Easy Handmade Coconut & Palm Kernel Oil Cleaning Soap Recipe | Multipurpose, Sensitive Skin Friendly & Fragrance Free
Do you hate washing dishes? If yes then we are in the same boat. Nothing annoys me more than washing dishes. It's my least favourite chore and for a long time we would spend so much money on dish soap, the bar ones refuse to lather and the liquid ones finish very fast. Then I thought, "I know how to make soap, why have I never made dish washing soap?"
That's when I set out to create a very budget friendly soap recipe I could use to wash dishes, Honestly, it started out only for dishwashing but after making it the first time and needing to handwashing's some kitchen napkins, I just grabbed one bar, used it and realized it washes clothes and napkins quite well too. Now I use it for almost everything except showering that is unless you want squeaky clean skin, then you can use it to shower. 😂
I am telling you only the good part, let's backtrack to the first time I was testing this recipe, and the chunky glop I made, really wish I had a picture but I don't. It was BAD.
The Disaster
Typically when I make soap, I prepare the lye solution a night before or early in the morning before soaping late afternoon, basically giving the spicy chemical water enough time to cool down properly. But on THAT day! I made the lye solution 10-15 minutes before making the soap.
Now the problem was it was a small test batch, so at the back of my mind I was thinking "the lye should cool down fast, it's not that much after all."
Man was I wrong.
Okay, let me take you through the process. I made the lye solution, left it on the counter then went to gather my oils and measured them out into the bowl. Honestly it could have been less than 10-15 minutes, from when I made the lye, to when I was ready to soap.
You would ask, "why didn't you use a thermometer to check the temperature?" The honest truth is that I forgot, and I was rushing through the process. Bad Bad Bad.
So I mixed my oils, btw if you don't know by now it was coconut and palm kernel oil, took the lye solution and started pouring it into my oils, Here is where I fucked up again, as I was pouring I did not mix immediately. I only went back to mix after I had poured all the lye in.
Ei!
The middle was thick and the sides were still oily, I kept mixing hoping that as the oils come together it should even out but it did not.
The more I mixed, the worse it got, the soap was seizing up on me and nothing I did made it better. The thick part in the middle was getting thicker and lumpy the sides to ah. I grabbed the stick blender put it inside and turned it on, ah the mixed, the sides started finally turning into soap, the middle was thick thick, like THICK oh.
Thats when I decided that I must use my hand. Because when you are mixing something and it's not working, and you have a hand, use it! Obviously if you have read my other blog posts you would know how much I like using my hand, (interpret it how you want to interpret it 😂) but please go and read that blog post to understand.
SO there I was glove on, with. my hand in the batter, trying to mash out the lumps, did it work? absolutely not. Then I just got tired and gave up. Scooped it all up into the mold and left it to do whatever it wants to do.
The next day I came back to it and, it was crumbly, lumpy and ugly. I just sent it directly to the bin. The end. 😂
The truth is every time I recount my absolute disastrous fails, it's not to make you laugh, but it is a cautionary tale to not be like me. Avoid being like me oo. Word to the wise 😂.
BUT anyways as I mentioned the oils I picked were coconut and palm kernel oils the question you would ask is why, well:
Why Coconut & Palm Kernel Oil?
Despite my disastrous first attempt, this recipe is actually GREAT for cleaning soap once you make it correctly. Here's why:
Coconut Oil (30%): CO is known for creating exceptional lather and bubbles in CP soap.
Palm Kernel Oil (70%): PKO adds hardness and boosts lather
Together, they create a cleaning powerhouse that's tough on grease and grime but gentle enough for delicate fabrics and sensitive skin. The lather is BIG and fluffy, it rinses clean without residue, and the bars are hard so they last for a while.
Ingredients
- 30% Coconut Oil (RBD)
- 70% Palm Kernel Oil
Per ~970g of oils (for the mold dimensions below):
| Ingredient | Percentage | Amount (grams) |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut Oil (RBD) | 30% | 291.06g |
| Palm Kernel Oil | 70% | 679.14g |
| Distilled Water | 656g | |
| Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) | 164g |
Calculate to your desired superfat (I like 5%) with “Water:Lye Ratio” set to 4:1 (or use your preferred method). Always run these numbers through a soap calculator for accuracy.
The Soap Mold I Use
This is the loaf mold I use, but feel free to use any mold you have on hand:
Dimensions:
- Height: 3 inches
- Width: 2.75 inches
- Length: 10.5 inches
If you’re using a mold with different dimensions or want to adjust your batch size, be sure to recalculate your oil, water, and lye amounts. Learn more about soap calculation methods.
What You’ll Need
- Digital scale (accuracy is crucial!)
- Immersion blender
- Heat-safe containers
- Silicone spatulas & soap mold
- Safety gear: gloves, goggles, and long sleeves
Let’s Make Some Cleaning Soap!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Safety First: Gloves, goggles, long sleeves. Keep vinegar or water nearby as well for spills, just in case.
Prepare Your Lye Solution: Slowly add the sodium hydroxide to the distilled water, never the other way around (This is actually quite important, ever seen have potassium permanganate acts when it comes into contact with water?). Stir gently in a well-ventilated area. The solution will heat up; let it cool to around 38°C (100°F). This takes time, DO NOT RUSH.
Melt & Combine Oils: If your coconut or palm kernel oil is solid, gently heat until melted. Combine them in a heat-safe container. (let your oils cool down as well)
Temperature Check: USE YOUR THERMOMETER, both lye and oils should be around room temperature and within 5 degrees celsius of each other.
Bring to Trace: When the lye solution (and or oils as well if you had to have melted them) has cooled, carefully pour it into your oils. Use an immersion blender to mix until you reach a thin trace (a light, pudding-like consistency).
Optional Add-Ins: If you prefer, you can add fragrance, but I keep this recipe fragrance free to ensure it remains gentle for eczema prone skin. And no 30% coconut oil in this recipe is not drying, I live in the tropics, but if you live somewhere you experience very cold dry winter, you can swap in some shea butter (where I live shea butter is not dastardly expensive 😂) or olive oil.
Pour & Tap: Pour the batter into your mold, tapping it gently on the counter to release any air bubbles. A quick spritz of rubbing alcohol on the surface can help reduce soda ash.
Insulate & Wait: Cover or insulate your mold (towels work great) and let it saponify for 24–48 hours. DO remember that if you insulate you would make the whole soap go through a gel process which can make the colour a deeper yellow.
Unmold & Cure: Once firm, unmold your soap and slice it into bars. Let them cure for 4–6 weeks in a cool, dry place to improve hardness and cleaning efficiency.
And that’s it! You’ve created a batch of multipurpose, gentle, and fragrance free cleaning soap perfect for dishes, napkins, rugs, and even clothes.
Prefer a visual walkthrough? Check out the video below for a step-by-step demo:
What Could Go Wrong?
Chunky glop:
Too hot, didn't mix while pouring, or over-blended. Cool to 35-40°C, mix AS you pour, blend gently. Ask me how I know. 😂
Still liquid after 24 hours:
Too much water, not enough lye, or didn't reach trace. Check measurements.
Too soft after 48 hours:
Measurement issue or old lye. Recalculate and verify.
No lather:
Old/rancid oils or superfat too high. Use fresh oils, 5% superfat.
Crumbles when cutting:
Waited too long. Unmold at 24-36 hours.
Soda ash:
Harmless white powder. Prevent with alcohol spray. Ignore or steam off.
Orange spots (DOS):
Rancid oils or bad storage. Use fresh oils, cure properly. (You can also use some EDTA when making your soap as a chelator. use about 0.5% of your total oil weight, dissolved in your cooled lye solution before adding oils)
Shelf Life & Storage
Cold process soap has a high pH and low water content, making it self-preserving. Properly cured bars can last for years, especially if you let them dry between uses. If you notice any orange spots (a sign of rancidity), it’s time to toss them.
Substitutions & Final Notes
Swapping oils?
You can do 100% coconut or pko.
Make gentler?
Add 10-20% olive, reduce coconut/palm kernel. Recalculate lye.
Use for bathing?
You can, but you'll feel like a dish. 😂 Check my shea butter soap for bathing.
My Honest Review
This soap does very well with cutting through grease, if you live in Ghana or other African Countries and use red palm oil for cooking food, you KNOW how annoying it is to clean, the oils stains EVERYTHING.
(Pro-tip: if you are ever, you know, heart broken, you can accidentally spill some on his or her favorite things 😂, please you never read this here).
But with this soap, it easily cuts through the palm oil grease without much of a hassle.
It lathers really well and takes away about 70% smells left in like Tupperware once you put soup or stew in it. So if you hate dishes but still have to wash them like me, at least make soap that works.
Just... let your lye cool down first and oh yeah use your thermometer Please. 😂
Happy soaping! 🧼✨
P.S. - Want more? I've got a colloidal oat bar recipe for bathing (gentle, eczema-friendly) Let me know!
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