In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to use fresh apple cider in your soap! I’m replacing all the water in my recipe with a fresh and local cider.

Aside from pumpkin, apple cider comes second when I think of fall flavors. Cider contains sugar, which boosts a soaps lathering ability, giving you large fluffy bubbles.

(Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

How to Soap with Apple Cider

Here are some tips when it comes to soaping with apple cider.

  • Try to find a cider that is 100% apples. You don’t want a lot of additives and preservatives.
  • I added my lye to my cider when it was cold, but you can also freeze your cider to keep the temps down. Sugars heat up and your lye solution will get quite hot.
  • You can replace 100% of your water, or simply replace a portion of your water with cider. In the recipe below, I replaced 100% of my water and simply used cider. It is up to you!

Apple Cider Cold Process Soap Recipe

Basic Body Bar – More Moisture from Lovin Soap Studio Recipe eBook (Grab your copy for 50 cold process soap recipes + 64 essential oils blends!)

Base Oils

  • Coconut Oil (76 degree) – 270 grams (30%)
  • Shea Butter – 90 grams (10%)
  • Olive Oil – 342 grams (38%)
  • Avocado Oil – 72 grams (8%)
  • Rice Bran Oil – 126 grams (14%)

Lye Solution

  • Sodium Hydroxide – 126 grams (5% superfat)
  • Apple Cider – 252 grams (1:2, lye:water ratio)

Scent

Use your favorite slow-moving fragrance or essential oil blend. I simply used a blend of orange and peppermint essential oils. If you’re looking for a good place to get essential oils, I HIGHLY recommend Appalachian Valley Natural Products. I love their products and their shipping is super fast!

  • Orange Essential Oil – 20 grams
  • Peppermint Essential Oil – 5 grams

Color

Let’s make soap! If you are new to soapmaking, be sure to download our free guide, How to Make Cold Process Soap! Gear up in your gloves and your safety glasses.

Step 1: Create a lye solution. Weigh the apple cider and lye into two separate containers. Slowly pour the sodium hydroxide into the apple cider while stirring. Stir until completely dissolved and set aside to cool. Your solution will start off cloudy and will clear up as it cools. Your lye solution might turn bright orange because of the apple cider! This is okay!

Step 2: Prepare the base oils. First, weigh any solid oils and butters into a container and melt. You can melt using the microwave or low heat on a burner. Next, weigh each liquid oil into the melted oils. The liquid oils will cool down the melted oils and leave you with a base oil mixture that is about at the correct temperature to make soap. It might still need to cool down a bit. 

Step 3: Weigh your essential oil or fragrance oil into a glass or stainless steel container and add to your base oil.

Step 4: Prepare your mold. If you need to line your mold, line it.

Step 5: Check the temperatures. You should now have a container containing liquid base oils and a container containing lye solution. Take the temperatures using an infra-red temperature gun. Be sure to stir each mixture before taking the temp. You want your temperatures to be between 80-110° F.

Step 6: Once you have reached desired temperatures, pour the lye solution into the oil mixture and mix to emulsion.

Step 7: Divide the soap into containers to color.

Step 8: Add colorants to each cup and mix well using a mini-mixer. I used Really Red Pigment from Nurture. I added white mica to one cup. Red + white to another cup. And red to the last cup.

Step 9: Pour the base into your mold.

Step 10: Pour each color into your base as you move the cup up and down your mold. Hold your pouring cup up high to make the soap dive down into your base. Hold your pouring cup down low so that the soap will land closer to the top of your base.

Step 11: Swirl the top of your soap if you want!

Step 12: Allow your soap to sit for about 30 minutes and the spray with alcohol to combat ash. Spray again in an hour.

Step 13: Let your soap harden and saponify for at least 24 hours.

Step 14: Unmold and cut into slices!

Step 15: Cure your soap for 4-6 weeks.

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If you want more amazing recipe, be sure to check out Lovin Soap Studio Recipe eBook!