Coffee soap, the antioxidant-boosting, cellulite-busting, stretch mark-reducing, gets the garlic smell off your hands bar of wonder. If you have yet to be indoctrinated into the wonderful world of coffee soap, the recipes below are sure to be a treat. For those of you familiar with coffee soaps and scrubs, you know how popular caffeine-infused body products have become. Below are my go-to holiday coffee Melt & Pour coffee soap recipes. I use them at home and package them as gifts for family friends. Each recipe makes six medium-sized bars of soaps and can be prepared in under 10 minutes. Let’s lather up!
Things to take note of before you begin
Coffee grounds. For best results, allow your coffee grounds to dry out before using them in the soap or, if you are in a hurry, pat the grounds dry to remove excess water before adding them to your mix. Wet grounds will leak color into your soap.
Liquid add-ins. One pound of Melt & Pour soap easily absorbs 1 teaspoon of liquid without impairing the soap’s quality. My personal preferences are listed below, but you can use any essential oil or combination of essential oils / strong brewed coffee in the recipes as long as you do not exceed a combined total of 1 liquid teaspoon.
Melting your soap. For optimal results, follow the manufacture’s melting instructions. If you choose to heat your soap on the stovetop, be sure to create a double boiler setting by placing your soap in a glass bowl that rests above a saucepan filled 1/4th the way with water. While you may be tempted to cut out the double boiler step (and I say this from experience), please don’t. Placing the soap directly on the heat often causes it to boil, making it very difficult to create a smooth, even soap.
Soap molds. If you do not have soap molds, you can use a loaf pan or a square pan. Just be sure to grease the pan before adding your soap.
Speed is the word! Melt & Pour soap cools quickly once removed from the heat; it is best to have all of your ingredients measured and ready to add as soon as your soap is melted. Once your soap begins to form a skin, it is very difficult to pour or mold into a pleasing shape.
Raw cocoa powder is full of flavonoids, which nourish the skin and help ease inflammation and redness while improving elasticity.
99% Isopropyl Alcohol removes air bubbles from the top of your soap and helps the soap gel.
What you will need
Holiday orange spice
The holiday orange spice soap is wonderfully aromatic, hydrating, and gently exfoliating. The rich, milky base and soft grinds make it great for use in either the kitchen or the bathroom.
1 pound goat’s milk Melt & Pour soup.
3/4 teaspoon orange essential oil.
1/4 teaspoon either espresso essential oil or vanilla essential oil.
1 tablespoon coffee grounds.
1/2 tablespoon raw cocoa powder (optional).
A spray bottle of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (optional).
The extreme skin buffer
Not for the faint of heart, the extreme skin buffer is a deep exfoliant that works wonders on cellulite and stretch marks — just be warned that it is intense! The more grounds you add, the coarser the grounds are and the more extreme the exfoliation.
1 pound goat’s milk Melt & Pour soup.
1/2 teaspoon strongly brewed coffee.
1/2 teaspoon peppermint essential oil.
1/4 to 1/3 cup of coffee grounds.
1/2 tablespoon raw cocoa powder (optional).
A spray bottle of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (optional).
Melt & add & pour
Step 1: Chop your Melt & Pour soap into small, evenly sized cubes, and add the cubes to a large glass mixing bowl.
Step 2: Fill a small saucepan 1/4th the way up with water and set it on the stove, over medium heat. Place your bowl of cubed soap over the pan, ensuring the bottom of the bowl is not resting in the water.
Step 3: Gently stir or whisk your cubes until the soap is fully melted and smooth. Try not to let the soap boil; if the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat. Once fully melted, remove the bowl from the heat.
Step 4: Add your essential oils and / or coffee to the soap and whisk or stir until fully integrated.
Step 5: Continue stirring for about 30 seconds and then add your coffee grounds and / or raw cocoa powder. If you add your grounds before the mixture has sufficient time to cool, they will all sink to the bottom of your soap. If you have a thermometer, add your grounds and / or cocoa once the temperature reaches between 120-130 °F.
Step 6: Pour your soap into the soap mold(s).
Step 7 (optional): Spray your soaps lightly with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.
Step 8: Let your coffee soap set for at least 3 hours before removing it from the mold. If possible, try not to move the mold for the first hour after pouring — moving the mold before the soap sets can cause it to gather oddly and become uneven.
Step 9: Use or gift your soap!
If you enjoy making your own face and body products, please check out our other DIY entries, including:
Create your own rejuvenating face, hair, and body coffee scrubs!
Upcycle your coffee grounds into a homemade pin cushion
11 Simple, natural ways to recycle used coffee grounds in your home
Coffee with the Queen 
Can you use whatever essential oil you have on hand?
LikeLike
Hi Annette,
Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about essential oils to give you a solid answer. When creating soaps or any product applied topically, I look for essential oils that say they are safe for use in hair and body products. To be honest, 99% of the essential oil labels I’ve read have explicitly stated they are safe for use on hair and skin but I don’t know if that is true for all… I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful!
LikeLike