Right around this time of year I find I’m really drawn to deep, spicy, complex scents. Something interesting and unique, with just a hint of the familiar. Something like cinnamon and patchouli.
From the cinnamon you get great warm, familiar notes of spice and autumn. From the patchouli there’s a great complexity, along with an almost dry spice smell that compliments the cinnamon beautifully. The resulting soap is perfect for Christmas gifts, guest bathrooms, and anybody who enjoys a bit of mystery with their morning shower.
Cinnamon & Patchouli Soap
35% olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada)
25% refined coconut oil (USA / Canada)
15% lard or beef tallow
15% unrefined shea butter (USA / Canada)
10% castor oil (USA / Canada)5 or 6% superfat
Per 500g (1.1lbs) oils:
- 30g cinnamon bark essential oil
- 10g dark patchouli essential oil
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp white kaolin clay (USA / Canada)
2020 update: Given the irritation potential for the cinnamon and cinnamon essential oil, I’d recommend using a cinnamon-y fragrance oil rather than the essential oil. Please refer to supplier documentation for maximum usage rates for the particular fragrance oil you’re using when used in soap/rinse-off products.
Follow standard soap making procedure. When you reach a fairly thick trace, add the essential oils and clay. Pour half the soap into the mold. Stir the ground cinnamon into the remaining half of the soap, and pour that into the mold on top of the first half.
Let saponify for 24 hours, slice, and let age at least 3 weeks.
Ohmigosh, I read Cinnamon and Patchouli SOUP. I was thinking ‘yuck!’ but SOAP, now that’s a whole different thing. I’ve been afraid to make soap (because of the whole lye calculator thing) but, I swear I’m going to try it soon, for Christmas gifts. You have so many wonderful scent combinations.
Ha! That does sound downright awful 😛 And yes, try the lye! I wrote an article on it designed to convince you to give it a go 😉 You’ll have tons of fun, I promise.
That combination sounds incredible! I have a question regarding the cinnamon oil though. (I am fairly new to soap making so I need tips!) The first time I made soap, I used cinnamon oil and my soap curdled something terribly and the oil separated a lot and never came back together as it cured. I ended up throwing it out. A more experienced soap making friend told me that cinnamon oil is a “hot” oil, and that precautions need to be taken to prevent that from happening, like keep temps cooler, and maybe not insulating it as it cures. Have you had this experience before with spice oils, and if so, do you have tricks for preventing it?
Hey Jill—how interesting! I have had a batch using spice oils curdle before, but it curdled when I added molasses (it was my gingerbread shampoo), not when I added the spice oils. That was only one batch out of at least a dozen that have used a significant amount of cinnamon EO. I generally work with everything at room temperature as it’s so darn easy—just leave everything to come to room temperature over the day, and mix up the soap in the afternoon. But I don’t always do that, and if I’m impatient I generally mix around 105°F. I always set my soaps in a relatively thick (~1.5cm walled) mould, and I wrap it in a folded sheet (though it is in my basement, the coldest part of the house… and being in Canada, it’s rarely that hot in general). So… I guess, work at room temperature, and don’t wrap your mould in a duvet? And don’t add any honey or molasses until you’re sure you’ve got the hang of it? Let me know how that works for you!
Looking back at this and remembering that the first batch I made with cinnamon bark essential oil–the one that curdled, and never recovered, was a goat’s milk soap. I think that was part of the problem, as goat’s milk makes soap get “hot”. I was told spice oils tend to do the same thing (though maybe only in milk soaps?) so maybe the combination is not a good one?
I think it could work if you keep it cool enough, as I can’t imagine goat’s milk is too much different than cow’s milk when it comes to soaping temps, and I’ve had plenty of luck with cinnamon + cow’s milk in soap, even without working at room temperature when combining the lye and fats. Perhaps try it using less cinnamon EO (blended with something else) and working at a cooler temp, and seeing if that works?
I wear these two scents together all the time, they are my absolute favorites along with cherry bark.
That is a soap I’d love to make laundry soap with, currently I add the essential oils to my sheets and towels.
Thanks for the post!
What a delicious smelling coincidence 🙂 What does cherry bark smell like?
Where do you get some of these ingredients. Like Superfat and Kaolin Clay? As you can tell, I am really new to this.
Hey Diane—Check the big grey box above the comments section, it’s got a list of all my suppliers in it. Superfat, however, is not an ingredient, so that’ll be hard to find 😛 Read my articles on basic soap making and making soap with lye to learn more about it 🙂
How you you make soap without using the lye? I have read about how to use a soap base but I can’t find anything on how to make it. I can’t use the lye like you describe but I would like to try making my own soap.
I don’t—you can’t make soap without lye. I wrote an entry on it. I’ve also got an entry on how to make soap from scratch. The idea with recipes like this is that you go to SoapCalc and enter in the percentages and the ingredients. You can choose whichever units you like, and whatever batch size 🙂
I have never tried making soap before but thought I’d give it a try. A few questions though: When you talk about %s for the oils, I am at a loss with just how much of each you are talking about….could you give some kind of measurement? Also, are you experiencing trouble with the soap making procedure page? I keep getting “page can not be displayed” when I click on the link.
Thanks very much….there are several recipes on your site I’m going to be trying as the cooler weather sets in 🙂
Hi Elizabeth! When I talk in percentages for the oils, I’m talking about percentage (by weight) of all the oils in a batch. Batches of soap are generally described by the total amount of carrier oils that go into it, be that 1 pound or 2 kilograms. Soap calculators generally start off by asking you what the total amount of oils will be, and then you enter in the percentage of each oil. From there, the calculator will spit out how many grams or ounces of each oil, and then how much lye and water you need to use as well. I always use Soap Calc to calculate my recipes. Try running a random recipe through it & it’ll make sense in no time 🙂
Also, I just double checked the soap making procedure page (and link), and they both worked fine for me. Give it another go? And have fun with your soaping 🙂 Feel free to get in touch if you have any other questions.
This sounds simply wonderful, however, I am new to the whole CP soap making & was wondering, is it possible not to have distilled water in this recipe? Curious minds want to know! 😉
I don’t list water in my recipes since the amount people like to use varies, but yes, there’s definitely water in the recipe, and the soap calculator will tell you how much 🙂
I think I just answered my own question! I’ve never used SoapCalc before…wish me luck!
Luck! 😀 Let me know how it goes 🙂
How’d you get the round pattern in your soap Hun? And btw your site is so warm and amazing I love it! I’ve learned so much! I’ve been researching soap making for almost a year or so now (horrible I know) but your posts have made things soooo much clearer!!! I’m currently creating my first recipe!! Any tips on herb mixing? Or and books on herb info and properties? (Happy new year! Lol) thanks!!
By mistake? Ha! Truly, though, all I did was take the soup to a medium thick trace, and then pour one colour over top of the other. The weight of the poured layer pushed out a roughly round pattern as I went 😛
Thanks so much for reading, and good luck with your DIY soaping! As for researching herbs & what not, I always just Google it and go from there 😛
Hi Marie! Thanks so much for your awesome posts, I have tried making Cinnamon soap before but I guess the amount of EO was not enough since the bars do not smell cinnamony at all 🙁 any tips on calculating EOs per grams of oils?…
I also read that adding ground cinnamon to the mix might make the skin itchy. Have you had any problem with this? I’ll definitely give your recipe a try! Oh! one more question, what ingredient would you suggest I could use to replace the shea butter? Its waaay too expensive where I live. Thanks so much!
Hi Debbie! So, the rule of thumb with EOs in soap is 30g EOs per 500g oils/ 1oz EOs per 1lb oils (make sure you’re doing everything in weight, drops are not a unit of measurement here!). That generally yields great results. You can use less with some EOs, like super strong peppermint. Other EOs simply don’t survive in soap, like fir balsam and spruce 🙁
I know my boyfriend can find the cinnamon to be irritating (it increases circulation, and too much of an increase can be unpleasant). I don’t find it irritating on the body, but I tend to avoid washing my face with soap that contains ground cinnamon. If you’re unsure, try using half the amount, and see what you think.
Avocado oil is a good swap for shea butter—just do 10% avocado oil & 20% lard to make up for the loss of hardness from the shea butter.
Have fun!
Thanks so much for the great tips! Can’t wait for to give my cinnamon soaps another try! 🙂
You should also give a cinnamon and milk soap a try, they turn the most wonderful red colour!
what could you use to replace the lavender? I’m allergic to it
Whatever you like, really—make a soap that smells nice to you 🙂
Just wondering if this might work with goat’s milk? What are your thoughts?
I don’t see why not, though in my experience cinnamon EO + milk turns the soap red, so watch for that 🙂
I just whipped up a batch of this and can’t wait to cut it tomorrow! Smells so good that I hope it doesn’t lose it’s intensity!
OOoh, fantastic! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
So far it’s really smelling yummy! Very hard not to grab one and use it, but I’m determined to let it fully set for the three weeks first. What are the changes in how it works soft cut vs fully set? Thank you so much for your insights and recipes, you are made of Awesome!
I can definitely relate to the urge to use new bars straight away! The main difference is the life of the bar once it gets wet. The younger the bar, the faster it will vanish/turn into goo in the soap dish. You could use a bar after two or three days, but you’d find it turned to glop and vanished down the drain pretty fast 🙁 Thanks for DIYing with me!
Hello Marie, I am still enjoying your website – daily 🙂 . I might be on your website more than you LOL. You make the most beautiful soaps. I am wondering, do you cover your Cinnamon Patchouli after you make it? Does the cinnamon make it hot (like honey)? The reason I am asking is I made a Cinnamon Honey Oatmeal Soap this morning and I covered it. (44 oz oil-69 oz soap). It has 1 teas cinnamon powder and 1/2 teas honey in it. An hour later, (in my excitement to show my husband when he got home), I lifted the towel and there was a big crack. I took off the town patted it down and covered it with more oatmeal and all is well. Crack is gone. It certainly has gelled. Have a fun day.
Thanks Darlene in Nova Scotia
Hi Darlene! I’m so thrilled you’re loving my site 🙂 I did cover my Cinnamon Patchouli when I made it, and haven’t found that cinnamon makes it hot in the same way that honey does. I don’t heavily insulate, ever, though—I usually just wrap the mould in a sheet and leave it in my cool basement. Cinnamon is considered a hot essential oil, but I’ve never found it to curdle a batch the way honey often does. I’m glad your batch turned out well, though! WOO 🙂 Enjoy!
Hello. You’re site is so addictive. I should be asleep, but here I am reading through many of your wonderful suggestions. I plan on making this soap, but have a questions about cinnamon oil and cinnamon bark oil. First, what is the difference in smell between these two? And second, I’m wondering if either might be irritating to the skin, or if in small amounts in soap, it doesn’t matter? A lot of people have very sensitive skin these days!
Thank you so much for sharing all this creativity and experience with us!
Hi Chris! Thanks so much for reading 🙂 I’ve never tried cinnamon leaf essential oil, but cinnamon bark EO smells like the spice you’re likely familiar with from the kitchen. The key difference is the part of the cinnamon tree they are derived from.
I’ve found that soaps with quite a lot of cinnamon bark EO can be irritating to the face for those with sensitive skin, but I’ve found the bars to be fine over the body. You can get away with a lot more in soap as everything is washed away so quickly 🙂
Dear Marie,
again a soap I like very much… the most of you I like <3
I've got a question about the clay (kaolin) – I made the lot's of clay onetime and it's so nice white, fine and smooth… I didnt fragrance it… so I think about if it's ok for Babie's use?
Just because of the kaolin I'm not sure… Babie's skin is so easy to insult…
what do you think about? Or mabe you know it allready 🙂
I'm really courious, because it's a real smooth soap and since that I like to use Kaolin for soap anyway.. i have kaolin, but also "Rügener Heilkreide" – named healing chalk (like healing earth but the soil isnt earth – it's chalk – I hope that's understandable 😉 )
but still there are particles in soap wich may cause scratches!
I wonder what you think about!
thanks a lot – read you!
kind regards, hedi
Hey! I honestly would not use soap on baby skin regardless of the clay; the pH of soap is so much higher than that of human skin, and babies don’t have a fully developed acid mantle so they are much more prone to irritation than adults. I’ve written more on that here 🙂 Hope that helps!
I finally got to use my Cinnamon Patchouli soap. OMG – what a delight! – best soap ever!! Great lather, doesn’t leave the skin dry, leaves a nice scent on the skin, everything that’s important in a bath soap. Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe.
Wonderful! I’m so glad you are loving it 😀 I should really use patchouli in more things… 😀
Sheesh – your essential oils are 9% of your oil weight. Why such a huge amount?My max usage rate is 3.1% and that is ample for scent strength.
Cinnamon bark essential oil is a known dermal irritant and sensitiser (that means that over time with use you can develop a sensitivity).
I know soap is a wash off product but your use of cinnamon bark essential oil at 6% of oil weight is massively over safe limits and potentially harmful to someone giving this recipe a go.
A decade a go when I first started making my own products I had a bad reaction to cinnamon bark after following a bloggers recipe (I had even halved the amount because it just seemed excessive despite my lack of knowledge at the time and I am not a person with sensitive skin).
If anyone wants to know how to use essential oils safely for different applications Robert Tisserand has a book “essential oil safety”.
Also, here is a link to an article about cinnamon on his blog:
https://tisserandinstitute.org/new-survey-reveals-dangers-of-not-diluting-essential-oils/
Count yourself lucky if you have used this recipe and haven’t had a reaction.
Wow, yikes, yup—you’re 100% right. As you can see, this was published all the way back in 2013, and I’ve learned a lot since then! I have been going back and crossing out/modifying unsafe things, but there are a lot of posts up here and I clearly haven’t found all the things that need fixing. I just went on a fixing/crossing out/adjusting/modifying spree–thank you for the reminder/kick in the pants!
No worries Marie. I don’t like to write negative comments on a blog but after my personal experience with cinnamon I felt compelled.
Thanks for your response.
I 100% get it! I SO wish I had known better back when I got started—there is so much terrible information about essential oils out there that it’s easy to think you have researched the matter properly when you’ve really just absorbed a bunch of MLM marketing materials. I like to leave up my old stuff but then cross it out and add a note about why I don’t recommend doing that anymore with the hope that people learn that such things shouldn’t be done, even if they see it elsewhere. Happy making!