Your thoughts about coffee soap

[Ruthie]

I've read quite a bit here about making coffee soap, and have made it for a gardening soap years ago I before I moved to Oklahoma. I'm brewing coffee right now so my question will be too late for this batch, but I've been wondering about this- if the scent does not carry over into the soap you make, what is the reason behind making the coffee 4 times normal strength (or however many times)? Is it for color? Or what?

Mine is actually about 1.5 to 2 times normal strength. But that is just because I am lazy measuring and do NOT drink the stuff.

Coffee soap is so great for cleaning the hands of dirt or whatever! I can hardly wait to garden this summer so I can use it again!

 

[2lilboots]

I just love coffee that much that I make coffee soap so I can look at it and use it.

 

[Shannon_m]

I think it would be a mix between the color and the caffeine level. I know that applying caffeine directly to your skin (like in coffee soap) leaves a slight tingle and "wakes up" your skin. As far as the scent, I know a lot of people say it leaves a mild scent, but for a real coffee scent you'd need to use a FO (I think)

 

[lizflowers42]

I actually used grounds in mine with just the left over pot of coffee. The grounds retained the scent and provide a nice grit for dirty kitchen hands (or gardeners hands!). The coffee liquid made it a pretty brown.

 

[squigglz]

Yep, the grounds retain the scent. I double the batch of coffee for the caffeine benefits. I do use a coffee FO, but that's mostly because I use a Chocolate Espresso FO along with it to make a kind of mocha latte smell.

I just really like coffee, lol.

 

[houseofwool]

Hmmm, since I can't use fragrance oils (allergy in the family), I'm now thinking that a coffee soap using fine grounds as an exfoliant along with a dash of cocoa powder might be heavenly!

 

[DWinMadison]

Hmmm, since I can't use fragrance oils (allergy in the family), I'm now thinking that a coffee soap using fine grounds as an exfoliant along with a dash of cocoa powder might be heavenly!

You can't use ANY fragrance oils? How about essential oils? Unless you live with "the boy in the bubble" I can't imagine that many EOs wouldn't be acceptable. Isn't that like saying I'm allergic to peanuts, so I don't eat food? Or is it a matter of just not knowing which EOs your loved one is allergic to? My point is that EOs run the gamut of plant life. Just because I can't use citrus shouldn't mean peppermint and pachouli are necessarily off limits? What am I missing?

 

[houseofwool]

Essential oils are fine, but any synthetics cause huge problems, skin rashes and respiratory issues. For us, synthetic fragrance=no good.

As far as I know, a coffee scent is only obtainable through a fragrance oil, but if adding the grounds makes it stick, then I will be trying it.

 

[DWinMadison]

Essential oils are fine, but any synthetics cause huge problems, skin rashes and respiratory issues. For us, synthetic fragrance=no good.

As far as I know, a coffee scent is only obtainable through a fragrance oil, but if adding the grounds makes it stick, then I will be trying it.

OIC...Now I understand, and yes that is my understanding was well about coffee fragrance....which seems sort of counter-intutitve. I'd think oil form coffee beans would be WAY easier to get than some of the things they find ways to wring EOs out of. Then again the "oil wringers" didn't ask me, did they?

 

[RocknRoll]

I love the looks to my coffee soap but i thought the grounds were too rough. This time I finely ground them and sifted them but i still dont think that will be enough. Maybe I could just buy a coffee powder? I dont have a pestal and morter. i have yet to make my coffee soap with actual coffee as the liquid. I usually use cream instead. I find that it is good at removing odorss but then again I think all my soaps are good at that

 

[dyclement05]

Essential oils are fine, but any synthetics cause huge problems, skin rashes and respiratory issues. For us, synthetic fragrance=no good.

As far as I know, a coffee scent is only obtainable through a fragrance oil, but if adding the grounds makes it stick, then I will be trying it.

Actually, you can make your own coffee oil (all natural!) and use that- it will retain the scent better than just grinds or using strongly brewed coffee for your lye solution. I like using it to superfat my soap.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5668670_make-coffee-oil.html

 

[Ruthie]

Yep, the grounds retain the scent. I double the batch of coffee for the caffeine benefits. I do use a coffee FO, but that's mostly because I use a Chocolate Espresso FO along with it to make a kind of mocha latte smell.

I just really like coffee, lol.

Are you using the Brambleberry Choc. Espresso? I have mixed feelings about it. The chocolate part of it is yummy, but I can't smell the espresso part. However, I did use what I had left for this recipe and filled in the rest with 10X orange EO. I did add the coffee grounds from brewing, too- about 4T for 50 oz. oils. Not sure that is enough.

Next time I think I will make the coffee stronger, now that I know about the caffeine, but also because the color could be darker. Of course, I did add coconut milk, so that might be why.

 

[Ruthie]

Actually, you can make your own coffee oil (all natural!) and use that- it will retain the scent better than just grinds or using strongly brewed coffee for your lye solution. I like using it to superfat my soap.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5668670_make-coffee-oil.html

Do you have to use coffee beans, or can you use ground coffee? Since I don't drink the stuff (and already invested in the ground kind just to make soap) I was wondering. It would not matter if it was a problem straining the grounds since I put grounds in the soap anyway.

 

[CaliChan]

i brew my coffee at 5x the strength... i have 5 types of coffee soaps... im alittle obsessed lol but the only ones that retained any kind of a scent were the ones with grounds in them

 

[dyclement05]

Do you have to use coffee beans, or can you use ground coffee? Since I don't drink the stuff (and already invested in the ground kind just to make soap) I was wondering. It would not matter if it was a problem straining the grounds since I put grounds in the soap anyway.

I suppose grinds would be find provided they aren't too finely ground. Also, it's been my experience that coffee grinds hold their scent better in soap if they are put in without having first been brewed. Of course, that also means a scrubbier bar.

 

[Ruthie]

Another ??
I was window shopping at Soaper's Choice and noticed the coffee butter. How is that made?

 

[2lilboots]

I grind my coffee beans on fine to put in my soaps. I think they feel great for exfoliating. And they aren't the grinds that I made my coffee with either. I can smell the coffee in my coffee soap, and it has to be from the grinds.

 

[100%Natural]

You can buy coffee essential oil! I've bought some but have not had a chance to try it out yet. It's costly, but from what I've read elsewhere it will give your coffee soap a gorgeous coffee scent.

 

[Soapsense]

To get the grounds like powder, put them in a ziplok bag and roll them with a pastry roller.

 

[houseofwool]

You can buy coffee essential oil! I've bought some but have not had a chance to try it out yet. It's costly, but from what I've read elsewhere it will give your coffee soap a gorgeous coffee scent.

Do you remember where you saw it? I think I will try to make the infused oil tomorrow and if that works, great - less effort. Otherwise, I might try the EO. I am really excited about this one. I flove coffee with all my heart (as evidenced by the ridiculously high percentage of my grocery bill that is devoted to all things coffee) as does my sister.

But since I don't have a crock pot small enough to do this, I will probably just do it in a canning jar in a water bath.