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How to Make Coffee Soap

Coffee soap has become a favorite in 2025 for its rich aroma, exfoliating texture, and natural deodorizing power. Whether you want a bar that wakes you up in the morning or a scrubby kitchen soap that removes strong food smells, coffee soap is an easy and rewarding project.

Below is a simple, detailed guide you can follow using the cold process method.

Why Make Coffee Soap?

Coffee soap is more than just a good scent. The natural properties of coffee bring several benefits:

Coffee grounds act as a gentle exfoliant that helps remove dead skin, smooth rough patches, and improve circulation when massaged onto the skin. Brewed coffee adds a beautiful brown color to your soap without synthetic dyes. Many people use coffee soap in the kitchen to remove onion, garlic, and seafood smells from their hands. Coffee also contains antioxidants that support healthy-looking skin.

With just a few basic ingredients and tools, you can create a bar that is both functional and luxurious.

Ingredients You Will Need

Base Oils

You can use any basic soap recipe, but here is a simple beginner-friendly formula:

  • 40% olive oil

  • 30% coconut oil

  • 20% soybean, rice bran, or sunflower oil

  • 10% castor oil

You can use your favorite oils — this recipe is just a balanced starter blend.

Coffee Add-Ins

  • Brewed, cooled coffee — used instead of water to mix with the lye

  • Coffee grounds (fresh or used/dried) — for exfoliation

  • Optional: Coffee essential oil, vanilla fragrance, or cocoa fragrance

Lye Solution

  • Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

  • Brewed coffee (cooled completely)

Equipment You Will Need

  • Digital scale

  • Heat-safe containers

  • Silicone spatula

  • Stick blender

  • Thermometer

  • Silicone or wooden soap mold

  • Safety gear (gloves, goggles, long sleeves)

Never use aluminum containers when working with lye.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Coffee Soap

1. Prepare the Coffee

Brew a strong cup of coffee and allow it to cool completely. Ice-cold coffee helps prevent the lye solution from overheating, which keeps the color rich and prevents burnt-smelling soap.

If you want an even darker bar, freeze the coffee into ice cubes and add lye to frozen cubes instead.

2. Make the Lye Solution

Slowly sprinkle sodium hydroxide into the cold coffee while stirring (never the other way around). The mixture will heat up and darken. Set it aside to cool to 90–110°F.

3. Melt and Mix Your Oils

Combine your oils in a separate container and warm them gently until everything is fully melted. Let the oils cool to the same temperature range as your lye solution (90–110°F).

4. Combine Oils and Lye

Pour the lye-coffee mixture into your oils, then blend using short bursts with your stick blender. Within a few minutes, the soap will reach a light trace — similar to thin pudding.

5. Add Coffee Grounds

Add 1–2 teaspoons of coffee grounds per pound of soap.

  • Used grounds give gentle exfoliation.

  • Fresh grounds give stronger scrub but can bleed color.

Stir thoroughly to distribute.

6. Add Fragrance (Optional)

Coffee blends beautifully with:

  • Vanilla

  • Chocolate

  • Cinnamon

  • Amber

  • Caramel

  • Hazelnut

Add according to the fragrance supplier’s safe usage rate.

7. Pour Into the Mold

Scrape the mixture into your mold and tap it gently to remove bubbles. You can swirl the top with a spatula for design.

Because coffee can speed up trace, work steadily but don’t rush.

8. Cure the Soap

Allow the soap to sit in the mold for 24–48 hours. Once firm, unmold and cut it.

Let the bars cure for 4–6 weeks in a cool, dry area with good airflow. This removes excess water and ensures a hard, long-lasting bar.

Tips for the Best Coffee Soap

  • Use fine coffee grounds to avoid scratching the skin.

  • Too many grounds can reduce lather — start small.

  • Coffee essential oil is light-scented, so many soapers blend it with stronger fragrances.

  • Using coffee instead of water may slightly reduce the lather — castor oil helps boost bubbles.

Final Thoughts

Making coffee soap is simple, creative, and extremely satisfying. Whether you want an energizing shower bar or a kitchen deodorizing soap, this project delivers great results with minimal effort. Once you make your first batch, you can experiment with different oil blends, swirl designs, or fragrance combinations.