Natural handmade tallow soap recipe: black magic

by Liz Beavis

Since I started making my own soap, I've been enjoying trying new recipes, especially adapting them to use beef tallow.  See my post about Pure tallow soap for most about why I want to use up the tallow rendered from our own beef.



When I read about how this lady found that activated charcoal soap helped with adult acne, I really wanted to make some and give it a try.  I have had acne on and off since high school, and it really bugs me.  I found a a recipe for ctivated charcoal soap here, and then adapted it to suit tallow, with 25% coconut oil for suds.  It makes a really nice face wash, although I can't say its cured my acne completely.

I ordered activated charcoal powder here (if you are going to make a few recipes with it, then buy the powder not the capsules, I couldn't be bothered opening them all to get enough out for soap!).  You don't need much at a time, so a 150g jar should last for a while.  (Here's a similar product on Amazon - affiliate link).



Around the same time I saw the soap recipe I also saw this recipe for a charcoal drawing salve, which is supposed to be useful for skin conditions that need "drawing" like acne, boils and skin infections. I made my basic herbal salve, and added activated charcoal, bentonite clay, lavender and frankincense essential oils. It smells lovely. It does look grey on my skin, so its best to use at night (although it does also smudge on my pillow case).

 

Activated Charcoal Soap
500g tallow
250g coconut oil
250g olive oil
142g caustic
300-330mL water
2 Tbsp activated charcoal
2 Tbsp bentonite clay
Eucalyptus essential oil

Activated Charcoal Salve
100mL olive oil (can be infused with skin healing herbs such as calendula)
10g beeswax 
2 tsp activated charcoal
2 tsp bentonite clay
30 drops essential oil (e.g. 15 drops lavender, 15 drops frankincense)
2 drops vitamin E
See instructions here to make salve.  Add the charcoal and clay powder after melting the beeswax in the oil, otherwise its hard to see if the beeswax is dissolved as the salve turns black!



What do you think?  Are you keen to try activated charcoal soap and salve?




You can find out more about tallow soap in my eBook Make your own natural soap

Other posts about soap:

How to avoid soaping mistakes
How to rebatch soap in a slow cooker
How to use water discount in soapmaking
Natural handmade soap with tallow
Natural handmade tallow soap recipe: big beer 
Natural handmade tallow soap recipe: black magic
Natural handmade tallow soap recipe: coffee grounds
Natural handmade tallow soap recipe: goat's milk and honey
Natural handmade tallow soap recipe: neem oil soap and salve
Natural handmade tallow soap recipe: pure tallow
Natural handmade tallow soap recipe: salt spa
Natural handmade tallow soap recipe: shaving bar
Natural handmade tallow soap recipes: bath soap and cleaning soap
Natural handmade tallow soap recipes: pink clay and greeen herb
Rendering beef tallow in a slow cooker
Soapmaking resources and books
Why use natural soaps and salves

 


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