Patchouli Cranberry Luxury Bars

This is my favorite cold process recipe! I found it on From Nature With Love a while back when a customer requested a mild facial bar for acne prone skin. I tried out a bar for myself and it was a real treat for my skin, and the customer had great results as well. Now, I've decided to use the recipe again but with a few twists.

Recipe: Yields 2.75 pounds

6 oz distilled water
6 oz aloe vera liquid
2 oz castor oil
4 oz cocoa butter
4 oz coconut oil
12 oz olive oil
5 oz palm oil
5 oz palm kernal flakes
4.4 oz lye
1.5 oz Patchouli E.O.
0.5 oz cranberry seeds
1 teaspoon bamboo powder
Up to 1/4 teaspoon burgundy pigment

Make your lye solution, weigh out your melted oils and combine both when temperatures are at around 100 degrees F. Add the Patchouli to the entire batch at this point.


Separate about half of the batch into a smaller container for the bottom layer. Add cranberry seeds and bamboo powder for natural scrubbing power. Pour this layer at a very thick trace.


In another small container, separate out 1/4 of the rest of the batch. Add burgundy pigment and 0.5 oz Cranberry Fig fragrance oil if you want to try a fun scent blend. Pour this layer at a medium to thick trace.


Pour the rest of the uncolored soap on last. I swirled a little bit of pink on the surface by mixing together the scrapings from my burgundy layer with the scrapings of the neutral soap. It looks great and reduced waste! As the top layer sets up, use a whisk to sculpt peaks. The cuts bars are beautiful with a stamp and the soap is mild, healing and oh so luxurious.


(Doesn't the color scheme remind you of Christmas? It's not too early to start those holiday cold process projects!)