Bastille soap is classically defined as a bar that is 95% olive oil and 5% of another oil. It’s a nice recipe combination as it contains all the awesomeness of an olive oil bar with a touch of other properties that can enhance the bar. There are many oils that aren’t meant to be used in a high percentage in soap because they can change the physicality of the bar too much (making it too soft, or too hard so that it cracks, etc.), but are perfect in small amounts. I tend to create Bastille bars with castor oil, as it adds an emollient and more bubbly quality to the bar or with hemp oil for its highly nutritive and healing properties. Below are both recipes- the soap making steps for either is the same.
Bastille Soap with Castor Oil (2lb/32oz batch):
Lye: 4.11oz
water (distilled or purified is best): 9-11oz
Castor Oil: 1.60oz
Olive Oil: 30.40oz
Bastille Soap with Hemp Oil (2lb/32oz batch):
Lye: 4.12oz
water (distilled or purified is best): 9-11oz
Hemp Oil: 1.60oz
Olive Oil: 30.40oz
Once you’ve made the Castile Soap, this should be super easy. It’s essentially the same, just with an additional oil. For notes and instructions, see my Basic Supplies and Resources: https://truelovesoap.com/basic-supplies-and-resources/ and Basic Soap Making Instruction pages: https://truelovesoap.com/basic-soap-making-instructions
A Few Bastille Bar Variations/Ideas for this Recipe
Activated Charcoal & Tea Tree: Add 2-4 tsps of activated charcoal (make sure to get activated charcoal that is made from bamboo, NOT coconut shells, as it often is) into your water before adding the lye. Blend the lye water and oils to trace, then hand stir in 1.5oz of tea tree essential oil. Pour into mold. A great bar for oily/acne prone skin without stripping.
Antique Roses and Honey: 6 weeks in advance, infuse the olive oil for this recipe with rose petals and rose hips, by filling a large jar or jars approx. 1/3 with herbs and fill the jar with olive oil and cap jar tightly. Let sit for 6 weeks, shaking the jar weekly. When ready to make your soap, start by adding 2tbsp of rose clay to the water before adding the lye. Then blend your lye and oils to trace. Hand stir
Cold Season Immunity Bar: A great winter bar inspired by an immunity boosting blend of essential oils. Add 2-3 tsps of turmeric to the water before mixing in the lye. Once lye and oils are blended to a trace, hand stir in .25oz clove, .25oz cinnamon, .35oz lemon, .35oz eucalyptus, and .35oz rosemary essential oils. Pour into mold. I like to garnish this bar with a little gold mica swirled into the top.
Lavender Oatmeal Goat Milk Bar: Replace the water with goat milk. Another option is to use powdered goat milk at the recommended ratio to the amount of distilled or purified water. Mix in your lye- note that lye mixed with any milk will turn an orangey color at first and stink initially. That will go away after a little bit, but happens with the initial chemical reaction. While waiting for your lye solution to cool down, grind 2-4 tbsp of oatmeal to a powder. Blend the lye milk and oils to trace, then hand stir in the ground oatmeal, .25oz Patchouli and 1.25oz Lavender essential oils. Pour into mold. As with the Pure & Gentle, the Patchouli oil acts as an agent that keeps the lavender scent from fading too much. I only smell the Patchouli initially as I mix the batch, but once the bar is cured, it’s the lavender scent that is registered.
Toasted Flax & Honey: 6 weeks in advance, infuse the olive oil for this recipe with chamomile flowers by filling a large jar or jars approx. 1/3 with herbs and fill the jar with olive oil and cap jar tightly. Let sit for 6 weeks, shaking the jar weekly. When read to make the soap, blend the lye water & oils to trace, then stir in 3-6 tbsps ground flax seed (depending on how much of a loofah quality you want your bars to have ) and 2 tbsp of honey. Pour into mold.
Turmeric & St. John’s Wort: 6 weeks in advance, infuse the olive oil for this recipe with St. John’s Wort flowers by filling a large jar or jars approx. 1/3 with herbs and fill the jar with olive oil and cap jar tightly. Let sit for 6 weeks, shaking the jar weekly. When ready to make soap, add 2-4tsp of ground turmeric to the water before adding in the lye. Soap make as usual and pour into mold. This makes a great facial bar for most skin types.
Or: Think of this base recipe as a blank canvas and create the bar combination that is perfect for you!
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