A Skin-Loving Bar You’ll Adore

Handmade soap is more than just a cleanser—it’s a luxurious experience packed with nourishing oils, natural ingredients, and skin-loving properties. One of my favorite cold process soap recipes is Turmeric & Honey Soap. This beautifully balanced bar offers gentle cleansing, rich lather, and skin-enhancing benefits that make it perfect for all skin types. Learning how to add what oils at what percentage/amount is key to making well rounded good quality soap batches. Run the recipe thru your favorite lye calculator to give you an idea of how this recipe will turn out. I used https://www.soapmakingfriend.com, but there are several other reputable soap websites with lye calcs…

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Why You’ll Love This Turmeric & Honey Soap Recipe

Turmeric: The Golden Beauty Secret

Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory and brightening properties, making it a popular choice for natural skincare. It helps to even skin tone, reduce redness, and add a warm golden hue to your soap.

Honey: A Natural Humectant

Honey is a powerhouse ingredient that draws moisture to the skin, making this soap ultra-hydrating. It also adds a rich, creamy lather that makes every wash feel like a spa experience.

Coconut Milk for Creamy Luxury

Instead of using plain water, this recipe incorporates coconut milk, which enhances the soap’s silkiness and provides extra hydration.

Well-Balanced in Every Way

This soap checks all the right boxes for a great handmade bar:
Bubbly & Creamy Lather – Thanks to the mix of coconut oil, castor oil, and honey.
Moisturizing & Conditioning – Shea butter and sweet almond oil nourish and protect the skin.
Gentle Cleansing – Not too harsh, not too mild—just the right balance.
Long-Lasting Hardness – A firm bar that holds up well over time.

Now, let’s dive into the full cold process soap recipe! Please gather all your equipment, tools and ingredients prior to starting any CP Soap recipe, this will help in the long run.

Essential Equipment for Cold Process Soap Making

1. Digital Food Scale – Ensures precise measurements of oils, lye, and liquids.
2. Heat-Resistant Measuring Cups – For accurately measuring liquids and oils. A separate cup for measuring lye..
3. 2 large Stainless Steel or Heat-Resistant Hard Plastic Bowl – Used to mix the lye solution safely.
4. Heat Gun Thermometer – Monitors the temperature of the oils and lye solution for proper emulsification.
5. Protective Gear – Wear long gloves, a long-sleeve shirt, and safety goggles to protect against lye splashes.
6. Durable Silicone Spoon – For stirring oils, lye, and additives.
7. Stick Blender – Helps bring the soap batter to trace quickly and efficiently.
8. Soap Mold – Holds the soap as it sets and cures into solid bars.

Turmeric & Honey Cold Process Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

Base Oils & Butters

• 8 oz Coconut Oil https://amzn.to/4kRIFqu
• 15.6 oz Shea Butter https://amzn.to/43OXcgH
• 2.8 oz Sweet Almond Oil https://amzn.to/425FmET
• 5.6 oz Castor Oil https://amzn.to/3XLwDFd
• Total Oils: 32 oz

Lye & Liquid

******This recipe uses the 50/50 lye/water concentration method..  With remainder of required  being added after all oils have been melted. For a total of 7.88 oz of liquids

• 4.24 oz Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) (Amazon Link)
• 4.24 oz Distilled Water
• 3.64 oz Coconut Milk

Additives

• 1.5 tsp Organic Turmeric Powder
• 1.5 tbsp Honey (diluted in lukewarm coconut milk)
• 1 tbsp Kaolin Clay (for added silkiness)
• 0.96 oz Sandalwood & Vanilla Fragrance Oil (Optional)

Equipment

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare Your Workspace

Before you begin, put on your gloves, safety goggles, and long sleeves. Working with lye requires caution, so make sure you’re in a well-ventilated area.

Mix the Lye Solution

• Slowly add lye to the distilled water (never the other way around!). Stir gently until dissolved.
• Allow the lye solution to cool to 100-110°F (37-43°C). ***Note.. Lye solution & oils should be within 10 degrees of one another for best results when mixing…

Melt & Mix Your Oils

• Gently melt coconut oil and shea butter together until fully liquefied. Do NOT overheat shea butter.
• Stir in the almond oil and castor oil.
• Allow the oils to cool to 100-110°F (37-43°C).

Add Coconut Milk to Oils

• When the oils have slightly cooled, **add the coconut milk with honey** directly into the oils and mix well. This step ensures a creamy, luxurious soap base.

Add the Turmeric & Honey

• Dissolve honey in room temp to slightly cool but not frozen coconut milk before adding to oils.
• Stir in turmeric powder and kaolin clay, blending well to distribute evenly. **Can be added at light trace, alternatively.

Combine Lye Solution with Oils

• Slowly pour the cooled lye solution into bowl of oils while stirring continuously.
• Use an immersion blender to mix until the batter reaches a light trace (a thin, pudding-like consistency).

Pour into Mold & Cure

• Pour the soap batter into a lined mold, smoothing out the top.
• Cover and let it sit for 24-48 hours until hardened.
• Unmold, cut into bars, and let cure for 4-6 weeks for the best lather and hardness.

How This Recipe Creates a Perfect Soap Bar

This Turmeric & Honey Soap is crafted to provide a well-balanced bar with all the best handmade soap qualities:

Rich, Bubbly Lather

The combination of castor oil and honey creates big, fluffy bubbles, making this soap feel luxurious. Gentle cleansing without drying skin. With coconut oil at 25%, this soap cleans well without stripping the skin of natural moisture. Super Moisturizing & Conditioning

Shea butter & almond oil ensure the bar is deeply conditioning, perfect for dry or sensitive skin.

Long-Lasting Hardness

The mix of shea butter and kaolin clay adds firmness, helping the soap hold up well in the shower.

Common Questions About Turmeric Soap

Will turmeric stain my skin?

No! The amount of turmeric in this soap is just right to add skin benefits without leaving a yellow tint.

Can I use fresh turmeric instead of powder?

Fresh turmeric contains water and can spoil in soap, so it’s best to use powdered turmeric.

How long does homemade soap last?

Properly cured cold process soap can last 6-12 months or longer, depending on storage conditions.

Where to Buy Soap-Making Ingredients

If you’re ready to make this beautiful Turmeric & Honey Soap, here are some high-quality ingredients you can grab from Amazon:

🛒 Shea Butter → Buy Here
🛒 Castor Oil → Buy Here
🛒 Coconut Oil → Buy Here
🛒 Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) → Buy Here

 Additional Tips:

1. Oils: When making cold process soap, the oils should be melted and heated to around 100–120°F (37–49°C). This temperature allows for proper blending with the lye solution, while keeping the oils from becoming too hot and causing issues like overheating or discoloration. Do NOT overheat butters!
2. Lye Solution: The lye solution should be around 100–120°F (37–49°C) as well. It’s essential that the lye solution and oils are at a similar temperature when mixing them to avoid sudden temperature changes, which could lead to undesirable results.
3. Aloe Vera Juice: Aloe vera juice is typically added to the oils after the lye solution has cooled. Aim for room temperature (around 70–75°F / 21–24°C) when adding it to avoid denaturing the sensitive components of aloe vera juice.
4. Other Liquids: If using other liquids, like herbal teas or flower waters, aim for room temperature to slightly chilled liquids (around 70–80°F / 21–27°C). This ensures that they mix well without causing an excess of heat or separation in the soap.
5. For Milk: If you’re using milk (especially for something like goat or coconut milk), you can allow to sit so that it is cool but not too cold. This ensures it mixes well with the oils without shocking the temperature of the soap batter.

Final Thoughts

This Turmeric & Honey Cold Process Soap is truly a skin-loving masterpiece! Packed with antioxidants, deep moisture, and a beautiful golden hue, it’s the perfect addition to your natural skincare routine.

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear about your results in the comments! Happy soapmaking!