, though I did alter it a bit from the original recipe by Jan Berry, was my best seller in summer of 2019. I’ve altered it even more these days, adding fresh aloe and some other ingredients including jojoba and oatmeal for an exfoliating option- and they still sell really well. Men and Women have loved this soap equally and it’s one of my most repeat purchases.
Here is my latest batch; https://etsy.me/3c7jKuJ but I can’t promise it’ll look just the same! They do seem to look nicer each time, however! (:
How did your batch go? Please let me know below!
A Soap Company for Parrot People 