If you love bright citrus scents and creamy, nourishing soap, this Lemon Tallow Soap is a wonderful addition to your handmade soap collection. Made with grass-fed tallow, olive oil, coconut oil, and a refreshing blend of citrus essential oils, this cold process soap creates a rich lather while offering a clean, uplifting fragrance.
The combination of grapefruit, orange, cherry blossom, and lemongrass essential oils gives this soap a scent reminiscent of a freshly baked lemon dessert. It’s cheerful, refreshing, and perfect for spring, summer, or anyone who loves citrus fragrances.
Tallow soap has become increasingly popular among soap makers because it creates hard, long-lasting bars with a creamy lather. Combined with olive oil and coconut oil, this recipe produces a balanced bar that is gentle, cleansing, and luxurious.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich, creamy lather
- Long-lasting soap bars
- Bright citrus fragrance
- Made with grass-fed tallow
- Beautiful handmade gift idea
- Great for everyday use
- Perfect for cold process soap makers
The citrus essential oil blend creates a fresh scent that makes every handwashing experience feel special.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Oils
- Grass-fed tallow
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
Lye Solution
- Sodium hydroxide (lye)
- Water
Essential Oils
- Grapefruit essential oil
- Orange essential oil
- Cherry Blossom fragrance oil
- Lemongrass essential oil
Equipment You’ll Need
- Digital temperature gun
- Immersion blender
- Soap mold
- Heat-safe containers
- Digital scale
- Silicone spatula
- Safety goggles
- Chemical-resistant gloves
- Towels
- Wax paper
Why Use Tallow in Soap?
Tallow has been used in soap making for generations because it helps create:
- Hard bars
- Creamy lather
- Long-lasting soap
- Stable bubbles
- Conditioning properties
When combined with olive oil and coconut oil, it creates a balanced bar that’s both cleansing and nourishing.
Important Soap Safety Tips
When making cold process soap:
- Always wear gloves and safety goggles.
- Work in a well-ventilated area.
- Always add lye to water, never water to lye.
- Keep children and pets away from your workspace.
- Use accurate measurements.
- Avoid distractions while working with lye.
Safety is the most important part of successful soap making.
Tips
- Weigh ingredients accurately.
- Use a digital scale for all measurements.
- Allow oils and lye solution to cool to similar temperatures.
- Blend only until light trace.
- Add fragrance oils at trace.
- Insulate molds during the first 24 hours.
- Allow bars to cure fully for 4 weeks.
Reducing Lye Fumes
To help reduce fumes, place your lye container in a bowl of ice while cooling.
How to Store and Cure Soap
During Cure
Allow soap bars to cure in a cool, dry location with good airflow.
Cure Time
Cure for at least 4 weeks before using.
Long-Term Storage
Store finished soap in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight.
Proper curing creates a harder, longer-lasting bar with improved lather.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does soap need to cure?
Curing allows excess water to evaporate and helps create a harder, longer-lasting bar.
Can I use fragrance oils instead of essential oils?
Yes, as long as the fragrance oils are approved for cold process soap making.
What is trace?
Trace is the stage when the soap batter thickens and leaves a visible trail on the surface when drizzled.
Why are my bars soft after unmolding?
This is normal. The bars continue to harden during the curing process.
How long will homemade soap last?
Properly cured soap bars can last many months when stored in a dry environment.
More Handmade Bath and Body Recipes You’ll Love
Final Thoughts
This Lemon Bar Tallow Soap combines the traditional benefits of tallow soap with a bright citrus fragrance that feels fresh and uplifting. The rich, creamy lather and long-lasting bars make it an excellent choice for everyday use, gift giving, craft fairs, or stocking your handmade soap collection.
If you’re looking for a beautiful cold process soap recipe with a cheerful scent and luxurious feel, this Lemon Bar Tallow Soap is one you’ll want to make again and again.
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Lemon Bar Tallow soap
Equipment
- 1 digital temperature gun
- 1 Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 24 oz. tallow grass fed
- 8 oz. Coconut oil unfiltered 76 degree
- 8 oz. olive oil
- 5.61 oz. lye
- 15.18 oz. water
- .654 oz. grapefruit essential oil
- .436 oz. Orange essential oil
- .436 oz. Cherry Blossom essential oil
- .218 oz. Lemongrass essential oil
Instructions
- Weigh the water in a heat-safe container.
- weigh the lye separately.
- In a well vented room or outdoors, wearing gloves and safety goggles, carefully and slowly pour the lye into the water. Stir gently.
- Once the lye water has turned from cloudy to clear, leave it to cool until the temperature is 96 degrees.
- Weigh tallow and coconut oil out and put into a pot to melt. Then add the olive oil. Check the temperature of the oils. You want it to be 96 degrees F. Let cool if necessary.
- Carefully pour the lye water into the oil mixture
- Use an immersion blender to mix the soap. After a few minutes, it will get creamy, and start to thicken. Mix until it has reached trace, the light pudding consistency.
- Add the essential oils and blend again to incorporate.
- Pour soap into molds, top with wax paper, and wrap molds in towels.
- After 24 hours, remove soap from the mold and slice it into bars. Let cure in an area with good airflow for 4 weeks.
