Classic Beeswax Soap Recipe To Try Out This Season
If you’ve ever thought about creating your own soap, you’re not alone. With growing awareness about sustainability, more people are turning to natural ingredients for their skincare needs. One popular option is making soap using beeswax, a versatile ingredient that brings numerous benefits to homemade soap. In this guide, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about crafting a beeswax soap recipe, covering tips, benefits, and step-by-step instructions to get you started on your sustainable soapmaking journey.
Why Choose a Beeswax Soap Recipe?
Choosing a beeswax soap recipe is an excellent step towards eco-friendly living. Beeswax is a natural, renewable resource that not only adds a luxurious touch to your soap but also provides a host of skincare benefits. Beeswax is known for its moisturising properties, creating a protective barrier on the skin that helps retain moisture without clogging pores. For those seeking a sustainable option, beeswax ticks all the boxes—it's biodegradable, ethically sourced when obtained from responsible beekeepers, and free of harmful chemicals found in commercial soaps.
In addition to its skincare benefits, beeswax lends hardness to soap bars, ensuring they last longer. This is particularly beneficial for small-scale soapmakers looking to create durable, long-lasting products that their customers will love. Incorporating beeswax into your soap recipe isn’t just a smart choice for your skin—it's a nod to Mother Nature as well.
How Much Beeswax to Add to Soap?
A common question when starting with a beeswax soap recipe is: "How much beeswax to add to soap?" The amount of beeswax you add can significantly affect the texture, hardness, and lather of your soap. Generally, beeswax should make up 1-2% of your total oil weight in a recipe. Adding too much beeswax can result in a soap that’s too hard and difficult to lather, so it's essential to measure carefully.
For example, if your total oil weight in a soap recipe is 1000 grams, you should aim for 10-20 grams of beeswax. This ratio ensures the beeswax will impart its benefits without overpowering the soap’s overall balance. Always remember to melt the beeswax thoroughly and blend it well with the other oils before proceeding with the lye mixture to ensure an even consistency throughout your soap batch.
Benefits of Soap with Beeswax
Soap with beeswax offers a myriad of benefits, making it a top choice for natural skincare enthusiasts. The key advantages include:
Moisturising and Protective: Beeswax forms a breathable barrier on the skin, locking in moisture and providing protection against irritants without clogging pores.
Antibacterial Properties: Beeswax has natural antibacterial qualities that help protect the skin from harmful bacteria, making it an excellent ingredient for sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Skin Softening: With its emollient properties, beeswax softens and soothes the skin, leaving it feeling smooth and supple.
Enhanced Soap Longevity: Beeswax contributes to the hardness of the soap, resulting in a bar that lasts longer, even with frequent use.
Natural Scent and Colour: Beeswax imparts a mild honey scent and a beautiful golden hue to the soap, enhancing its aesthetic appeal naturally.
How to Make Honey and Beeswax Soap?
Creating a honey and beeswax soap recipe is a fantastic way to harness the nourishing properties of both beeswax and honey. Here’s a simple recipe to get you started:
Ingredients:
- 200g Olive Oil
- 150g Coconut Oil
- 100g Shea Butter
- 30g Beeswax
- 50g Honey
- 70g Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)
- 170g Distilled Water
- 10 drops Essential Oil (Lavender or any preference)
Instructions:
Prepare Your Work Area: Ensure your workspace is clean, well-ventilated, and that you’re equipped with safety gear—gloves, goggles, and long sleeves.
Melt the Oils and Beeswax: In a double boiler, melt the olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax together until fully liquid.
Mix the Lye Solution: Carefully add the lye to the distilled water (never the other way around) and stir until dissolved. Allow this solution to cool to around 40-45°C.
Combine Oils and Lye Solution: Slowly pour the cooled lye solution into the melted oils and beeswax, blending with an immersion blender until it reaches trace (a pudding-like consistency).
Add Honey and Essential Oils: Gently stir in the honey and essential oils, ensuring everything is well mixed.
Pour into Moulds: Pour the mixture into soap moulds, tap to remove air bubbles, and cover with a towel to insulate.
Cure the Soap: Allow the soap to sit for 24-48 hours before unmoulding, then cure on a rack for 4-6 weeks before use.
What Makes Soap with Beeswax Special?
Soap with beeswax stands out because of its unique combination of eco-friendly ingredients and skincare benefits. Unlike many commercial soaps that contain synthetic additives, beeswax soap offers a natural alternative that is gentle on the skin and the environment. The inclusion of beeswax not only improves the soap’s longevity but also adds a luxurious feel, making it a preferred choice for those seeking high-quality, handmade products.
Beeswax soap is particularly beneficial for dry or sensitive skin due to its ability to lock in moisture and provide a protective barrier. It’s also great for people looking to reduce their plastic footprint, as beeswax soap can be wrapped in sustainable packaging, reducing the need for plastic soap containers.
Customising Your Beeswax Soap Recipe
The quality of beeswax can significantly impact the final outcome of your beeswax soap recipe. Beeswax is available in various forms, such as pellets, blocks, and pastilles, and can range in colour from white to deep golden yellow. The colour and scent of beeswax can vary depending on the flowers visited by the bees, so selecting the right type can add a subtle, natural fragrance to your soap.
For a more natural and authentic touch, unrefined beeswax is often preferred in soapmaking. Unrefined beeswax retains its natural honey aroma and golden colour, which can enhance the visual and sensory appeal of your soap. However, if you are looking for a beeswax soap recipe that requires a more neutral appearance or if you plan to use vibrant colourants, refined white beeswax might be a better choice. Regardless of the type, always ensure that your beeswax is sourced from ethical and sustainable beekeepers to align with your eco-friendly soapmaking goals.
Customising with Natural Additives
One of the best aspects of creating your own beeswax soap recipe is the ability to include a variety of natural additives that cater to different skin types and preferences. Additives like oatmeal, dried herbs, clays, and botanical extracts can be incorporated to enhance the soap’s exfoliating properties, colour, or overall skincare benefits.
For instance, adding colloidal oatmeal to your beeswax soap recipe can provide gentle exfoliation and is especially beneficial for sensitive or dry skin. Dried herbs like lavender, chamomile, or calendula can be used not only for their calming effects but also for their aesthetic appeal when sprinkled on top of soap bars. Clays such as kaolin or bentonite can introduce a smooth texture and detoxifying properties, making your beeswax soap recipe suitable for oily or acne-prone skin.
If you’re looking to add natural colour to your soap, consider using ingredients like turmeric for a warm golden hue, spirulina for a green tint, or activated charcoal for a striking black soap. These additives not only offer visual diversity but also bring their own unique skincare benefits, further enhancing the value of your customised beeswax soap.
Incorporating Essential Oils for Fragrance and Benefits
Fragrance is a key element in any soap, and by crafting your own beeswax soap recipe, you can select essential oils that not only smell delightful but also offer specific skincare benefits. Essential oils like lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, and peppermint are popular choices that can complement the subtle, natural scent of beeswax. Each essential oil comes with its own set of therapeutic properties—lavender is known for its calming effects, tea tree for its antibacterial qualities, and eucalyptus for its invigorating aroma.
When adding essential oils to your beeswax soap recipe, it’s important to measure carefully and adhere to safe usage rates, as some oils can cause skin irritation in high concentrations. Typically, adding 1-2% of essential oils relative to the total weight of your oils is a good guideline to follow. Always consider the preferences and sensitivities of the intended users of your soap, particularly if you’re making soap for people with allergies or specific skin conditions.
Experimenting with Different Oils and Butters
The beauty of crafting your own beeswax soap recipe lies in the endless possibilities of experimenting with various oils and butters to achieve the perfect balance of hardness, lather, and moisturising properties. While common oils like olive, coconut, and palm oil are staple ingredients in many soap recipes, other luxurious oils such as argan, jojoba, or sweet almond oil can elevate the quality of your soap.
Butters like shea, cocoa, and mango butter can be incorporated into your beeswax soap recipe to enhance its moisturising capabilities and add a creamy texture to the lather. These ingredients are particularly beneficial for making a soap that is extra nourishing and suitable for dry or mature skin. The key is to find a balance that complements the beeswax without overshadowing its unique characteristics.
Where to Source Beeswax and Ingredients in Europe?
Finding quality ingredients is key to a successful beeswax soap recipe. For those based in the UK and Europe, several reputable suppliers offer sustainably sourced beeswax and other soapmaking ingredients:
The Soap Kitchen (UK): Offers a wide range of sustainably sourced beeswax pellets and soapmaking oils.
Manske (Germany): A European supplier known for their high-quality, ethical raw materials including beeswax.
Bramble Berry (EU Delivery Available): Known for a wide variety of soapmaking supplies, including organic and fair-trade ingredients.
When sourcing beeswax, look for suppliers that support ethical beekeeping practices, which ensure the beeswax is harvested in a way that does not harm bee populations. This not only supports sustainable production but also contributes to the overall health of the environment.
Tips for Making the Perfect Beeswax Soap Recipe
Temperature Control: Beeswax has a high melting point, so it’s essential to keep an eye on the temperature to prevent it from cooling too quickly and clumping in the mixture.
Avoid Overheating: Overheating the beeswax can affect its beneficial properties and alter the final texture of your soap. Aim for a gentle, steady melt.
Experiment with Additives: Consider adding natural colourants like turmeric or spirulina for a splash of colour, or oatmeal for a gentle exfoliating effect.
Test and Adjust: Soapmaking is both an art and a science, so don’t be afraid to tweak the ratios slightly based on your preferences or the specific qualities you’re looking for in a soap.
Crafting your own beeswax soap recipe is a fulfilling and sustainable hobby that allows you to take control of what goes onto your skin. With these tips and recipes, you’re well on your way to making beautiful, eco-friendly soap that’s kind to both your skin and the planet. Happy soapmaking!
This article provided you with a beeswax soap recipe that you can try out when making your next DIY homemade soap.