Caramel soap and its sweet fragrance will make your bath or quick shower more pleasant. Even without much experience, you can prepare an enchanting soap with an intense caramel scent in the comfort of your own home, one that will delight all your senses. The result will be a beautiful handmade soap that also makes a perfect little gift.
About this recipe
Caramel soap is made without the direct use of lye (sodium hydroxide). Its base consists of soap bases, pre-prepared blocks of soap that you cut to the desired weight and melt either by briefly heating them in the microwave or in a water bath. That is why even complete beginners can manage this recipe.
The soap consists of four differently coloured layers of the same weight. The ingredient breakdown is given separately for each layer so that the desired pattern is achieved. The amount of ingredients you need to make the soap depends on the number and size of the individual bars — in the picture you can see bars measuring approximately 5 × 4 × 2 cm and weighing about 50 g each.
Main benefits
- No lye required
The soap is made without the direct use of lye — the base consists of pre-prepared blocks of soap base that you simply cut up and melt.
- Manageable even for beginners
Even without much experience you can make the soap in the comfort of your own home; all you need is a microwave or a water bath.
- Sweet caramel fragrance
The intense caramel scent will delight all your senses and make your bath or quick shower more pleasant.
- Striking four-layer pattern
The soap is made up of four differently coloured layers of the same weight; as you pour, you prop up the mould first on one side and then on the other so that the desired pattern is achieved.
- A small gift
A handmade soap makes a perfect little gift for the people closest to you.
Product characteristics
Key ingredients in the recipe
If you want to substitute ingredients or adapt the recipe to your own requirements, it is good to know what role the individual ingredients play in it. Thanks to this, you can create beautiful homemade soaps that will delight not only you but also those around you.
ZENISOAPBASE soap base, non-sweating, transparent
For the production of caramel soap, the ZENISOAPBASE soap base was used, for its good compatibility with the respective colourant. The non-sweating transparent soap base was chosen in order to minimise the formation of sweating on the surface of the finished soap — you can also prevent it by wrapping the finished soap in plastic film.
ZENISOAPBASE White soap base, white
In this recipe the white base is combined with the transparent one: the 1st and 3rd layers are partially transparent, the 2nd layer is milky and the 4th layer is white. However, you can also choose other types of transparent and white soap bases. If possible, reach for bases that set more slowly, so that you have enough time to mix in the colourant and fragrance oil before the base sets again — slower-setting bases are particularly worthwhile for beginners. When making larger batches, on the other hand, you can reach for faster-setting bases, which will shorten the waiting time for the individual layers to set.
Colourant for soap base ZENICOLOR SOLO, Chocolate
The ZENICOLOR SOLO colourant combines well with selected soap bases, but it is also possible to mix it into other soap bases. An alternative to this colourant is to use mica powder in a brown shade. Be aware, however, that you will obtain different shades. At the same time, mica is shimmery, and so the finished soap will be slightly shimmery too.
Fragrance oil, caramel bar
The caramel fragrance oil was chosen for its pleasant, soothing sweet scent. However, you can replace it with any other fragrance, either in the form of a fragrance oil or an essential oil. Essential oils of a darker colour can, however, slightly change the final shade of the soap, especially of the white layer, so in this case it is better not to add them to the mixture for the last layer. Alternatively, you can omit the addition of fragrance or essential oil altogether.
IPA (isopropyl alcohol) in spray
The bubble remover, or IPA, is an indispensable helper when making soaps from soap bases. Not only does it help to remove bubbles, but spraying it onto the mould or the previous layer also ensures that the new layer adheres reliably.
Formulation (100 g)
The ingredient content is given in percentages by weight separately for each of the four layers, so it corresponds to a batch of 100 g of base for that layer. As the layers all have the same weight, recalculate the batch according to how many bars you want to make and how big they should be. Ideally, use a rectangular silicone mould (for example one set in a wooden tray), which will make it easier to remove the finished soap once it has set. The equipment — the IPA and the mould — is listed in the shopping list for the first layer; you buy it only once, but you will use the IPA for every layer.
1st layer — light brown, partially transparent
2nd layer — light brown, milky
| Ingredient | Content |
|---|---|
| ZENISOAPBASE White soap base, white | 99 % |
| Fragrance oil, caramel bar | 1 % |
| Colourant for soap base ZENICOLOR SOLO, Chocolate | as needed |
3rd layer — dark brown, partially transparent
4th layer — white
| Ingredient | Content |
|---|---|
| ZENISOAPBASE White soap base, white | 99 % |
| Fragrance oil, caramel bar | 1 % |
Method
- Preparing the containers
Prepare four bowls/beakers suitable for heating in the microwave or in a water bath. Each container will hold the soap base (either purely white or a combination of white and transparent) for the given layer, which you weigh out according to the breakdown above.
- Melting the base 1st layer
Briefly heat the container with the soap base for the 1st layer (the bottom one) until the base has melted. Take care that the soap does not boil over when heating it in the microwave.
- Colourant and fragrance oil
Carefully remove the container — it will be hot. Slowly add the colourant while stirring until you reach the desired shade, and finally stir in the fragrance oil.
- Pouring into the tilted mould
Take the rectangular mould with one edge propped up, e.g. with a book, spray it with IPA just before pouring and pour in the liquid mixture. Immediately spray with IPA to remove bubbles.
- If the mixture has set
If the soap mixture has set while you were adding the colourant, briefly reheat it.
- Second layer 2nd layer
Once the layer has set, tilt the mould to the other side (prop up the opposite end of the mould with a book) and, before pouring in the liquid base with colourant and fragrance oil, spray again with IPA so that the layers adhere to each other.
- Third layer 3rd layer
Repeat for the third dark brown layer.
- The final white layer 4th layer
When pouring the last white layer, do not tilt the mould any more, leave it on a flat surface.
- Cutting
Once it has set, cut the soap into bars.
Warning
As mentioned, you can experiment with homemade recipes to achieve the properties you want. However, the final result can be influenced by many factors, such as humidity, temperature, the quality of the ingredients or the way they are stored.
Before you use any ingredient to make a cosmetic product, familiarise yourself with its properties, the recommended usage level, storage conditions and safe handling. Every ingredient may have the potential to cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals, therefore before using the product we recommend finding out whether you are allergic to any of the ingredients or to the product as a whole, for example by means of a patch test.
If you have very sensitive or very acne-prone skin, or if you have other skin or health problems, we recommend that you consult a medical professional before applying a new product to your skin, whether it is a homemade cosmetic product, a pure ingredient or a commercially available product.
Frequently asked questions about the recipe
Practical questions about caramel soap — lye, choosing the soap base, substituting the colourant and the fragrance, and how much of each ingredient you need.
Do I need lye to make caramel soap?
No. Caramel soap is made without the direct use of lye (sodium hydroxide) — its base consists of soap bases, that is, pre-prepared blocks of soap. You cut them to the desired weight and melt them either by briefly heating them in the microwave or in a water bath.
Why is a non-sweating soap base used?
The non-sweating transparent base was chosen in order to minimise the formation of sweating on the surface of the finished soap. You can also prevent it by wrapping the finished soap in plastic film. The ZENISOAPBASE base was also chosen for its good compatibility with the respective colourant.
What can I use instead of the ZENICOLOR SOLO colourant?
An alternative is mica powder in a brown shade. Be aware, however, that you will obtain different shades; mica is also shimmery, so the finished soap will be slightly shimmery too. The ZENICOLOR SOLO colourant can, moreover, be mixed into other soap bases as well.
Can I swap the caramel fragrance oil for another scent?
Yes, you can replace it with any other fragrance in the form of a fragrance oil or an essential oil. Essential oils of a darker colour can, however, slightly change the final shade of the soap, especially of the white layer — so it is better not to add them to the mixture for the last layer. You can also omit the addition of fragrance or essential oil altogether.
How much of each ingredient will I need?
The amount of ingredients depends on the number and size of the individual bars. The bars in the photograph measure approximately 5 × 4 × 2 cm and weigh about 50 g. The soap is made up of four layers of the same weight, so recalculate the percentages for each layer to the weight of a single layer.
Conclusion
Dear friends, have you already made soap using ZENISOAPBASE bases? How did it turn out?
Share your experiences with us, or write your questions to [email protected] and we will gladly answer you. We look forward to your experiences.
We wish you wonderful creating. Until soaping again, friends.
You will find the ZENISOAPBASE soap bases, colourants, fragrance oils and IPA from this recipe in the Handymade range.
