Sweeter Things LLC
Unscented Gentle Baby Soap
A mild, skin-loving bar made with simple, clean ingredients — perfect for sensitive skin.
⚠️ Lye Safety Notice
This recipe uses Sodium Hydroxide (Lye), a caustic substance that requires careful handling. Always wear gloves and safety goggles. Work in a ventilated area. Keep children and pets away during preparation. Lye is safe once the soap has fully cured.
🧪 Ingredients
All measurements must be weighed accurately on a digital kitchen scale.
| Ingredient | Amount & Role |
|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 250 g (50%) — mild, conditioning quality |
| Coconut Oil | 150 g (30%) — hardness & fluffy lather |
| Shea Butter | 100 g (20%) — creamy lather & moisture |
| Distilled Water | 150 g |
| Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) | 69 g — calculated with 6% superfat for extra conditioning |
💡 A 6% superfat means a little extra oil remains in the finished bar for added skin conditioning.
📋 Step-by-Step Directions
- Mix the Lye Water Put on your gloves and goggles. Weigh the distilled water into a heat-safe plastic or stainless steel jug. Weigh the lye into a separate small, dry container. Slowly pour the lye into the water (never the other way around). Stir gently until fully dissolved. The mixture will get very hot and produce fumes — set it aside in a safe, ventilated place to cool to roughly 40°C–45°C.
- Melt and Mix the Oils Weigh your shea butter and coconut oil into a large stainless steel or heat-safe glass bowl. Melt them together gently using a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave. Weigh the olive oil and stir it into the melted mixture. Allow the oils to cool until they are close to the temperature of your lye water (around 40°C–45°C).
- Blend to Trace Carefully pour the cooled lye water into the bowl of oils. Submerge your immersion (stick) blender to the bottom of the bowl to avoid trapping air bubbles. Blend in short bursts of 5–10 seconds, alternating with manual stirring. Stop blending as soon as you reach a light trace — this is when the soap looks like thin vanilla pudding, and a drizzle across the surface leaves a faint, visible line before sinking.
- Pour and Harden Pour the soap batter into your silicone loaf mould. Tap the mould firmly on the benchtop to dislodge any trapped air bubbles. Cover the mould with baking paper, then wrap it in a towel to insulate it and keep the heat in. Leave it undisturbed for 24 to 48 hours until completely firm.
- Cut and Cure Gently pull the sides of the mould away and pop the soap loaf out. Slice into individual bars using a sharp, non-serrated knife or a soap cutter. Stand the bars upright on baking paper in a well-ventilated, dry area out of direct sunlight. Cure the soap for 4 to 6 weeks — this allows the remaining water to evaporate, creating a harder, longer-lasting bar with a better lather.