Let’s make soap

The old-fashioned way

🖤 Charcoal & Clay

🤍This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission — just enough to keep the soap kettle warm — at no extra cost to you.

📓Journal -Entry #5- Charcoal & Clay

This morning the kettle hummed before the sun had quite decided to wake.

The air had that cool, quiet feel to it — the kind that sneaks in through the cracked soap shed window and smells like wet earth and woodsmoke. Good soap weather.

Not every bar needs to be sweet or floral. Some soaps are meant to work a little harder… like the old flannel shirts hanging by the door or Grandpa’s scrub brush by the pump sink.

That’s where Charcoal & Clay comes in.

This one’s a clean-up bar. A roll-your-sleeves-up bar. The kind you reach for after gardening, stacking wood, or tinkering out in the shed.

I always think of it as my “back porch soap.”

Nothing fancy. Just honest.

I melted down the tallow slow and steady, like always — low heat, wooden spoon, no rushing. The fats turned clear and golden, and once cooled, I stirred in the kaolin and oats first so they’d tuck themselves in nice and smooth.

Then came the good earthy part.

A spoonful of charcoal — black as chimney soot.

A scoop of clay — soft and silky like creek bed mud.

It always looks a little wild at first. Like storm clouds swirling in cream.

But that’s the beauty of it.

Soap doesn’t have to be pretty to be wonderful.

Sometimes it just needs to work.

Charcoal pulls the day right off your skin — dirt, oil, garden grime, all of it.

Clay gives slip and glide, leaves your hands soft instead of squeaky.

Together they make a bar that feels sturdy and dependable.

Like an old cast iron skillet.

You don’t fuss over it.

You just use it.

And it never lets you down.

By the time it hit trace, the batter looked like dark river stone.

I poured it thick into the mold and tapped it twice on the counter — same way my grandma used to settle her cake pans.

“Let it be,” she’d say.

“Soap knows what it’s doing.”

So I placed an old towel beneath it and let it rest.

Some things still deserve patience.

When I cut it the next day, each bar looked different — little gray swirls and marbling like smoke curling through the woods.

Not perfect.

Better than perfect.

Handmade.

This is the bar I keep by the sink after a long day.

The one that smells like fresh air and clean skin.

The one that reminds me that simple things are often the best things.

If the floral soaps are Sunday dresses…

Charcoal & Clay is blue jeans.

And every home needs a good pair of those.

Made slow. Made by hand. Made with heart. 🤍

-Soapmaking Hobby 🫧🤍

🧼 Recipe

🤍This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission — just enough to keep the soap kettle warm — at no extra cost to you.

Grandma’s Charcoal & Clay Tallow Bar

Cold Process • 50 oz oils • 5% superfat

Oils (50 oz total)

• 20 oz Tallow (40%)

• 12.5 oz Coconut Oil (25%)

• 12.5 oz Olive Oil (25%)

• 5 oz Castor Oil (10%)

Lye Solution

• 14 oz distilled water

• 7 oz sodium hydroxide (NaOH)

• 2 tsp sodium lactate (optional, for harder bars)

Additives (to melted oils)

• 1 tbsp kaolin clay

• 1 tbsp fine ground oats or colloidal oats

• 1–tbsp activated charcoal (for color + cleansing)

• 1 tbsp bentonite or French green clay (optional for extra slip)

Scent (optional – follow IFRA guidelines)

Choose one:

• Tea Tree + Eucalyptus (fresh & clean)

• Cedarwood + Fir Needle (woodsy cabin air)

• Lavender + Patchouli (earthy calm)

or a nice citrus blend

Method (Grandma’s Way)

1. Mix lye into water carefully and set aside to cool.

2. Melt oils slowly on low heat.

3. Stir clay + oats directly into cooled oils until smooth.

4. Add charcoal and blend well.

5. Combine lye solution with oils and stick blend to light trace.

6. Add scent if using.

7. Pour into mold and tap gently to release bubbles.

8. Rest 18–24 hours.

9. Unmold, slice, and cure 4–6 weeks.

🌿 Tips from the Soap Shed

• Charcoal can accelerate trace — blend lightly

• Pre-mix charcoal with a little oil to avoid specks and puffs 

• Clay adds slip → great for mechanic or gardener bars

• Leave unscented for sensitive skin

• These bars work beautifully as “kitchen” or “working hands” soap

• Let gel fully for richer gray/black tones

• Cut a little thicker — this bar feels nice and sturdy in the hand

Grandma always said:

“This soap works hard, make it thick enough to last.”

-Soapmaking Hobby 🫧🖤

FrequentlyAsked Questions

🖤— What does charcoal soap actually do for skin?

Charcoal acts like a little magnet for the day’s dirt. It helps lift oils, grime, and garden soil from hardworking hands without scrubbing too harshly. Think of it as a gentle deep clean rather than a squeaky strip.

🖤— Will this dry my skin out?

Not this one.

The tallow keeps things rich and conditioning, and the clay adds slip so your skin feels clean but still soft. It’s sturdy, not harsh — more “fresh air clean” than “dish soap tight.”

🖤— Is this good for oily or acne-prone skin?

Yes, many folks love charcoal and clay for balancing oily skin. It can help absorb excess oil and rinse away buildup. Just remember — everyone’s skin is different, so always patch test first.

🖤— Can I use this on my face?

You can, especially if you like a simple, unscented bar.

But I usually keep one bar by the sink for hands and another just for faces. Grandma always said, “Treat your face a little gentler than your elbows.”

🖤— Why add clay to soap?

Clay gives the bar a silky glide and a creamy lather. It also helps cleanse and adds that smooth “slip” that makes washing feel pleasant instead of draggy.

🖤— Does charcoal stain washcloths or tubs?

Not if used at normal amounts. Once it’s fully mixed into the soap, it rinses clean. If you go extra heavy on charcoal, you might see gray lather, but it won’t permanently stain.

🖤— Can I leave it unscented?

Absolutely — and it’s lovely that way.

Charcoal & Clay is one of those bars that shines plain and simple. Clean, earthy, honest.

🖤— How long should this bar cure?

About 4–6 weeks.

A good long cure makes a harder, longer-lasting bar with better lather. Worth the wait, every time.

🖤 — Who is this soap best for?

Gardeners

Mechanics

Cooks

Soapmakers

Kids that play and get dirty

Anyone who needs a good cleaning

It’s a “working hands” kind of soap.

🖤 — What makes tallow special here?

Tallow gives the bar its backbone — creamy lather, long life, and that old-fashioned skin feel folks used to swear by. It’s the reason this soap cleans deeply without feeling stripped.

🖤- Should I cover my batch- that depends on where you live. I live in a warm climate and I don’t usually need to cover mine. I do place a folded towel under my loaf and it seems to help prevent cracks.

🤍 Soapmaking Hobby 

🤎 From Grandma’s Soap Shed

Every soap in this collection uses the same dependable base formula so hobby soapmakers can learn how different ingredients affect lather, texture, cure time, and design.

Start with the foundation recipe, then explore the collection as you build confidence with scents, additives, and rustic soap styles.

There’s always room on the curing rack for one more batch.

✨Gardener’s Grit – A hardworking scrub bar for soil-stained hands and long days outdoors.

✨ Morning Brew – Rich coffee notes with a warm café-kitchen feel.

✨ Lemon & Orange Peel – Bright citrus sunshine with a cheerful farmhouse sparkle.

-Soapmaking Hobby🫧🖤