Laurel soap, which is highly beneficial for the skin and beloved for its fragrance, is a natural soap specific to our country's region. Soapwort is an important ingredient used in making halva and its juice has a beautifying effect on the skin. Here, we share with you the recipe for making natural laurel soap at home by combining these two natural ingredients in the same soap, along with all the ingredients and steps.

Ingredients for Soapwort-Infused Laurel Soap Recipe:

- 1 root of soapwort
- 800 grams of olive oil
- 100 grams of coconut oil
- 100 grams of palm oil
- 140 grams of caustic soda (NAOH)
- 300 grams of water

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

If you're making soap at home for the first time, the most dangerous stage of soap making is when water and caustic soda mix. It can cause excessive heat and release toxic fumes. It's recommended to perform this step in an open area, using gloves, a mask, and goggles. After the water and caustic soda have mixed, there won't be any heating or gas issues in the following steps. Perform this stage in an open area (like a balcony) away from children. We strongly advise you to read our caustic safety guidelines.

If you're wondering why caustic soda is used in making natural soap, you can take a look at our article on why caustic soda is used. Our article on why we make soap at home will also broaden your understanding.

After our important warning, let's move on to the soap making process:

Laurel Soap Recipe Instructions:

- First, boil 1 root of soapwort in about 1 liter of water for approximately 45 minutes.

- After the soapwort water has cooled, set aside around 300 grams of it.

- Mix 300 grams of soapwort water with 140 grams of caustic soda, following the above precautions, and wait for this mixture to cool to room temperature after thorough mixing.

- Add approximately half a kilogram of fresh laurel leaves to the olive oil and blend them thoroughly. This way, the laurel leaf essence and its natural oil will blend with the olive oil. After thorough blending, strain the oil using a fine sieve. We won't be using the leaf fragments.

- Add coconut oil and palm oil to the laurel-infused olive oil and mix well.

- Once the oils are thoroughly mixed, gradually add the cooled caustic soda mixture while continuing to stir until it reaches room temperature.

- When all the ingredients are mixed, stir the laurel soap mixture continuously for about 45 minutes until it reaches a pudding-like consistency.

- When the mixture becomes heavier, pour it into a mold and cover it. Let it sit for at least 4 weeks for the saponification reaction to complete.

- The soap mixture poured into the mold will solidify after about 2 days. If you poured it as a whole, you can remove it from the mold after 2 days and cut it, then let it sit for about 1 month.

The saponification completion time ranges from 4 to 6 weeks. The laurel soap recipe we've provided is based on the cold process method, which means there's no heating involved. All the essential components of the soap remain intact with this soap-making method. In contrast, in soaps made by heating, the vitamins and essences of the oils are lost during the cooking process.

We add coconut oil to the laurel soap recipe because it is beneficial for both skin and hair, and it contributes to making a harder soap. Similarly, palm oil also helps in obtaining harder soaps. A sensitive scale is indispensable for making soap at home, as any variations in weight can lead to the soap not setting properly or the pH level becoming too high and potentially harmful to the skin.

Real natural soap doesn't lather excessively. This means homemade soaps won't foam up like commercially bought soaps in packages. The substance responsible for lathering in regular soap is saponin. This is another reason why we add soapwort extract, which naturally contains saponin, to the laurel soap.