Cinnamon-Vanilla Hot Process Soap: A Perfect Gift for Christmas or Anytime (It Smells SO Good)
This is seriously one of my best handmade soap recipes! Men love it! Women love it! It's just loved by everyone! Scented with cinnamon, vanilla, and patchouli essential oils and colored with rose kaolin clay and organic ground cinnamon---It's a wonderful soap that lathers well, conditions and moisturizes the skin, and smells amazing! Enjoy!
BTW, a little heads up for the ladies---The scent of cinnamon is known to be an aphrodisiac for men!
Give you any ideas? :-)
Years ago, when I sold my handmade soaps, this soap was in incredible demand, and I couldn’t keep up with the orders! When I stopped selling my soaps, this recipe was one of the first I shared on the blog because I wanted to teach my customers they could make their own soap…SO easily!
I called it Peaceful Warrior back then, and now it’s just my cinnamon-vanilla soap.
YOU can make homemade soap too, and no matter whether you are a beginner or an experienced soap maker, you’re going to love this recipe.
FTC Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you click through and make any kind of purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you!
***For extra complete picture tutorials of how to make hot process soap, see Make Your Own Soap! and Lavender-Rosemary-Vanilla Hot Process Soap. These are my most complete tutorials, and my other soap articles are very detailed too. For this recipe, I'm going to be pretty brief with fewer pictures.
You can also take my complete Natural Soap Making course that includes everything you need to know to make beautiful hot process soaps, along with recipe variations and lists & charts so you can make your own soap creations!
This is seriously one of my best-smelling soaps! Men love it. Women love it! It's just loved by everyone! Find out how to make this amazing hot process soap! This easy hot process soap tutorial makes the perfect handmade soap gifts…ever! #hotprocess #soaprecipe #cinnamonvanilla #tutorial #howtomake #handmade #soap #healingharvesthomestead
Tools You'll Need for Making Hot Process Soap
Hot process and cold process soap making differ just a bit in the tools required. For making hot process soap, here are the basic items you'll need to have on hand:
1) A large crock pot--
A manual setting pot is just fine, in fact I think the simpler the better. This crock pot should be dedicated to making soap!
2) Heat resistant measuring cups
You'll need heat resistant because the chemical reaction from the lye solution causes it to get REALLY hot!
3) A hand blender
This is definitely a necessity. You'll need to stir the soap mixture to trace, like a thick pudding, and by hand, this could take hours! The hand blender cuts that time down very significantly!
4) Safety Gear---An ABSOLUTE MUST!
Safety Glasses cover your eyes and protect them from potential splatters--and yes, they do happen. You should also plan on getting some long gloves to protect your hands and arms when working with the caustic mixture.
You must have one of these to accurately measure the ingredients. I try to get my measurements to the nearest hundredth! I actually have two of these.
I like to use wood because it feels traditional. But besides that, you can't use any metal during your soap making that might be reactive. I actually label the handles "SOAP" and keep them separate with my soap making items.
7) Soap Mold
The one linked through Amazon above is on my wish list! I've been wanting to get it for a LONG time! The ones I use are reinforced silicone, without the wood holder. They work fine, but I like the wood!
8) Soap Cutters
A soap cutter is purely optional. You can just use a sharp knife, if you like---but the soap cutter helps give you a great straight cut, and you can buy cutters with waves too!
Here is the colorant and scent: Rose Kaolin Clay for this batch, along with the essential oil blend of Cinnamon, Vanilla, and Patchouli. Yum!
Cinnamon-Vanilla (Peaceful Warrior) Soap Recipe
Ingredients:
Oils:
15 ounces Coconut Oil (The best prices are over at Bulk Apothecary, but Starwest Botanicals and Amazon carry large supplies of coconut oil too! At Amazon, you can even buy Coconut Oil by the gallon!)
15 ounces Olive Oil (I buy my coconut oil from Costco)
12 ounces Sweet Almond Oil
6 ounces Shea Butter
1.5 ounces Castor Oil
Lye Solution:
15 ounces distilled water
7.2 ounces food grade sodium hydroxide
Color:
1 or 2 Tbsp Rose Kaolin Clay
1 Tbsp ground Cinnamon (slightly exfoliates, too)
Essential Oil Blend for Fragrance:
1 ounce Cinnamon Essential Oil
1 1/2 ounce Vanilla Extract or 1/2 ounce Vanilla Essential Oil or you can use Benzoin too
1/2 ounce Patchouli essential oil to ground the scents
You'll be using quite a bit of essential oil to make soap, and purchasing them for soap making can be a little pricey. I like to buy mine from Starwest Botanicals because you’ll get a quality essential oil that comes in different quantities, perfect for soap and skincare.
NOTE: Cinnamon is a hot essential oil, and although it is very diluted in this soap recipe, some people may be sensitive to it. If this occurs, stop using it right away.
NOTE: Vanilla extract is super easy to make at home, and you can find my directions here. I’ve also included a bit of fun folklore! If you want to make your vanilla extract in time for gift giving, you’ll want to start it in August through October at the latest for a nice strong extract. The longer the period of time, the better.
Here is a first stir of this hot process soap. You can see it's not translucent yet, or completely waxy. It needs to cook a bit more.
Learn how to make hot process soap! Click for more information, and get started today!
Directions for Peaceful Warrior (Cinnamon-Vanilla) Hot Process Soap
***Again, these are BASIC directions! If you are new to hot process soap making PLEASE read through my more complete tutorials linked in the introduction, and you will be SUPER comfortable with the process. It's actually easy--you just need to be sure you are safe!
Step 1)
Mix the oils in the crock pot, set on LOW on let them melt together.
Step 2)
While the oils are melting, get your lye solution ready. Measure out your water. Measure out your lye. Pour the Lye INTO the water (NEVER the other way around!) Stir until completely dissolved, and let sit until the oils in the crock pot are liquified.
Step 3)
Add the colorant (1 or 2 tbsp. kaolin pink clay) to the oils in the crock pot.
Step 4)
Blend your essential oils and have them ready....but DON'T add them yet! Adding your EO's is one of the final steps.
Step 5)
When your oils are liquified in the crock pot, slowly add in your lye solution. Using your hand blender, bring the mixture to trace. (See tutorials: How to Make Hot Process Soap and/or Lavender-Rosemary-Vanilla Hot Process Soap for detailed instructions and pictures.)
Step 6)
Now is the cook time. You'll need to stir it down one to three times, generally, until it reaches a translucent, waxy state. There should be NO opaque pieces or any liquid left!
Step 7)
I always do the "ZAP" test. Take a bit of the soap, and it should feel waxy, moldable, and when you place it on your tongue, you should not feel a "zap"---just a soapy taste! You'll know it's ready then. Again, see How to Make Hot Process Soap and Lavender-Rosemary-Vanilla Soap for details.
Step 8)
Turn the crock pot off. Let the soap "rest" for a minute or two--not too long though--you don't want it setting up yet. You just want it a little cooler for the essential oils.
Step 9)
Add your essential oil blend and STIR like crazy for a couple of minutes until it's completely combined.
Step 10)
Add the Ground Cinnamon Powder (about a tablespoon or so) and just stir a little until you have swirls--you don't need to completely stir the cinnamon in---in fact, the soap is prettier if it has chunky swirls in it. The Cinnamon powder adds a bit of exfoliation to the soap.
Step 11)
Using your wooden spoon, plop your soap into the soap mold. Press down really well to make sure there are no air pockets. I always pick up the mold and drop it an inch or two onto the counter to jar it a little extra to help the soap settle completely into the mold.
Step 12)
Allow to cool. You can slice the top off after about an hour, and you'll have the top to keep for yourself, leaving a nice smooth top in case you want to give away bars for gifts or sell it!
Step 13)
Unmold your block of ready to use soap!
Step 14)
Cut your soap as needed!
I keep my blocks of soap intact until I'm either ready to use a bar or give some away. The essential oils stay stronger that way, and your soap lasts a SUPER long time! This is one of the key differences between hot and cold process soap. You can cut the block as you need it!
Although your soap is ready right away, it's a good idea to allow it to cure for about a week or so before using it, just to allow any additional moisture to evaporate. Doing this will just give it a little more "lasting" time. Store your soap in a well-drained soap dish! you don't want it sitting in a puddle of water.
That's it! Even though there are a lot of steps, it's really quite simple. Go through it slowly at first, and it will become second nature for you!
Final Thoughts on This Cinnamon-Vanilla Spice Soap Recipe
This is one of those soap recipes I love to share. I really do. I have heard so many times that it has become someone’s favorite soap, and that just warms my heart! I hope you’ll give this recipe a try, and that you and your loved ones find happiness and joy using it!
Do you make hot process soap? Which is your favorite? Hot or Cold process? If you have any comments, questions, or tips, please leave them below in the comments section!
There are TONS of soap making related articles on the blog, and here are a few you may enjoy:
Sexy Wild Man Hot Process Soap
Bastille-Honey Soap for Babies (or People with Sensitive Skin)
Soap Making Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make!
And check out the many more on the blog—-go explore!
Hugs, Health, & Self-Reliance!
Heidi
P.S. If you haven't already, I hope you'll sign up for the Healing Harvest Homestead Newsletter so you never miss a thing! You’ll also get access to the free Resource Library, with all the downloads there. You’ll also get the Hot Process Soap Making Checklist! It’s a life saver!
Interested in learning about using herbs? Take this FREE 5-Day Herbal Foundations email course…and start making home remedies today!
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and in no manner, stated or implied is any statement made on my blog, articles, or eBooks meant to cure, diagnose, treat, or prevent any health issue. I simply provide my personal opinion based on years of study and experience. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Here's a little blob of finished soap. See how waxy and moldable it is right now? If you touch it to your tongue, you won't feel that ZAP---and you'll just taste soap. That's when you'll know it's finished!
Here's what the final cut soap bar looks like. It's truly a rustically attractive bar of soap that just smells WONDERFUL, lathers super well, lasts a long time, and moisturizes your skin. Can't beat that!
Mmmm….Handmade cinnamon-vanilla spice soap….SO good for the upcoming fall and the holiday season. This homemade soap recipe uses the hot process soap making method, and it’s SO easy to make. It’s also easily converted to cold process, if you prefer that method. If you’re looking for potential handmade gifts this season this one’s a WINNER! #howtomake #soap #soapmaking #naturalsoap #recipe #handmadesoap #healingharvesthomestead #hotprocesssoap