Last year, I experimented with brewing my own kombucha, which is a fermented and sweetened tea. I ended up with so much kombucha that I created kombucha soap with the SCOBY to use it up. This recipe uses kombucha produced by a local company, Kombucha Town. Kombucha Town has become a fixture in our community with their local brewery and products in local grocery stores. Using locally brewed products in your recipe highlights the town you call home.
This soap was made with Kombucha Town’s lavender kombucha, so it only made sense to create lavender soap! It’s scented with Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil for a calming scent. A mixture of titanium dioxide and Lavender Mica create a soft purple swirl. It’s topped with dried lavender for a finishing touch. It’s debatable whether or not any of the beneficial properties of kombucha tea hold up during the saponification process. But, the extra sugar does boost lather and kombucha soap is great from a marketing perspective.
If you’ve never made soap with alternative liquids like kombucha, they do require extra prep. First, the kombucha needs to be boiled to get rid of the carbonation. Then, it’s frozen to help keep temperatures cool when the lye flakes are added. You could add the lye to room temperature or cold kombucha if you prefer. Using room temperature or cold kombucha will result in a darker lye solution, and may require more titanium dioxide. This recipe contains a 3% superfat to compensate for the large amount of dispersed colorant in the recipe. The large amount of titanium dioxide can create glycerin rivers, so this recipe has a 10% water discount to prevent that.
What You’ll Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
39 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
5.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye (3% superfat)
11.6 oz. Prepped Kombucha (10% “water” discount)
Lavender Mica
Titanium Dioxide
2 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
Lavender Buds
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KOMBUCHA PREP: Before lye is mixed with kombucha, it needs to be prepped. Adding lye to carbonated beverages does not work well, so the kombucha is boiled first to get rid of the carbonation. Some kombucha can also have a small amount of alcohol, so boiling helps get rid of that as well. Pour about 1.5x the amount of kombucha that you need into a saucepan. Some of the kombucha will boil off, so adding more than you need helps ensure you’ll have enough for your entire recipe. For this recipe, I used one 16 oz. can of kombucha and needed to supplement a little with distilled water later in the process.
Turn the heat to medium high and allow the kombucha to reach a rolling boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes.
Weigh out 11.6 ounces of the kombucha into a separate container. If you don’t have enough, you can add distilled water later. If you have too much, save the rest for another batch. Then, pour the kombucha into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer. Allow the kombucha to fully freeze. Once frozen, place a container appropriate for mixing lye onto a scale and hit the tare button. Empty the frozen kombucha into the container and extra distilled water if necessary (we added about an ounce of water).
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.
KOMBUCHA LYE PREP: With safety gear on, measure out the sodium hydroxide lye flakes into a container. Then, add about 1/4 of the sodium hydroxide lye flakes directly to the frozen kombucha. Stir together for several minutes. Then, add about another 1/4 of the lye flakes and stir. The lye flakes will begin to dissolve and heat up the kombucha ice cubes. As the kombucha heats up, it will begin to change color and emit an unpleasant odor – this is normal!
Continue slowly adding the lye flakes and stirring. This process can take some time, so be patient. Once all the lye flakes have been added, continue to stir for several minutes. Because the kombucha is cold, the lye flakes do not dissolve as quickly. The more lye that is added, the more the color of the kombucha will change.
Continue to stir until you no longer see or hear any undissolved lye flakes on the bottom of the container. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases from the mold quicker, you can add sodium lactate at a rate of 1 tsp. per pound of oils. For this recipe you’d add about 2.5 tsp. of sodium lactate. Set lye aside in a safe place while you prep the other ingredients.
COLOR PREP: To ensure that the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap batter, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap. =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. Disperse 3 teaspoons of titanium dioxide into 3 tablespoons of lightweight liquid oil, like sweet almond oil or sunflower oil. Then in a separate container, disperse 2 teaspoons Lavender Mica into 2 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. Use the mini mixer to help break up any clumps. Set aside.
FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil into a glass, essential oil safe container. Set aside.
ONE: Fully melt the entire bag of the Swirl Recipe Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure out 39 ounces of oil. Once the lye solution and the oils have cooled to 120 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. Most likely, the kombucha lye solution will be on the cooler side – that’s okay.
TWO: Once you reach a thin trace, add all the dispersed titanium dioxide. Use the stick blender to stir and pulse in the colorant until it’s completely combined. If your soap is becoming thick, use a whisk to stir in the colorant instead of using the stick blender.
THREE: Split off about 600 mL of soap into a separate container and add all the dispersed Lavender Mica. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant.
FOUR: Add the Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil proportionately to each container (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a whisk to fully mix in the essential oil.
FIVE: For the in-the-pot swirl, start by pouring the purple-colored soap into the white-colored soap in various places in the bowl. Pour from a high point so the soap penetrates the entire depth of the pot, which will create a swirl throughout the soap.
SIX: Insert a chopstick or dowel all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Swirl the tool several times in various directions and loops to get the design started. Don’t worry about being too exact, just try to move the chopstick/dowel through the different areas where the purple soap was poured.
SEVEN: Pour the soap into the mold. Tap it firmly on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles.
EIGHT: Use a spoon to create texture on top of the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so have fun with it! If you find the soap is not holding its shape, wait a few minutes for the soap to thicken and try again.
NINE: Once you’re happy with the top, sprinkle lavender buds down the center of the soap. Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Because kombucha contains sugar, this soap has a tendency to become extra hot. Our soaping area was cold, so the soap was left uncovered at room temperature for the first 24 hours. If you live in a hot climate, you may want to place the soap in the fridge or freezer for several hours to avoid overheating and cracking. After the soap has been in the mold for about 2-3 days, unmold and cut into bars. To avoid drag marks you can lay the loaf on its side, and cut from the side, down. I used a Multi-Bar Cutter for this batch and embraced the drag marks! Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!
- 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
- 39 oz. Swirl Recipe Quick Mix
- 5.5 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye (3% superfat)
- 11.6 oz. Prepped Kombucha (10% “water” discount)
- Lavender Mica
- Titanium Dioxide
- 2 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
- Lavender Buds
- Fully melt the entire bag of the Swirl Recipe Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure out 39 ounces of oil. Once the lye solution and the oils have cooled to 120 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. Most likely, the kombucha lye solution will be on the cooler side – that’s okay.
- Once you reach a thin trace, add all the dispersed titanium dioxide. Use the stick blender to stir and pulse in the colorant until it’s completely combined. If your soap is becoming thick, use a whisk to stir in the colorant instead of using the stick blender.
- Split off about 600 mL of soap into a separate container and add all the dispersed Lavender Mica. Use a whisk to fully mix in the colorant.
- Add the Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil proportionately to each container (it’s okay to eyeball it). Use a whisk to fully mix in the essential oil.
- For the in-the-pot swirl, start by pouring the purple-colored soap into the white-colored soap in various places in the bowl. Pour from a high point so the soap penetrates the entire depth of the pot, which will create a swirl throughout the soap.
- Insert a chopstick or dowel all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Swirl the tool several times in various directions and loops to get the design started. Don’t worry about being too exact, just try to move the chopstick/dowel through the different areas where the purple soap was poured.
- Pour the soap into the mold. Tap it firmly on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles.
- Use a spoon to create texture on top of the soap. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so have fun with it! If you find the soap is not holding its shape, wait a few minutes for the soap to thicken and try again.
- Once you’re happy with the top, sprinkle lavender buds down the center of the soap. Spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help prevent soda ash. Because kombucha contains sugar, this soap has a tendency to become extra hot. Our soaping area was cold, so the soap was left uncovered at room temperature for the first 24 hours. If you live in a hot climate, you may want to place the soap in the fridge or freezer for several hours to avoid overheating and cracking. After the soap has been in the mold for about 2-3 days, unmold and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!
Can I use my own homemade Kombucha? Do I still have to boil it and freeze. There isn’t any carbonation with the first ferment. I’d rather keep the benefits of kombucha within the soap.
Please advise
Susan
You can definitely use your own kombucha, but we still recommend boiling it doing so will remove any carbonation and alcohol.
Thanks, Matt!
If I use distilled water instead of Kombucha, would I add the same amount (11.6 ounces)? Thank you!
Yes, you’ll use 11.6 oz. of room temperature distilled water. You don’t need to boil or freeze it like the kombucha, just measure the water into a container and add the lye.
Thank you!
Don’t you remove all the good stuff that’s in kombucha when boiling?
The saponification process is very harsh, so it’s tough to say if the beneficial properties of the kombucha will make it through. We love adding it because it really boosts lather and is a fun way to experiment with something new. You can skip it if you like and use distilled water instead.
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Hi, I am a new soaper and a big fan to Soapqueen from Malaysia,
may I know is it necessary to add titanium dioxide into this recipe?
In Malaysia, it is hard to find titanium dioxide and some supplier sell it with a high price.
Any ingredient can replace the titanium dioxide? Thanks for reply.
I really enjoy to watch your video and recipe, it help me to start my soaping journey!
Titanium dioxide is optional, so you don’t need to add it in this recipe. If you can find another white colorant (like a mica) that will work. If not, the soap will be a bit darker naturally – like the picture in step one – so your colors will be slightly different. You can make a small test batch to see what you think, then adjust from there.
hi again – i just had a thought – can you see the smoke rising??? – could i use honey fragrance oil instead of an essential oil??? – would that work with pear & ginger??? and if there are essential oils you can think of – can you give me a couple of ideas because i might not have the one you name – hope that made sense – thanks
Absolutely, that would smell really nice! 🙂
Pure Honey Fragrance Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pure-Honey-Fragrance-Oil-P6218.aspx
Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
hi – this sounds an amazing soap which i am going to try – but – i have a problem – i cant get lavender flavoured kombucha – all i can get is pear & ginger (together) – cherry or plain green tea – so – my husband in all his wisdom and thinking he was being helpful – which he was – got me pear & ginger flavour – my brain is now blank – what essential oil would go well with pear & ginger – i haven’t seen it yet he is on his way back home and its a 150km trip so wont see it till late tonight – thanks for yours or anyones help
Ginger essential oil would go really well with that kombucha! Learn how much to use with our Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
Ginger essential oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Ginger-Essential-Oil-P6744.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi
I have a question,,can i remove the Swirl Recipe Quick Mix??
Thank you …
Do you want to use other oils in place of it?
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
What oils (and percentages) would you suggest to use in place of the quick mix?
Find a good swirl recipe in this Back to Basic post:https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/back-to-basics-crisp-cotton-swirl-cold-process/
You can also find the percentages used for our Swirl Quick Mix on its product page:
https://www.brambleberry.com/Swirl-Recipe-Quick-Mix-P5526.aspx
thanks,I will try it
You’re welcome, have fun. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Looks good and great, since 2yrs ago I have been practicing ur recipe and I always happy the way it turns out can I turn this homemade soap into a big business without having certificate in Nigeria ,thanks I will be glad if you reply me
Glad you’re enjoying the recipe Ismail. I’m not familiar with Nigerian regulations, so I’m not entirely sure what is needed to sell soap. I would recommend contacting your local government to see if they have more information on soap/cosmetic regulations.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I was wondering what I could in place of the kombucha? They don’t sell that stuff by me.
Distilled water works just fine! You can also use any tea, like green tea. If you want the lather boost, honey helps! 🙂
Learn how to use tea here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/use-tea-coffee-soap/
And learn how to use honey here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/adding-honey-to-cold-process-soap-tips-tricks-recipe/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Speaking of different liquids, I tried chamomile distillate in a recipe, instead of distilled water. The soap unmolded well and looks ok. Hope its nourishing as well!
I love lather so definitely going to give this one a try. I have only been doing cold process for several months but I already have about 10 loaves curing! I have the fever
That’s awesome, sounds like a really great recipe! This recipe is a lot of fun to make. May make that fever worse though. 😉
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I make kombucha soap, but I use the bottle version cold. I never boil the liquid and have had no problems with the lye heating up. I find kombucha liquid, soap’s like a dream with no issues.
That’s awesome! Kombucha soap has amazing lather. For those just starting out we do recommend boiling it to prevent any issues, but once you work with it awhile like you have you may find you don’t need to. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Paige, where did you find your cold version of kombucha?
Looking to purchase but not sure where to order from….I have all the other ingredients ….I’m new to this…
Hi,
I made a Kombucha soap last week. I didn’t freeze the liquid, but kept it in fridge for some hours (lid opened). I had no problem with mixing and pouring. As I wanted a fruity fragrance just added Moonlight Pomegranate to it. Trust me, it came out so beautiful.
The fragrance behaved really well. Thanks to you all.
I’m sorry, I really hate to be a party pooper. But, I really don’t see the point. The beneficial bacteria in Kombucha is for the digestive system, not for the skin. Furthermore, any beneficial nutrients and the beneficial bacteria would be annihilated by the boiling of the kombucha, so it would not be retained in the soap. Yes, people will buy it because they like the drink, so do I. However, I think that adding ingredients like this to soap only add to the disinformation and confusion about soap that the non-soap-making public already has. And you are making your product even more expensive to make. If we don’t understand what really makes great soap, how can they? Sorry, but that is my viewpoint.
The saponification process is a harsh environment, so it’s tough to say if the beneficial properties of the kombucha will make it through. We love adding it because it really boosts lather and is a fun way to experiment with something new. You can definitely skip it though! The great thing about making your own products is that you can choose what goes into them. Thanks for your feedback Irene. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi, Irene. I understand your side, but Kelsey is right, too. It’s all about experimenting. Of course, boiling the kombucha would kill any beneficial bacteria that is not even meant for the skin and Kelsey is right that the high PH and temps may or may not kill it. However, if we never experimented with running water through burnt wood and mixing it with animal fat, we would have never had a very basic soap. If we had not experimented further, we would never have mixed our own lye with rendered hog fat and made very caustic soap like Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies and we certainly would not have discovered the awesome soap techniques we have today. PLEASE don’t take this as an attack because I can NOT stand drama and you are right. However, don’t be afraid to experiment even with perfection and we may have even better soap in the future.
Eric, aka the soap man
wow it looks amazing!
Thanks so much, glad you like it!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello.
Will you help me with this formulation? It feels a little oily and mushy on the skin.
Thank you. I really appreciate your support.
Olive oil 110gr
Almond oil 83gr
Shea butter 83gr
Coconut oil 50gr
Castor oil 19gr
Stearic acid 11gr
Absolutely! I checked the percentages in your recipe and they look good. The stearic acid and shea butter in the recipe help harden the bars nicely. For even more hardness, you can increase the coconut oil amount from 14% up to 33%. That adds firming and cleansing properties to the bar and will prevent some of the oily/mushy feeling. Then, you can decrease the olive or sweet almond oil to account for the extra coconut oil. 🙂
Sodium lactate helps too! Adding 1 teaspoon per pound of oils to your cooled lye water helps the bars harden more quickly so they can cure: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-sodium-lactate/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you so so so so much for your replay Kelsey!
I love these alternative liquid tutorials! Would love to see some more green tea (or other tea) recipes too. 🙂
So glad you’re loving them Brynne! Thanks for your suggestion, we’ll definitely keep that in mind for future blog posts. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Beautiful Soap!
I have started using Kombucha in most of my recipes now. It really does enhance lather naturally. ** I was inspired by Brambleberrys tutorial- “Kombucha SCOBY Cold Process Soap DIY’.
Since i use ‘flat’ Kombucha i’ve never boiled it, but what a good reminder to be aware of. I never thought of the carbonation only vs boiling alcoholic beverages. Thank you so very much ~ love it! 🙂
You’re welcome Eva, glad you love it! Also, kombucha is an awesome addition to soap. It really sets your bars apart. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Kombucha SCOBY Cold Process Soap: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/kombucha-cold-process-soap-tutorial/
Hi, by saying ‘flat’ kombucha, does that mean you make your own Kombucha tea as in ‘Kombucha SCOBY Cold Process Soap’? Because what i have in my country is SCOBY as well.
You can make your own if you like. If you buy it from the store or use your own, you’ll want to boil it. That gets rid of the carbonation and any alcohol, which makes it flat (another way of saying not carbonated).
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry