Cold Process Neem Soap made with Tropical Oils
Never mind my rather ‘homemade’ looking finish on this soap 😉, it really is a wonderful recipe.
This is an example of a branch and fruit of the neem tree, botanical name Azadirachta indica, native to the Indian subcontinent and common across much of tropical Asia.
Neem oil is extracted from the fruit of the neem tree. It has natural antiseptic, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, and is widely used in soap making and other skincare applications and as a natural pesticide in organic farming.
The oil, leaves and bark of the neem tree are widely used in Ayurvedic medicine.
This is a great soap recipe. Possibly my favourite of 2023! Gorgeous neem oil and leaf cold processed soap made with tropical oils (from the coconut palm and oil palm trees), scented with a refreshing blend of litsea cubea (May Chang) and eucalyptus essential oils, which pair superbly with the earthy neem!
If you are new to soap making, please ensure that you read this page, and watch this safety video before you make any soap recipe. It’s also best practice to check any recipe you make in a soap calculator. Even very experienced soap makers make mistakes! You can learn how to check a recipe with the soap calculator method demonstrated in this video (just enter the specifications given for this recipe).
Soap making is a serious craft. Don’t rush it! Make sure you fully understand what’s required, and feel confident and calm about it all before you make any soap recipe.
Recipe specifications:
1000g oil batch (base soaping oils)
2:1 water to lye ratio
10% superfat (due to high amount of coconut oil, which can be drying otherwise)
I used this box as a mould for my recipe, but you could use two smaller moulds, or one lager one. Your mould/s need to have at least 1.5 litre/quart total capacity for this soap recipe. Or, if you want to make a smaller batch, use this method to calculate a recipe using my formula to suit your preferred mould size. This is the method I use to line my timber soap moulds.
Elly’s Neem Soap Ingredients:
284g water (I used filtered rain water, but any good drinking quality water is okay)
142g sodium hydroxide/caustic soda
(please follow these important safety precautions for handling lye!)
500g palm oil (50% of base soap oils)
400g coconut oil (40% of base soap oils)
100g neem oil (10% of base soap oils)
2 tablespoons neem leaf powder (optional)
30g each of eucalyptus radiata and litsea cubea (May Chang) essential oil (these are optional, or you can use less, down to 15g each).
Curious about how I formulate my soap recipes? You might enjoy this video about the notebook format I use, and this one about choosing oils for soap making.
Thanks also to New Directions Australia who kindly supplied the oils for this soap recipe.
Method:
See video for detailed demonstration.
Prepare soap mould/s. Line timber mould with baking paper, if required.
Weigh out essential oils, if using, into a small container and set aside.
Gather your stick blender, spoons, whisks etc, (this page details equipment needed for soap making). Ensure your mixing jug/bowl is deep enough to hold this large soap batch.
When ready, make lye solution by carefully dissolving sodium hydroxide into cold, filtered drinking quality water (ensuring you have correct safety gear/goggles on at all times).
Set aside the lye solution, somewhere safe, to cool off.
Weigh palm, coconut and neem oils into a large jug - microwave gently on low power to melt if necessary. This can also be done on very low heat on the stove.
Once oils and lye solution are both warmed/cooled to around body temperature (approximately 40°C/100°F), then you can proceed to make the soap.
If using, mix neem leaf powder and essential oils into the base recipe oils.
When ready, carefully pour lye solution into the oils and start to mix by hand. Blend with a stick blender just enough to reach a good emulsion (look for the colour change). Continue blending or mixing until the batter thickens if that is your preference. (Watch this video for a discussion about emulsion and trace).
Pour soap batter into mould/s, spray top with isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash, then wrap/keep somewhere warm for 4-6 hours or until the soap is firm enough to cut.
Cut soap and cure for 4-6 weeks before using.
Test soap with pH strips, or the zap test, to ensure its safety before use.
If you would like to support my work you can ‘buy me a coffee’ here (big thanks to all of you who have 🌼)
See you next time,
Elly
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