This nourishing soap bar recipe smells like chocolate and coffee, leaving your senses refreshed while you buff away dead skin, thanks to the exfoliating properties of this bar!
The soap in this recipe is made from a melt-and-pour bar, packed full of nutrients and simple ingredients, keeping this bar natural and safe for your skin!
Simple to make and fun to gift, whip up a batch of these around the holidays to give to your family and friends for an awesome handmade gift!
For this recipe, you will need…
One half (1 pound) of a Melt-and-Pour soap base, I used the Shea Butter base from “Our Earth’s Secret’s”
1/4 cup of roasted cocoa butter
1/4 cup of coffee grounds (used or fresh grounds, I used fresh. Do not use instant coffee!)
Large, heatproof glass measuring cup
Heatproof large mixing bowl (I use a stainless steel bowl)
Large pot (for making a double boiler with the heatproof bowl)
Silicone spatula
Small mixing bowl
Silicone soap molds of choice (For this recipe, I used 2 of these cute bee ones!)
Let’s get started!
First, divide the 2 pound bar of the melt-and-pour soap base in half. This recipe will make 12 bars, based on the bee molds I have linked above.
If you would like to double this recipe to make 24 bars, simply use the whole 2 pound soap base. You will need four of the bee mold soap trays if you go this route.
Set aside the two soap mold trays and place parchment paper beneath them.
Cut the soap into 1 inch cubes with a knife, on a cutting board.
Heating the Soap Base
Next, create a double boiler system. I do this by adding about 2 inches of water to a large pot, than placing a heatproof bowl on top of the water pot.
Turn on the correct size of stove top burner to medium low heat, and add the soap base cubes.
Melt these slowly over medium low heat until completely melted, stirring occasionally. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
Do this slowly, you do not want the soap base to burn.
Once the mixture is all melted, turn the burner off and move the double boiler system off of the heat. Carefully pour the melted soap base from the heatproof bowl, into your large, heatproof, glass measuring cup.
Set aside the measuring cup momentarily while you prep the other add-ins.
Adding the Cocoa Butter and Coffee Grounds
After the base is melted and contained in the mixing cup, we will add in the cocoa butter and coffee grounds.
Cocoa butter, especially roasted, smells intoxicating. It is so warm and nutty, making for a luxurious butter to use in this soap recipe. The chocolate smell compliments the coffee so well!
Scoop out 1/4 cup of roasted cocoa butter and add to a small mixing bowl.
Next, pour 1/4 cup of your favorite coffee grounds into the same small mixing bowl that is currently housing the roasted cocoa butter.
Coffee, as you probably know, is invigorating. The smell of coffee alone will perk you up! I like to add it to this soap bar recipe because of the wonderful exfoliating properties it gives. Exfoliation, done properly, boosts circulation, unclogs pores, and works wonders for dull skin!
Stir the cocoa butter and coffee grounds to combine, then add to the large glass mixing cup that has the soap base.
I will sometimes use the leftover heat from the turned off stove top burner to melt the soap base if it has hardened at all during the add-in process.
If you are using fresh coffee grounds, the coffee will begin to steep. At this point, it smells REALLY good!
Be sure to keep mixing the mixture until no lumps of cocoa butter remain. If you need to continue heating the mixture, do so over a low heat and use caution and common sense with temperatures. We are looking for low heat, never boiling.
Once the mixture is smooth and free of any lumps, carefully pour the soap mixture into the bar molds. Fill them 3/4 the way full at first. You can always go back to add more if you have any mixture leftover.
Curing the Bars
After you have finished pouring all of the mixture, you should have about 12 bars.
Now the soaps need to cure. Let the soap bars sit, or cure, for 8 hours or overnight. Try not to move the trays, as this will affect how the bars will set up.
Sit them in a place where they can remain untouched until they are finished curing. This is tough, but the wait is worth it!
Removing the Bars
After the curing period, the bars will be ready to use!
Carefully pop them out of the molds, pushing from the bottom and out the top.
Silicone molds are very flexible, and are ideal for melt-and-pour soaps, like this recipe.
Now, the only thing left to do is admire (and smell) them!
Also, and I know this is tough, but… please do not eat the soap. It is for external use only!
It works especially well on rough spots like elbows, knees, and feet. It also works wonders for those little bumps you get on your arms. Thanks, keratosis pilaris.
Congrats!
By now, you have a fresh batch of 12 perfect little cocoa butter and coffee exfoliating soap bars. You did it!
Share them with friends and family, stock your shower, and enjoy your nourishing soaps!
Love this soap! Makes me feel so fancy!