Calendula Tallow Soap
Learn to make 100% tallow soap at home with this easy nose-to-tail recipe for natural, skin-soothing benefits in every bar.
Yield: 10 Bars
Materials
- 32 ounces Tallow
- 9.52 ounces Water
- 4.26 ounces Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 1.5 ounces Essential Oil optional
- 8 ounces Calendula Petals
Instructions
- Make sure to weigh all ingredients with a digital scale and wear safety equipment. Do not use metal pans (except stainless steel) to make soap as it creates a reaction with lye that gives off toxic fumes.
- Weigh 32 ounces of tallow and melt over low heat in a large pot. Roughly 100ºF (I have a separate dutch oven for soap making)
- Measure out 8 ounces of calendula petals and add into melted tallow. Infuse for 1-3 hours.
- Choose to strain or blend calendula petals and tallow. If blended they will add flecks of color and gentle exfoliation to your final product.
- Weigh 9.52 ounces of water in a glass measuring cup. A mason jar works well for this.
- In a separate container, weigh 4.26 ounces of sodium hydroxide lye.
- Slowly mix lye into the weighed water, stirring continuously to ensure lye completely dissolves. A chemical reaction will immediately begin giving off heat and fumes. Make sure to do this in a well ventilated area. Set lye solution aside to cool. It will turn from cloudy to clear.
- Carefully add the lye solution to the melted tallow.
- Using an immersion blender, begin to mix the soap. Continue blending until soap reaches trace. Similar consistency to light pudding.
- Blend in desired scent (or leave unscented) and any additives. Best to mix with a silicone spatula to prevent a hard trace.
- Pour soap batter into soap mold. Decorate top if desired and cool for 15-24 hours until bar has hardened.
- Once hardened remove soap from mold and cut into desired bar size. A 1" Bar will weigh approximately 4 ounces when cured.
- Cure bars in a cool well ventilated space for three weeks before use. Allowing your soap to fully saponify and harden.