This tallow soap came out great! It combines layers and a pencil line technique using charcoal. I chose to use the Nourishing Tallow Recipe from this blog post.

Photo by Busy Bee Creative – Product PhotographyHow to Make Tallow Soap – Layered, Pencil Line Design with Natural Soap Colorants

Nourishing Tallow Recipe

Tallow – 8 oz. (25%)
Coconut Oil – 8 oz. (25%)
Olive Oil – 16 oz. (50%)
Sodium Hydroxide – 4.54 oz.
Water – 9 oz.

Orange Illite Clay – 1 teaspoon
Sea Clay – 1 teaspoon
Red Brazilian Clay – 1 teaspoon
Charcoal – About 1 teaspoon for dusting

Lemongrass Essential Oil – 1 oz.
Litsea Essential Oil – 1 oz.

Bramble Berry 12″ Tall Skinny Loaf Mold

Tea Infuser Spoon

Let’s make this soap!

Safety Warning: This recipe is for soapmakers who have a basic knowledge of the soapmaking process and know the correct safety procedures to use when handling lye. If you are new to soapmaking, visit our beginner instructions. Be sure to wear safety goggles and gloves while soaping.

Step 1 – Make your lye solution. Weigh out your lye and water into two separate containers.

Step 2 – Pour your lye into the water while stirring slowly. Be sure to mix your lye solution in a well-ventilated area.

Step 3 – Weigh out the tallow and coconut oil and melt. Melt just until melted, no more.

tallow soap

oils for soap

Step 4 – Add the olive oil to the melted oils. This will help cool the temperature down.

Step 5 – Add essential oils and oatmeal to the oil blend. Mix.

oatmeal in soap

Step 6 – Once the oils and lye solution have gotten to below 90 degrees F, pour the lye into the oils and mix until emulsion. Don’t mix to trace.

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Step 7 – Divide the mixture out evenly into three containers. Color one with sea clay, one with red clay and one with orange clay. Stir each until well blended. It is okay if things are getting thick since we are layering this soap.

coloring-soap-claysea-clay-soap

Step 8 – Using your stick-blender, mix each color to a thick trace. (If needed.)

Step 9 – Plop half of the red soap into the mold. Tap to flatten.

Step 10 – Sprinkle with a bit of charcoal. DO NOT create a solid line of charcoal or your soap will separate. Sprinkle sparingly. As you pour the next layer, the liquid in the soap will spread out the charcoal.

pencil-line-soappencil line in soapStep 11 – Plop half of the sea clay soap into the mold over the red soap. Sprinkle another charcoal layer.

Repeat until the mold is full. Don’t worry if your soap starts getting thick. Plop and then tap the mold down onto a hard surface to level.

IMG_0566IMG_0568Allow your soap to sit overnight and unmold the next day. Cut your soap and let is cure for a minimum of 4 weeks.

When cutting a soap with a pencil line, lay the soap on it’s side to cut so you don’t drag the line down the soap. Like this!

Happy Soaping!

-Amanda Gail

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