Pollards Coffee Soap

The key to obtaining (and maintaining) smooth, soft and healthy skin lies in our exfoliation routine. When your soap contains a “scrub like” material it helps remove dead skin. It also helps other skin care products, such as moisturisers, to absorb into the skin more quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, many store bought exfoliates can contain harsh chemicals, which can dry out your skin. To avoid this, we just simply make our own soap! Obviously – as its Pollards – of course is has to be coffee!

This homemade Pollards Coffee Soap recipe is made using real Pollards coffee! (We use the Puccini blend for our tests – buy it here from our online store). This blog will advise and instruct you on how to create your own homemade coffee soap. Our previous blog on 8 different uses for coffee explored unique ways to use coffee beans or coffee grounds in unusual ways included this as a recommendation.

Why use Coffee Soap?

Benefits of coffee as an ingredient

• helps to neutralize tough odours
• gently exfoliates the skin
• anti-inflammatory properties.
• caffeine also helps to reduce the appearance of redness or rosacea.
• enzymes found in coffee’s natural oils can aid in detoxifying and cleansing skin making it a good choice for those who are prone to acne or other skin conditions such as eczema.

Before you start, keep in mind that not all exfoliates are equal. It is important to consider how you will be using it before choosing your ingredients. For example, the skin on your face generally requires a gentle exfoliate, while rough patches on the body, such as heels and elbows, will require something that packs a bigger punch.

 

Here is what you’ll need:

Ingredients

• Ground coffee beans – we use puccini
• 1 lb. package of melt-and-pour soap base

Optional:

• Pure coffee essential oil – follow instructions directly
• Rubbing alcohol 

 

Equipment 

• Soap mould
• Microwave safe container / double boiler
• Knife
• Stirring implement – spoon

 

Choosing the right stuff.

The coffee: the finer the grind of the coffee beans, the more gentle the exfoliation will be, so consider where and how much you want to exfoliate before you make the soap.

Keep in mind, although coffee is known for its strong aroma, when it is ground up and added to your soap mixture, the scent will become extremely muted. This is where your essential oils come into play. You can mix and match any scents that you love, but you’ll want to start with a coffee oil base. Vanilla, milk and honey, and cinnamon pair well with this particular blend.

You can keep this homemade Pollards coffee soap recipe fragrance free. However, if you prefer to scent your soap, you can add up to 1.1 oz. of essential oil for a natural scent, or up to 2.25 oz. of your favorite fragrance oil for a stronger scent.

There is a variety of soap bases to choose from, but a milk based one will give you the best results when it comes to moisturizing your skin. You will also want to choose a soap base that has a “suspension formula,” which means that your additives (coffee grounds) will stay evenly suspended within your soap. There are plenty of other options though, even ones which include a ‘no sweat prevention’ for storage.

 

Instructions

Step 1 – Figure out how much soap base your mould can hold. Some moulds will note their capacity on the label, but others will not. If this is the case, fill one mould with water and pour it into a measuring cup. This will show you the quantity you need to fill your mould.

 

Step 2 – Measure and cut your soap base into small cubes with a knife. This will help it melt more quickly.

 

Step 3 – In a microwave safe bowl, or in a double boiler, melt your soap base in 20 second intervals, stirring after each one until it is completely melted. Make sure you don’t over melt your base or you risk losing the essential moisture properties.

 

Step 4 – Add the exfoliating ingredient, in this case, your coffee grounds. Stir your mixture until the coffee grounds are evenly dispersed. – alternatively, you can add the coffee grounds to the top or bottom of the soap using the moulds, sprinkling it in before the soap sets. This creates a different visual appearance.

 

Step 5 – Add your pure coffee essential oil (and any additional oils). Different oils will have different potencies. Please follow the suggested amount on the packaging of your oils.

 

Step 6 – Fill your moulds. There may be bubbles on top of your soap, this can look interesting. But if you prefer a smoother finish, simply add a couple spritzes of rubbing alcohol, about 6 inches away. This will remove them, making your soap smooth.

 

Step 7 – Resist the temptation to touch your soap until it has fully hardened, which generally takes 2-4 hours, but will differ depending on your mould size.

 

Step 8 – Once your soap is ready, you can pop it out of its mould and enjoy.

 

 

Do you want more of our Pollards Guides? Check out our blog on DIY Coffee Candles here.