Lemon juice in soap is well-known as an odor eater. Lemon soap works well in the kitchen as cooks use the soap to remove odors from fish and onions from their hands. Coffee is another good odor eater, not as well known as lemon juice. Try both of the following recipes to remove odors from hands and sinks.
Soap makers cause their soap bars to be harder and longer lasting by hand milling their basic soaps. Once soap is remelted and ready to pour into individual and decorative molds, spices can be added to give the soap special qualities. It is best to start with high quality, hand made soap. Each of the following soap recipes is based on one general technique of hand milling soap. (Hand mill soap is also called rebatch soap.)
Lemon Nutmeg Natural Soap Bars
Some prefer to add an extra ounce of glycerin to this recipe, however, cold-process soaps retain their natural glycerin. Starting with a good-quality castile soap recipe should make the necessity of the extra glycerin obsolete.
The scent of nutmeg is used by aromatherapists to bring relaxation and calm. Used topically, nutmeg is thought to help soothe excema and dry skin, so it is a nice addition to soap.
Squeeze the juice of a fresh lemon then add water to make nine ounces. Finely grate the rind of one lemon. Melt in a cooking pot:
- 12 ounces grated soap
- 9 ounces lemon juice and water mixture.
When melted, add:
- Grated lemon rind
- 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg.
Stir the nutmeg and lemon rind thoroughly into the melted soap just before pouring into molds.
Double Lemon Soap
This soap is more astringent than the lemon-nutmeg soap, and is stronger. Preferred for especially strong smells. For this recipe, squeeze two or more lemons (if necessary) to get nine ounces of lemon juice and grate the rinds of two lemons. The powdered benzoin is a gentle preservative.
Melt in a soap pot:
- 12 ounces grated soap
- 9 ounces fresh lemon juice.
Add to the melted soap:
- Finely grated rind of two lemons
- 1 teaspoon powdered benzoin.
Stir well, remove from heat, and pour into molds.
Coffee Soap One
Coffee grinds are credited with removing odors from hands while washing. Use freshly ground, fragrant, dark beans. The soap will take on the color of the coffee beans.
Melt in cooking pot:
- 12 ounces grated soap
- 9 ounces water.
When melted, add:
- 3 tablespoons freshly ground coffee
- 1 teaspoon powdered benzoin.
Remove from heat and stir gently until the soap is cool. Otherwise, the grounds will sink to the bottom. After the soap is cool and the grounds are well-mixed, pour this soap into molds.
Coffee Soap Two
For those who love the scent of coffee but want a less strong coffe soap, try brewing freshly ground coffee. Melt in a pot:
- 12 ounces of grated soap
- 9 ounces of freshly brewed coffee.
Pour into molds.
Marbled Coffee Soap
Marbled soap is a fun and decorative technique that works with any additives that make the soap a darker color. Choose either of the two coffee soap recipes above (Coffee Soap One will be darker).
Have either a bamboo skewer or stick handy near the soap molds. Other implements that can be used include wide-tooth combs, toothpicks, forks, and butter knives.
Use two separate cooking pots. In one, melt:
- 12 ounces of grated soap
- 9 ounces water.
In the other, follow the recipe for either Coffee Soap One or Coffee Soap Two.
Allow the soap in both pots to cool. Pour coffee soap into molds until half full. Finish filling with plain soap.
Take implements and mix the two colors of soap together in the molds. Do not mix thoroughly; rather, mix until a marbled effect is seen on top of the soap. Then proceed to cure the soap as usual.
