A BEST Hot Process Soap Recipe: Spearmint-Frankincense-Eucalytus Plus Nettle Green Soap
One of my friends asked me to make some of my Spearmint-Frankincense-Eucalyptus soap for her, so I thought I'd share my recipe for this handmade naturally colored and scented soap with you!
I use the hot process method of soap making most of the time because the soap can be ready to go right away, even though you're using sodium hydroxide (lye), which ALL true soap must be made with. You can find out more about making soap without using lye in this article.
When I was selling soaps in my Etsy shop several years ago, this recipe was one of the most popular. Back then I called it my Third Eye Soap because the essential oils I use in it are wonderful, intuitive oils. They’re calming while being uplifting too.
The Frankincense provides mental clarity. The Eucalyptus gives you an immediate mental lift. And the Spearmint rounds these sharper essential oils out with a sweetness that makes for a lovely blend. You won’t want to get out of the shower!
Hey! You say you don't want to make your own soap because you are worried about using lye? Well you may just love my Guide to Melt and Pour Soap with Recipes—-No Lye Involved! Just fill out the form at the end of the article, and it’s yours!
FTC Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this article, and this simply means that if you click through and make any kind of purchase, I may earn a very small commission at no extra cost to you! :-)
Want a wonderfully skin softening, soothing handmade soap with excellent lather? It’s all natural, made with essential oils. Here is my Third Eye Soap recipe, which was one of the most popular soaps I sold years ago in my shop. I’m now sharing it with you! It’s great for mental clarity and waking up in the morning too. Find out how to make this hot process soap recipe. #handmade #soap #hotprocess #howtomake #homemade #healingharvesthomestead #meltandpour #natural #essentialoilblend
How to Make Frankincense-Spearmint-Eucalyptus (Third Eye) Natural Soap
This soap was called Third Eye Soap in my long ago soap-selling days. It was one of my most popular soaps, and I actually had a few people ask for entire blocks of it!
This recipe makes 3 pounds of soap, so be sure your mold will hold that much. I use a silicone soap mold that is roughly 3 1/2 inches wide at the opening, 10 inches long, and about 2 1/2 inches tall or so.
With this recipe, I do get quite a “bread top,” which I cut after the soap has cooled for a couple of hours. It’s still malleable at that point, so I can form it into soap balls. The hot process top is then left smooth and lovely.
Ingredients for Spearmint-Eucalyptus Soap
Oil Mixture:
15 ounces Coconut Oil (I get mine from Costco)
15 ounces olive oil (Also from Costco--organic is great quality, and I haven't found a better price anywhere)
12 ounces Sweet Almond Oil
6 ounces Shea Butter
1.5 ounces Castor Oil
Lye Solution:
15 ounces distilled water
7.2 ounces -- Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)
Essential Oils and Natural Colorant:
1 to 2 tablespoons of Nettle Powder. (I purchase my dried Nettles from Starwest Botanicals)
***You can use Nettles medicinally, too! Find out more on How to Make & Use Nettle Powder for Nutrition & Health.)
1 ounce Spearmint Essential Oil
1 ounce Frankincense Essential Oil
1/2 ounce Eucalyptus Essential Oil
**A note about using essential oils in soap making: Essential oils are EXPENSIVE. Just being honest. Also, I like a good, strong scent in my soaps, and not everyone does. So, if you cut these measurements in half, you'll still have a great smelling soap!
Where do I get my essential oils, you may be asking?
For my soap making, I generally purchase my essential oils through Starwest Botanicals . I have found the quality to be perfect for making soap, and I can buy the quantity I need, too.
Here's the "cook" going on in the crock pot. This is the chemical reaction between the oils and sodium hydroxide (lye) that results in saponification (soap).
Answer all your questions about hot process soap making and learn everything you need to make your own hot process soap with confidence! This is a step-by-step video and text with complete eBook Guide and recipes online course!
Get the free Hot Process Soap Making Checklist! It’s a real life saver! Just complete the form below:
Tools You'll Need for Making Hot Process Soap
Rubber Gloves (Safety)
Safety Glasses (Eye protection)
Crock Pot (I have two that are dedicated to only making soap--You don't need a fancy one. I like the basic manual crock pots you can just keep right on low. EASY.)
Heat resistant measuring pitcher (s) (You want a heat resistant pitcher to make your lye solution because the solution is HOT when the water and lye are combined. I mean---SUPER hot!)
Hand Blender (Very important--you'll be stirring for HOURS, literally, without one of these!)
Kitchen Scale (Very important--soap making is an exact process due to the chemical reactions happening. You'll need to measure exactly.)
Soap Cutter or Sharp Knife
Basic Directions for Making Spearmint-Frankincense-Eucalyptus Green Handmade, Natural Soap:
There’s a lot of steps you can’t miss when making your own soap. Get my free checklist for making soap by filling out the form at the end of this article. It’s yours free to help you with your soap making, and it’s been a life-saver for me.
NOTE on making soap: PLEASE read through my tutorials on how to make hot process soap because these directions below are just the basics. Soap making can be DANGEROUS due to the caustic nature of the lye. If you've never made soap before, please refer to these articles: Hot Process #1 and Hot Process #2. There are picture for each and every step with super detailed instructions.
Also---ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLOVES AND GLASSES WHEN WORKING WITH THE LYE!
STEP 1)
Melt your oils on LOW in the crock pot. After they are completely, melted, I pour in the Nettle Powder. It's ok if the Nettle powder soaks in the oil for a bit.
STEP 2)
Get your lye solution ready. Measure out your water FIRST. Then measure out your lye. Pour your lye into the water---NEVER the other way around. You could get a volcano and be hurt! Stir up the solution well, and allow to cool while the oils are melting.
STEP 3)
Get your essential oils mixed together.
STEP 4)
Once the oils are melted completely, gently pour the lye solution into the oil mixture. Using your hand blender, blend away for about 5 minutes or so until it reaches "trace." This means it will be the consistency of stiff pudding.
STEP 5)
"Cook" the mixture! You'll see it start to rise up the sides at a certain point. When it gets high enough, stir, stir, stir it down! You may have to do this a couple of times. Be sure to watch it carefully as it can easily boil right over if you don't get it stirred in time. This has happened to me! YIKES!
STEP 6)
Check to be sure it's ready:
After the mixture becomes translucent and there are no more opaque pieces at all in it, it's probably ready! To check to see, you should be able to roll a little piece up into a ball, and it should feel waxy.
If it meets the above criteria, then you can give it the "ZAP" test, if you want. I always do, but some people don't like to do this. I used to use pH strips, but I have found over time that the ZAP test works best and is the simplest way. Just place the ball on your tongue. If you don't feel a zap (and you will KNOW if you do), then it's a go!
STEP 7)
Turn off the crock pot and let it sit for just a few minutes to cool it a bit. Then add in your essential oils and once again, STIR, STIR, STIR like a crazy person to get those oils completely stirred into the soap.
STEP 8)
Glop your soap into the mold, pressing to be sure it gets into all the corners. Set it aside and let it cool down for several hours or overnight.
STEP 9)
Remove from the soap mold and you have beautiful soap to cut up!
***If you want you can cut off the top and have a nice smooth soap appearance--much like cold process. I always cut off my tops, then I cut the top up and use it too. It all gets used. But if I give any away, I like to give regular bars because it just looks nicer.
The soap is done! You can test it by making sure it meets these criteria: It should be "waxy" and malleable, translucent in color, and pass the "zap" test!
It's ready!! Glopping and pressing it into the soap mold. It's SUPER hot at this stage, so be careful!
Beautiful, green, and refreshing for your mind and heart. I love this soap, and I think you will too!
Want to learn how to make hot process soap with confidence? It’s all here, in my straight forward soap making hot process eBook. NOTE: This popular eBook comes as a BONUS in the Natural Soap Making Course!
Final Thoughts on Third Eye Green Homemade Soap Recipe with Frankincense
I’m so happy to share this popular soap recipe from my (now closed) Etsy shop with you! Why did I close my shop, you may be wondering? Well, I just got too busy, and I couldn’t keep up with all the orders. I was still working full time at my long-time teaching career back then,
So, that’s when I decided I’d just go ahead and share all my herbal and diy self-reliant and homestead recipes on this blog! I hope you’ll go explore it and enjoy the growing content.
But as far as this soap goes? It’s just a wonderful bathing experience, my friend. It really is. Anyone who loves to meditate will love this soap. Anyone who wants soft skin will love it too! :-)
I love making my own soap! I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't already. You may want to look into the Killer Toxins Lurking in Your Commercial Soap for some really good reasons to make your own soap!
You might also enjoy these similar articles:
There are a LOT more over on the blog, too! Head on over and explore!
Have you made hot process soap before? Leave comments and questions in the comments section below!
Hugs, Health, and Self-Reliance,
Heidi :-)
P.S. I hope you’ll sign up for my newsletter and never miss a thing! You’ll also get immediate access to our growing Resource Library that is updated every week with new eBooks, guides, checklists, and printables to make your life happier and easier—-along the topics I write about here on the website. Get the Hot Process Soap Making Checklist, the Melt & Pour Guide with Recipes, and lots more when you complete this form:
