Cold Process Coffee Soap Recipe

I had always heard coffee was a good odor remover, regardless of the recipe. I used wet grounds in my first batch and got a really interesting design. The grounds were dry the second time and the soap was really dark, but the lather was white. Third batch the grounds weren’t quite dry. The soap is uncolored around the grounds. First batch used commercial ground, they were a little large for my liking. I now have a coffee grinder so they are ground finer, and I like it a lot better.

I make triple strength coffee the night before using distilled water. Refrigerate overnight. The lye is added to the cold coffee.

Coffee Soap #1

Canola, 500g (20%)
Castor, 50g (2%)
Cocoa Butter, 75g (3%)
Coconut Oil, 325g (13%)
Palm Oil, 200g (8%)
Palm Kernel, 300g (12%)
Sunflower, 350g (14%)
Lard, 700g (28%)

Lye, 348.5g (one Red Devil can — I usually weigh the lye first and then adjust my ingredients)
Triple strength coffee, 28 fl. oz.

Coffee Soap #2 (double batch)

Canola, 600g (12%)
Castor, 100g (2%)
Cocoa Butter, 100g (2%)
Coconut, 800g (16%)
Corn, 400g (8%)
Palm Kernel, 600g (12%)
Sunflower, 600g (12%)
Lard, 1000g (20%)
Tallow, 800g (16%)

700g lye
63 oz. coffee

I like the second recipe better. It comes out harder. Plenty of lather. And the animal fats give it plenty of cleaning power.

DH took two bars in for the shop mechanic. One for shop, one for home. The motorheads of course had to try it. One of them exclaimed, “My wife is going to think I’m having an affair, my hands have NEVER been this clean!” They used the shop bar daily, washing to their armpits. Needless to say, I now have regular customers for coffee soap.

submitted by Gin B.