CBD Soap Recipes to Try at Home

Did you know you can use CBD on your skin? Because the skin has CBD receptors it’s able to absorb CBD compounds, making it one of the four routes of absorption. And since it’s absorbed so effectively through the skin, CBD is an ideal ingredient in creams, lotions and bath bombs. 

Another popular way to deliver CBD to the body is with CBD soap. People have started becoming more aware of the importance of using soap that is nourishing and easy on the skin. This requires using ingredients that are natural and healthy, like CBD oil. The best part is that making your own CBD-infused soap isn’t hard to do. In fact, there are a few different simple recipes for making homemade CBD soap which we’ll discuss in this post.

How CBD Soaps Work

When we use topical CBD products, the cannabinoid receptors on our skin absorb the CBD compounds, energizing our endocannabinoid system (ECS). This produces homeostasis in our minds and bodies that may generate a sense of balance and calmness. 

By creating a DIY CBD soap, you have the freedom to customize them to your personal needs. Homemade soaps are usually a vibrant and healthy mix of other types of natural oils as well, like coconut and essential oils, which each carry their own scents and unique benefits. 

Using CBD Oil in Your Recipe: Things to Keep in Mind

Before we dive into our recipes, it’s important to discuss a few significant factors about adding CBD oil to your soap.

Finding Quality CBD Oil

When selecting a CBD oil for your recipe, it’s crucial that you look for high-quality CBD products. This requires taking time to research brands and their production methods to ensure that what you’re putting into your body is safe and legitimate. If you’re new to CBD, here are a few key things to look for when choosing CBD oils: 

• It comes from organic, nutrient-rich, and contaminant-free soil. 
• It comes from quality extraction and refinement processes. 
• It’s gone through legitimate third-party testing labs, and you have access to these test results. 

Using Saponification & Heat

Saponification (after sapo, Latin for soap) occurs when a solution of lye combines with oils and creates a chemical reaction that breaks the oils down into chains of fatty acids. Heating the lye and oil solution evaporates the water molecules, turning the solution into a solid form, producing bar soap. 

Though CBD is known to evaporate under high heat, you won’t have to worry about this when it comes to making your CBD soap. CBD tends to lose its potency at around 300 degrees, but soaps only need to be heated up to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Knowing How Much CBD Oil to Add

Though many CBD soap recipes list a specific amount of CBD oil to use, it’s important to note that every person’s body is different and will respond differently to the cannabinoids in CBD; thus, we can’t say exactly how much CBD oil you should use in your recipe. Finding the right amount of CBD to use will take some trial-and-error. If you already know what your ideal serving of CBD is, you can multiply it by the number of bars of soap you’re making and use that measurement as a starting point.

CBD Bar Soap Recipe with Lye

This recipe yields 12 four-ounce bars, or three pounds of CBD bar soap. It involves using lye, so take extra caution and be sure to wear protective gear.

Ingredients: 

• 10 ounces coconut oil
• 5 ounces cocoa butter
• 5 ounces shea butter
• 5 ounces castor oil
• 5 ounces avocado oil
• 11.9 ounces filtered water
• 4.1 ounces lye
• 1 ounce lavender essential oil (or any essential oil of your choice)
• Desired amount of CBD oil

➤ Find potent water-soluble CBD (mixes well in recipes)

Tools:

• Soap mold 
• Stainless steel pot 
• Stainless steel spoon 
• Plastic spatula 
• Hand mixer or stick blender 
• Old plastic container (for your lye) 
• Thermometer (a cheap candy thermometer will work just fine) 
• Towels to incubate your mold 
• Protection gear like gloves, goggles, and mask 

Directions: 

1. Combine your coconut, cocoa butter, shea butter, castor, avocado, and CBD oils in a large stainless steel pot. Heat them together on low until they are melted. Stir frequently with your stainless steel spoon and make sure they are combined well. Use your thermometer to make sure the mixture reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In your plastic container, add your filtered water and then slowly pour your lye into the water (if you pour the water into the lye, the solution can explode). Stir them together with a stainless steel spoon until well combined. This solution will heat up when you combine them, so set this aside after stirring to get it to cool down between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit (use your thermometer to keep track of this).
3. When both mixtures—oils and lye water—are around 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, pour the lye water into your pot of oils. Blend them together with a hand mixer or stick blender for about two to three minutes or until combined well. 
4. Add your essential oil to the mixture and stir. 
5. Using your spatula, pour the mixture into your soap molds.
6. Using your towels, cover and insulate your molds for 24 hours. 
7. After 24 hours, remove your soap from the molds, cut them, and let them cure for four to six weeks (turn them occasionally to ensure all sides dry out). 

Note: Be very careful handling and mixing the lye; it’s extremely caustic and can cause severe damage if it stays on your skin. It’s recommended that you do this step outside and wear your goggles, mask, and gloves while doing this. Be sure to hold your breath/avoid breathing in the fumes.

CBD Bar Soap Recipe Without Lye

If you don’t feel like involving yourself with lye just yet, we have an easy melt and pour recipe below. This entails melting soap base in your microwave and adding fragrances and CBD. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of melt-and-pour soap base of your choice (goat milk, aloe, and honey are a few popular choices)
• Desired amount of CBD oil

Optional ingredients: 

• 0.25 to 0.5 ounces of fragrance or essential oil of your choice
• Soap-safe colorants and herbal additives like calendula petals to decorate your soaps

Tools: 

• A heated or butcher’s knife
• A microwave
• Spoon or spatula for mixing
• Soap molds 
• Towels 

Directions:

1. Chop the soap base up into one to two inch cubes.
2. Heat the soap base cubes in the microwave in short bursts until most of it has melted. Stir them frequently in between the heating sessions. 
3. When most of the soap has melted, stir in your CBD oil and mix thoroughly. 
4. Add in your optional fragrances/essential oil, colorants, and herbs. Mix until well combined. 
5. Pour the solution into your molds, and let them harden completely. You can use your towels to cover and insulate them. 

Be sure to store any extra hardened soap in an airtight container to prevent sweating (due to the natural glycerin content of the soap). 

Discover Quality CBD for Your Skin 

Whether you use it during your bath or just to wash your hands, these CBD soap recipes will help you maintain healthy skin and an overall sense of calm and balance. 

When shopping for CBD, quality matters. For this recipe or for everyday use, we recommend Hemplucid’s Full-Spectrum CBD Water Soluble. Nano-enhanced for fast-acting results, this water soluble CBD can be easily mixed with other liquids and is the perfect addition to homemade soap recipes.