I love this beautiful soap with a candy-cane swirl. Scented with peppermint essential oil, it is perfect for Christmas gift-giving. The instructions for making this natural, homemade candy cane soap come from Kelly Cable’s new book, The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners (and is used with the author’s permission).
I’ve been making soap for many years, but I’ve rarely gone beyond the basics. Kelly’s new book inspires me to be more experimental and artistic in my soap making. This candy cane soap was the first I’ve tried using color in my soap, and I love it!
This beautifully illustrated book contains all you need to know about natural soap making, supplies and ingredients, and the process of making soap. If you are a beginner and want to get started now, you will be interested in this simple primer on Basic Soap Making.
Making Candy Cane Soap
Equipment Needed
- kitchen scale
- measuring spoons
- glass bowls
- large spoon
- large stainless steel or enamel pot
- small zip-top plastic bag
- thermometer
- soap mold
- parchment paper
- stick blender (or hand mixer)
- whisk
- rubber spatula
- chopstick
- blanket
All Natural Ingredients
- 12 ounces tallow
- 10 ounces olive oil
- 8 ounces coconut oil
- 3 ounces castor oil
- 4.4 ounces lye* (recommended brands include Red Crown, ComStar, and Essential Depot )
- 12.5 ounces filtered or distilled water
- 1 ounce peppermint essential oil
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon madder root powder
Instructions
1. HEAT THE FATS/OILS In a large pot, combine the tallow, olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil. Heat over medium-low heat until they are melted and incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 100° to 110°F.
2. MIX THE LYE WATER Put on safety gear, including protective eyewear, a mask, gloves, and long sleeves. Outside, carefully add the lye crystals to the water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100° to 110°F. If the oils and lye water cool at different rates, you can use a cold- or hot-water bath in the sink.
3. PREPARE THE MOLD While the oils and lye water cool, line the mold with parchment paper. For a mold with individual cavities, the parchment is not used.
4. COMBINE AND BRING TO TRACE When both the oils and lye water are 100° to 110°F, carefully pour the lye water into the pot of oils. Use a stick blender (or hand mixer) to mix for 1 to 2 minutes and then let the mixture rest for 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat mixing and resting until light trace.
5. MIX IN NATURAL ADDITIVES When the soap reaches light to medium trace, add the peppermint essential oil and blend for 30 seconds.
6. MIX IN COLORANTS Transfer 1/2 cup of the soap to a small bowl. Add the madder root powder and whisk until there are no lumps.
7. MOLD THE SOAP AND SWIRL When the soap is at medium trace (just a little thinner than pudding), pour the large batch into the mold. Pour the red soap horizontally, back and forth, over the surface of the soap. Insert a chopstick into the batter until it reaches the bottom of the mold. Drag the chopstick back and forth, across the length of the mold. Cover with a lid or parchment paper and insulate with a blanket for 24 hours.
8. CUT AND CURE Remove the soap from the mold. If it seems too soft to remove, wait another 12 to 24 hours before removing. Cut the soap into 12 (4-ounce) bars. Allow the bars to cure in a well-ventilated location for 4 to 6 weeks.
TIP Your soap needs to be at medium trace to create the swirl on top or the color will sink inside the soap. If your soap is too thin, blend with the stick blender or wait a few minutes for it to thicken before pouring into the mold. If you have poured the red soap back and forth over the top of your batch and have extra, don’t use it. Overuse will give you a solid red on top rather than pretty red stripes or swirls.
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tricia moohan says
I wish to join with you on this jouney
Susan Vinskofski says
Yay, it’s so much more fun when you have companions!
Lorie Schroeder Orlando says
I’ve wanted to try this for a long time! Thanks for the great instructions!
Susan Vinskofski says
Thanks, Lorie!!!
donna a says
Gorgeous! I cannot find madder root anywhere. Can I use dried beet powder?
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Donna, the madder root is available here: http://amzn.to/2xtAFnI. I’m afraid that beetroot will produce a brown/gray color.
Irene says
Can I use lard instead of tallow? Or cut that out of the recipe and change the percentages of the other 3 oils?
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Irene, any time that you want to make a change in a soap recipe, you need to run your ingredients through a lye calculator like this one https://www.brambleberry.com/calculator?calcType=lye to be sure that you are using the proper amount of lye. In this case, you should be able to swap the tallow for lard without making any other adjustments.
helga says
My soap turned a brown clay color, not the red candy-cane color that I wanted for this soap. I used the Crisco instead of tallow, but everything else I followed to a “t”.
How do you know how much to use to get that red color?
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi Helga, I suspect that the Crisco is the cause of your color turning brown. The soap should still be just fine.
Tessa Zundel says
Did I already tell you that the kids and I made this recipe last year for Christmas gifts? Such a smooth, delicious soap – smelled so good! Thank you for the inspiration.
Susan Vinskofski says
Oh, how fun!!! It’s an amazing soap but I have to give all the credit to Kelly Cable. 🙂
kitcheniest says
First, I just love your soap, it is so attractive, and who make wonderful gifts at the holiday season. But please help me with one question. Putting crushed candy canes into the soap, how does that wash up? Are there any stickiness from the sugar in the candy? Thank you for sharing this idea. I love it.
Susan Vinskofski says
Hi! Please re-read the ingredients; there is no candy in the soap. 🙂
Gwenyth Nickel says
Can I use peppermint extract that I have in my kitchen for cookies etc or won’t that work?
Susan Vinskofski says
Peppermint extract is not anywhere near as concentrated as essential oil. In addition the alcohol in the extract would not mix well with the oils in the recipe and cause lumping.
KristalSea says
Sandy, what do you think I could use instead of the madder root powder to make green swirls? I like more of an earthy look.
Thanks
Susan Vinskofski says
Color can be complicated but this article from Lovely Greens should help: https://lovelygreens.com/how-to-naturally-color-handmade-soap/