How to Make Charcoal and Tea Tree Tallow Soap (Cold Process Soap)
If you love the fresh scent of tea tree (melaleuca) and the satisfaction of homemade soap, you are going to have so much fun making this small-batch Charcoal and Tea Tree Tallow Soap Recipe.
Between gardening, cooking, and kiddos, I end most days with hands that look like I’ve been playing in the mud. That’s where this charcoal and tea tree tallow soap comes in—it’s the kind of bar that makes your skin feel squeaky clean but not stripped, thanks to the creamy, moisturizing power of rendered tallow.
Check out our How to Render Tallow Tutorial or our How to Make Tallow Soap Tutorial for the basics of soap making.
For other tallow soap recipes, try our 3-Sugar Tallow Soap, Coffee Scrub Soap, Rosemary Mint Tallow Soap, Eucalyptus Mint Soap, Pine Camo Tallow Soap, or Spice Honey Vanilla Soap.
You may also like our how-tos on making Tallow Laundry Soap, Tallow Shampoo Bars, or Tallow Balms.
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**We are not medical professionals, and nothing on this site should be taken as medical advice; it is provided for informational purposes only. ** Always check with your doctor first.
Why You’ll Love Tallow Charcoal Soap
- No-Fuss: Charcoal and tea tree tallow soap is cleansing and toxin-free. This easy recipe combines the skin-loving power of tallow with activated charcoal, aloe, and tea tree essential oil for a fresh, balanced bar you’ll reach for every day. No dyes, synthetic scents, or mystery chemicals. Just clean, honest soap.
- No-Waste: Tallow, something many people throw out when butchering, is a great addition to homemade soaps. Some of the benefits of animal fats include increased hydration, gentleness, and barrier strengthening, so it’s perfect for homemade skincare.
- Sensitive: Tallow soap can also be beneficial for dry, flaky, or sensitive skin, as it is less harsh than some store-bought bars. It’s deep cleansing without drying. The charcoal detoxifies while the tallow nourishes, leaving your skin clean but still soft. Just be sure to patch test before going full lather.
- Hard-working: The activated charcoal helps draw out dirt and oil, while tea tree oil keeps things fresh and balanced.
**SAFETY FIRST when working with lye: wear gloves, safety goggles, and work in a well-ventilated area when handling sodium hydroxide (lye). Have vinegar nearby in case of spills.
Charcoal and Tea Tree Tallow Soap (Cold Process)
Supplies:
- Small Crockpot
- Stainless Steel Bowls
- Silicone Spatula
- Kitchen Scale
- Soap Molds and Cutter
- Cookie Sheet
- Immersion Blender (stick blender)
- Infrared Thermometer
- Plastic Wrap
- Protective Glasses and Gloves
Ingredients
- 24 oz Tallow (rendered)
- 8 oz Coconut Oil
- 8 oz Olive Oil
- 5.67 oz Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)
- 12 oz Water
- .20 oz Charcoal Powder
- .13 oz Aloe Powder
- 1 oz Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Helichrysum Flowers
Notes:
- This recipe makes approximately 10-12 bars depending on cut size
- Always run a soap recipe (even mine) through a lye calculator — I use SoapCalc.net.
- Wear eye and hand protection, you do not want to be splashed with lye or unsaponified soap or inhale fumes. Long sleeves, pants, and shoes are great too.
- Do not have children nearby while making soap.
- Make sure you melt fat on low heat, you do not want to scorch it by using higher temperatures.
- Do not use any melt-and-pour soaps (pre-bought soap ingredients often in craft stores) in this process.
- ALWAYS pour lye into water. NEVER pour water into the lye. A hard pocket of undissolved crystals can occur, and you could end up with undissolved lye in your soap, or lye could explode out of your bowl. Be safe!
- Trace is when the soap mixture has emulsified to the stage of looking like pudding. Let some of the soap drop off the blender or a spatula, and you should be able to see it kind of sitting on top of the rest of the mixture.
- Cure soap in a dark, dry area
- I usually fill one soap loaf mold and then have a little extra I put into a small silicone mold.
- Soap making is basically kitchen chemistry. Use a digital scale, and always measure in grams or ounces—never cups. Precision makes the difference between a dreamy bar and a greasy brick.
Charcoal and Tea Tree Tallow Soap Tutorial
Prepping Soap
Infuse Tallow: Optional, but I like to weigh and infuse my tallow with helichrysum flowers in a small crockpot on the warm setting for 24-48 hours before I make my soap. You can also include your favorite homegrown herbs.
Melt Fats and Oils Together: When I begin getting ready to make soap, I will measure and add my olive oil and coconut oil to the crockpot to come to the same temperature as the tallow. This is usually somewhere between 130-165 degrees.
Prepare Your Work Area and Supplies: Wear gloves and goggles, and work in a well-ventilated area.
Making Charcoal and Tea Tree Soap
Make the Lye Solution: Put on protective gear before starting this step and make sure you are in a well-ventilated area or outside. Weigh water in a heat-resistant bowl and lye crystals in another bowl. Slowly add sodium hydroxide (lye) to the water (never the other way around!). Stir until fully dissolved and allow the lye solution to cool to around 100 degrees. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
Cool Oils: Strain oils using a mesh strainer and a cheesecloth into a soap-safe bowl and let the oils cool to around 100 degrees. This will take around 15-20 minutes.
Combine Lye Solution & Oils: Slowly pour the lye solution into the oils. Using an immersion blender, keep it submerged, and pulse for about 15 seconds. Then use spatula to stir the mixture, switching between pulsing and stirring until you’ve reached a light trace (a pudding-like consistency).
Add Powders and Scent to Soap Batter: Add in the charcoal powder, aloe powder, and tea tree essential oil. Give a few pulses and stir to incorporate well.
Pour Soap Batter: Go slowly when pouring soap so it doesn’t splatter. Fill mold(s) and gently tap out any air bubbles. Top with dried helichrysum flowers if desired.
Insulate, Cut, & Cure: Put soap molds on a cookie sheet for easier transporting. Lightly cover the soap with plastic wrap (to help prevent soda ash). Allow it to fully saponify for 24-48 hours before unmolding. Cut into bars of desired size and cure for 4-6 weeks for best hardness and lather.
Soap Variations to Try
- Peppermint & Charcoal: Switch tea tree for peppermint essential oil for a cooling, wake-me-up shower bar.
- Rosemary & Charcoal: Infuse tallow with dried rosemary and use rosemary essential oil for a fresh, herbal scent.
- Clay Boost: Mix in a teaspoon of bentonite clay for an extra detoxifying bar that’s great for oily skin.
- Unscented Option: Skip the essential oils for a simple, fragrance-free bar.
- Bonus: Use your homegrown luffa, sliced and then soap poured over the top for a really scrubby soap
Common Cold Process Soap Problems
- Soda ash? It’s harmless. Soda ash is a white, ashy film that can sometimes show up on soap when you go to cut it. It happens when unsaponified lye reacts with carbon dioxide in the air. The quality of soap is not diminished, and the soap is safe to use. Spray with rubbing alcohol or embrace the rustic look.
- Soap separating? Blend a bit longer next time until you get that pudding texture.
- Seizing? Soap batter hardening up too fast? Your oils might be too hot or your scent too strong.
- Bars getting mushy? Make sure you let the bars cure for 4-6 weeks to harden and make them last longer. Be sure they dry in between uses and don’t sit in a wet puddle.
This soap has become one of my everyday favorites. And unlike most store-bought “charcoal soaps,” this one doesn’t rely on detergents or synthetic fragrance—just old-fashioned, wholesome ingredients that work with your skin instead of against it.
Whether you’re a seasoned soap maker or just dipping your toes into homemade tallow skincare, this charcoal and tea tree tallow soap recipe is simple and rewarding.
You’ve read about making tallow skincare on the blog, and now you can bring it home! Sometimes life gets busy, and you just don’t have the time to make it yourself. Visit our shop, Rose Hill Harvest, to buy our handcrafted soaps and balms.
How to Make Charcoal and Tea Tree Tallow Soap (Cold Process Soap)
Learn how to make DIY cold-process charcoal and tea tree tallow soap. You'll have a bar that is cleansing, moisturizing, and toxin-free.
Materials
- 24 oz Tallow (rendered)
- 8 oz Coconut Oil
- 8 oz Olive Oil
- 5.67 oz Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)
- 12 oz Water
- .20 oz Charcoal Powder
- .13 oz Aloe Powder
- 1 oz Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Helichrysum Flowers
Tools
- Small Crockpot
- Stainless Steel Bowls
- Silicone Spatula
- Kitchen Scale
- Soap Molds and Cutter
- Cookie Sheet
- Immersion Blender (stick blender)
- Infrared Thermometer
- Plastic Wrap
- Protective Glasses and Gloves
Instructions
- Infuse Tallow: Optional, but I like to weigh and infuse my tallow with helichrysum flowers in a small crockpot on the warm setting for 24-48 hours before I make my soap. You can also include your favorite homegrown herbs.
- Melt Fats and Oils Together: When I begin getting ready to make soap, I will measure and add my olive oil and coconut oil to the crockpot to come to the same temperature as the tallow. This is usually somewhere between 130-165 degrees.
- Prepare Your Work Area and Supplies: Wear gloves and goggles, and work in a well-ventilated area.
- Make the Lye Solution: Put on protective gear before starting this step and make sure you are in a well-ventilated area or outside. Weigh water in a heat-resistant bowl and lye crystals in another bowl. Slowly add sodium hydroxide (lye) to the water (never the other way around!). Stir until fully dissolved and allow the lye solution to cool to around 100 degrees. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
- Cool Oils: Strain oils using a mesh strainer and a cheesecloth into a soap-safe bowl and let the oils cool to around 100 degrees. This will take around 15-20 minutes.
- Combine Lye Solution & Oils: Slowly pour the lye solution into the oils. Using an immersion blender, keep it submerged, and pulse for about 15 seconds. Then use spatula to stir the mixture, switching between pulsing and stirring until you've reached a light trace (a pudding-like consistency).
- Add Powders and Scent to Soap Batter: Add in the charcoal powder, aloe powder, and tea tree essential oil. Give a few pulses and stir to incorporate well.
- Pour Soap Batter: Go slowly when pouring soap so it doesn't splatter. Fill mold(s) and gently tap out any air bubbles. Top with dried helichrysum flowers if desired.
- Insulate, Cut, & Cure: Put soap molds on a cookie sheet for easier transporting. Lightly cover the soap with plastic wrap (to help prevent soda ash). Allow it to fully saponify for 24-48 hours before unmolding. Cut into bars of desired size and cure for 4-6 weeks for best hardness and lather.
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 10-12 bars depending on cut size
- Always run a soap recipe through a lye calculator — I use SoapCalc.net.
- Wear eye and hand protection, you do not want to be splashed with lye or unsaponified soap or inhale fumes. Long sleeves, pants, and shoes are great too.
- Do not have children nearby while making soap.
- Make sure you melt fat on low heat, you do not want to scorch it by using higher temperatures.
- Do not use any melt-and-pour soaps (pre-bought soap ingredients often in craft stores) in this process.
- ALWAYS pour lye into water. NEVER pour water into the lye. A hard pocket of undissolved crystals can occur, and you could end up with undissolved lye in your soap, or lye could explode out of your bowl. Be safe!
- Trace is when the soap mixture has emulsified to the stage of looking like pudding. Let some of the soap drop off the blender or a spatula, and you should be able to see it kind of sitting on top of the rest of the mixture.
- Cure soap in a dark, dry area
- I usually fill one soap loaf mold and then have a little extra I put into a small silicone mold.
- Soap making is basically kitchen chemistry. Use a digital scale, and always measure in grams or ounces—never cups. Precision makes the difference between a dreamy bar and a greasy brick.
FAQS
You can substitute lard, but the texture and hardness might vary slightly and the SAP values may differ. Make sure you check with a lye calculator before swapping 1:1.
It’s gentle enough for most skin types, especially oily or acne-prone skin. Just patch test first if you’re sensitive to tea tree oil.
Yep! Just break them open and measure out the powder. It works the same.
The cure time allows excess water to evaporate—giving you a harder, longer-lasting bar of soap.
Absolutely! You can choose whichever oils you prefer, just make sure to use the correct percentages for specific kinds.
Around 1 year for best scent if stored in a dry spot —though I bet it’ll be gone long before that! Really though, soap lasts indefinitely.
Love this combo for soap! Thanks!
Can’t wait to try this!! Directions look very simple!!
This would be my favorite soap, I think. love the charcoal in it. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe!