Tutorial: Luxury Argan & Creamy Avocado Soap
I've been destashing lately and had a little over six ounces of argan oil hanging around. So, I decided it was time to whip up a luxurious facial soap by using a little pureed avocado. I complimented the argan oil with avocado oil and the result is this beauty.
Luxury Argan & Creamy Avocado Soap Recipe
This formula is sized for the Brambleberry 10" silicone mold, like most of my formulas here on Modern Soapmaking. And it works out perfect for a small avocado!
Soap Formula Used
- 8 ounces Avocado Oil (21.1% of the base oils)
- 8 ounces Babassu Oil (21.1% of the base oils)
- 7 ounces Olive Oil (18.4% of the base oils)
- 6 ounces Coconut Oil (15.8% of the base oils)
- 6 ounces Argan Oil (15.8% of the base oils)
- 3 ounces Castor Oil (7.9% of the base oils)
- 5.3 ounces Sodium Hydroxide (7% superfat)
- 6.75 ounces Distilled Water (33% lye solution including the additional avocado below)
- 4 ounces Pureed Avocado
If you need help understanding lye solutions in soapmaking, this article will help. I buy most of my soaping oils from Soaper’s Choice.
Essential Oil Blend Used
- 14 grams Lime Essential Oil
- 10 grams Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil
- 10 grams Lavender Essential Oil
- 8 grams Sweet Basil Essential Oil
- 6 grams Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
Colorants Used
PREP WORK: Scrape out a small avocado. Weigh out four ounces, and puree it using a food processor or your stickblender.
Weigh out your soaping oils, including your essential oil blend. I like to add my essentials oils to my main soap pot so I can't possibly forget them later! Make up your lye solution, too!
Add 1/2 teaspoon of both green oxide and yellow oxide into a four cup measuring cup. Premix it with a small portion (about a tablespoon) of your soaping oils. Remember, OXIDE start with an "O" so they mix well with Oils. ;) The equal portions of green and yellow pigments creates a bright and beautiful green.
Scrape out the avocado
Weigh out the avocado
Puree the Avocado for the Soap
Stickblend the avocado puree into the oils
GET STARTED: I like to add additives like fruit and vegetable purees, milks, etc., to my soaping oils. If you want to follow along, add your pureed avocado to your soaping pot and stickblend it well. Add your lye solution to your soaping oils, stick blend until emulsified. Once you have reached an emulsified state, pour about a third of your batch into the measuring cup with your oxides. (If you have not added your fragrance, you need to do that first!)
Thoroughly mix your pigment into the split batch. Pour a little bit of your green colored soap into the main pot at four corners and a little in the middle. (If your soaping pot was a clock, it would be 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock plus the middle of the face!) You should have about half of your green colored soap left afterwards. No additional mixing or swirling in the pot necessary. This will create a nice in-the-pot swirl (ITPS) when you pour the soap. ;)
Add the Lye Solution to the Oils & Avocado Mixture
Bring the Argan & Avocado Soap to a Light Trace
Mix the Chromium Oxide Green into the Avocado Soap
Make an In The Pot Swirl
SWIRL IT: Pour half of the ITPS soap into the mold.
Next, flood fill the next layer using the rest of the green soap. It's okay if the flood fill breaks the bottom layer!
Pour the rest of the ITPS soap in the mold, pouring from a moderate height (about six to ten inches above the mold) to break through the middle flood fill layer. If your soap has thickened up, pour from higher. If it's thinner, pour closer to the mold.
Pour the ITPS Layer
Flood Fill the Middle Layer
Pour the Remainder of the ITPS
THE FINISH LINE: Texture the top of the soap nice and pretty! Put the argan & avocado soap to sleep (insulate lightly), and unmold in 12 to 24 hours.
If the soap is too soft, leave it for another 12 to 24 hours before attempting to unmold again.
Slice it up, cure it out, & enjoy!
Cut Argan & Creamy Avocado Soap
The argan & avocado soap formula featured in this tutorial is a Modern Soapmaking original. It is palm-free & vegan friendly. It uses a 7% superfat and a 33% lye solution strength. Feel free to adjust as necessary!
Have you ever made avocado soap? Or how about soap with argan oil? Tell me about your soap in the comments, I want to hear about it!
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