If you love cooking with turmeric, you will know it stains everything yellow. It is a very strong natural colourant that is not only great to cook with, but is perfect as a natural colourant for homemade soap. Don’t worry, the soap won’t stain your skin!
Natural powders are our favourite way to colour soap! Turmeric can be used to make yellow - brown coloured soap.
Keep reading to find out how to colour soap with turmeric…
What is Turmeric Powder?
Turmeric powder is a yellow to orange coloured powder that is ground from the turmeric root. It is most commonly used in cooking for its unique aroma and flavour. Our turmeric powder is for cosmetic use only!
Turmeric powder is often used in skincare recipes for face masks, serums, cleansers, soap, toners and moisturisers.
It is also used as a natural colourant in soap making as it provides a natural dark yellow to brown colour.
Why Use Turmeric Powder in Soap Making?
Turmeric powder is said to have many natural benefits like brightening the skin, reducing blemishes and leaving your skin glowing! It is suitable for all skin types including dry skin or dull skin types.
When using turmeric powder in soap making, it should be infused in the oils. It is recommended to add about 14g (1/2 ounce) of turmeric powder in olive oil, per pound of soap to create a yellow - brown coloured soap bar.
Let's have a go at our turmeric soap recipe...
This soap recipe makes 9-10 bars of soap
Equipment:
To make our turmeric soap recipe, you will need:
- Gloves
- Goggles
- Digital scales
- Digital thermometer
- Stick blender
- Soap mould or DIY alternative
- Silicone spatula
- Microwave safe bowl
- Plastic measuring cup, ideally 2x 1L and 1x 2L
- Fine sieve or filter paper
Ingredients
- Coconut oil 315g
- Cocoa butter 135g
- Olive oil 450g
- Water 270g
- Sodium hydroxide/ Lye 130g
- Turmeric powder 28g
- Sweet orange oil 10g
- Turmeric oil 10g
- Lavender oil 4g
- Vetiver oil 3g
1. Make the turmeric infused olive oil
- Weigh the olive oil
- Weigh the turmeric powder
- Add the turmeric to the olive oil
- Swirl to mix
- Leave to infuse for at least 2 to 3 hours
- After the turmeric has infused into the oil, filter the finished turmeric infused olive
- oil
- Discard the leftover turmeric powder
- Top up your olive oil to 450g if necessary
2. Mix the sodium hydroxide solution
- Put your gloves and goggles on.
- Open the window, the fumes will be unpleasant.
- Weigh the water.
- Weigh the sodium hydroxide.
- Add the sodium hydroxide to the water, not the other way around.
- Mix well until combined.
- Leave to cool down, it will be hot.
4. Weigh and heat the oils
- Weigh the coconut oil and cocoa butter
- Add the solid oils to the turmeric infused olive oil in a heatproof bowl
- Heat over a pan of boiling water, or in a microwave using short bursts.
- Mix well until melted
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool
- Weigh the lavender essential oil, sweet orange essential oil, turmeric essential oil and vetiver essential oil in a separate jug
5. Check the temperatures
- Test the temperature of the sodium hydroxide solution, you're looking for between 25C and 40C.
- Leave to cool if necessary, but don't reheat if it's too cool. Just heat the oils a little more to compensate.
- Test the temperature of the oils, ideally they should be between 35C and 40C.
- Reheat or cool if necessary.
- When the temperatures are right, add the sodium hydroxide solution to the oil mixture
6. Blend until trace
- Mix with the stick blender and blend with short bursts.
- Watch for the mixture starting to thicken.
- Test for trace by dripping soap batter on the surface of the mixture. If the drips sit on the surface then your mixture has reached trace.
- When your soap has reached a light trace, add the essential oils.
- Mix and blend until combined
7. Pour into moulds
- Pour the soap mixture into moulds
- Tap the mould to get rid of air bubbles
- Leave on a flat surface for 48 hours before unmoulding
8. Unmould and cure
- Take your soap out from the mould
- Put the bars with gaps in between them, and leave to cure for 4-6 weeks.
Continue Reading
Now that you've learned how to make turmeric soap, why not continue learning?
- Want to use more natural colourants? Make a burgundy soap with our madder root soap recipe!
- Make your own face mask with our simple charcoal face mask recipe!
- Interested in making your own face cream? Try our calendula face cream recipe!
Let us know in the comments what you thought of our turmeric soap recipe!
