This is a super simple coffee soap recipe! I love a good coffee soap that exfoliates your skin.

coffee soap recipe

Coffee Usage in Soap

I like to use 1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of coffee grinds per pound of base oils. Just realize that the more you use, the more exfoliating your soap will be.

You can incorporate coffee into your soap in several different ways.

  • You can simply toss the coffee grounds into your lye solution. The hot lye solution will brew the coffee.
  • You can toss the coffee grounds into your base oils or mix it into traced soap.
  • You can brew coffee and use the coffee for 100% of your water amount. You can choose not to add the grounds at all if you don’t want your soap to be exfoliating.

I like to grind my coffee using a coffee grinder pretty fine, because I like it more powdery and less scratchy.

SAFETY WARNING! If you’ve never made soap before, be sure to start with our basic soap making guide. This recipe and instructions are for experienced soap makers. Be sure to gear up in your goggles and gloves before you make soap.

Simple Coffee Soap Recipe

I call this recipe simple, because it only uses two base oils…olive oil and coconut oil! I used 40% coconut oil and 60% olive oil. I know some people will ask if that is too much coconut oil. Nope! Try it and see how you like it. The high olive oil (moisturizing) balances the high coconut oil (drying), creating a nice soap. I also used a 8% superfat with this soap.

  • Coconut Oil – 12.8 oz. (40%)
  • Olive Oil – 19.2 oz. (60%)
  • Sodium Hydroxide – 4.5 oz.
  • Water – 9 oz.
  • Sweet Basil Essential Oil – 20 grams
  • Lemon Essential Oil – 24 grams
  • Geranium Essential Oil – 2 grams
  • Lavender Essential Oil – 12 grams

This essential oil blend is from Benajmin’s newest eBook, Cold Process Soap Recipes. It smells so wonderful!

Soap Recipes eBook

Step 1: Make your lye solution. Weigh the water and lye into separate containers. Pour the lye into the water while stirring. Be sure to mix your lye solution in a well-ventilated area.

Step 2: Weigh the coconut oil and melt.

Step 3: Add the olive oil to the melted coconut oil.

Step 4: Add your coffee grounds and essential oil blend to the base oils.

Step 5: Once your temperatures have cooled to under 100 degrees F, pour your lye solution in the oils and mix to trace.

Step 6: Once you reach trace, pour into your mold. I used a 12 Cavity Rectangle mold from Bramble Berry. You can pour this into a 10″ silicone loaf mold as well.

I topped my bars with whole coffee beans just for fun!

Unmold after 24 hours.

Let your soap cure for 4 weeks!

Happy Soaping!

– Amanda Gail