Douceur is Atelier Populaire’s original cold-process soap recipe made with coconut, castor and apricot kernel oils. It contains no added essential oil. The apricot kernel oil is divided between the main oil mixture and an addition at the end, described in the original as the superfatting oil.
The quantities below total 200 g before curing, approximately two small bars. Water is lost during curing, so this is not a promise of 200 g of finished soap. Keeping essential oils out of a formula does not make a homemade soap hypoallergenic or establish suitability for babies, pregnancy or eczema-prone skin.
Prepare safely before you begin
This is an adult soapmaking activity involving corrosive sodium hydroxide. Wear chemical-resistant gloves, splash goggles, an apron, long sleeves and closed shoes throughout preparation and unmoulding. Work in a ventilated space, away from children, pets, food and distractions. Use containers compatible with sodium hydroxide; do not use aluminium. Keep clean running water immediately accessible.
Use only the ready-made 30% sodium hydroxide solution specified below. The listed mass is the mass of the solution, not of solid caustic soda. Do not substitute drain cleaner, another concentration, baking soda or soda crystals. Do not add water. Read the supplier’s label and safety data sheet first. The INRS handling precautions (in French) explain the chemical hazards.
If lye touches skin or eyes: start rinsing immediately with plenty of running water for at least 15 minutes and seek urgent medical help. Remove contaminated clothing; remove contact lenses only if easily done. If swallowed, rinse the mouth, do not induce vomiting and call a poison centre or emergency medical service immediately. Keep the container or label available. Do not try to neutralise lye on the body with vinegar or another acid.
Equipment
- A reliable scale able to measure the listed quantities accurately
- A lye-compatible mixing bowl and a separate measuring container
- A small dish for the oil added at the end
- An immersion blender, not a jug blender
- A flexible spatula
- Small individual silicone moulds reserved for soapmaking
- A water bath for melting the coconut oil, and the protective equipment listed above
Clean the equipment before starting. Reserve soapmaking equipment for that purpose and prepare the moulds before mixing.
Ingredients for the original 200 g batch
| Stage | Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lye solution | Ready-made sodium hydroxide solution at 30% | 66.4 g |
| Main oils | Organic coconut oil | 75.6 g |
| Main oils | Organic virgin castor oil | 12.6 g |
| Main oils | Organic virgin apricot kernel oil | 37.8 g |
| Final oil addition | Organic virgin apricot kernel oil | 7.6 g |
Keep these ingredients, proportions and lye concentration unchanged. Do not replace an oil gram for gram: different oils require different amounts of sodium hydroxide. The original mentions scaling all quantities proportionally, but increasing the batch also changes handling and heat management; this page describes only the stated small batch.
Weigh each stage separately
- Weigh the coconut oil, castor oil and 37.8 g of apricot kernel oil for the main oil mixture.
- Melt the coconut oil in a water bath at around 60°C, as specified in the original recipe, then combine it with the other main oils. This is a melting temperature, not a requirement to heat the lye.
- Carefully weigh the ready-made 30% lye solution into its own container. Keep it separate from the oils for now.
- Weigh 7.6 g of apricot kernel oil into the small dish for the final addition.
Mix and pour
- Blend the main oils until uniform.
- Switch the blender off before pouring. Slowly and carefully add the measured lye solution to the oils, keeping the container close to the mixture to limit splashes.
- With the blender head submerged, blend carefully until the mixture becomes uniform and thickens. Stop the motor before lifting the blender.
- Stop blending and add the reserved apricot kernel oil. Blend to incorporate.
- Pour into the prepared moulds promptly, as the mixture thickens quickly. Keep your gloves and eye protection on: fresh soap batter is still caustic.
Unmould and cure
Cover the moulds with cling film and leave them undisturbed in a safe place. The original recipe gives 24 hours before unmoulding; if the soap is still too soft to handle, leave it longer. Unmould with gloves. Then let the bars cure for one month in a dry place away from light, children and pets.
Curing is part of the process, not a way to correct a weighing error or an incorrectly formulated batch. If the ingredients, concentration or amounts were wrong, or the batch has separated, do not use it on the skin. Obtain advice from an experienced soapmaker. A homemade bar has not undergone the safety assessment of a marketed cosmetic.
After making your soap
The intended use is washing the hands, body and face. Avoid eye contact and discontinue use if irritation occurs. To care for a finished bar, see storing and travelling with solid soap.
Compare the distinct Détox lemon and avocado recipe, or read how sodium hydroxide is used in soapmaking. If you choose the DIY soapmaking kit, follow the instructions and quantities supplied with that kit; do not combine its contents with this separate recipe.