Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: 1 hr
Yields: 1200 g soap or 10 bars
UPDATE 13/8/2020: this post has been updated after careful research on the use of essential oils on dogs. Many essential oils are considered to be NOT SAFE and even TOXIC to dogs, but also just as important, dogs have a very acute sense of smell, and for these reasons I have decided not to use essential oils in this formulation. Thank you to every one who has made me aware of this!
With the weather warming up (finally!) and summer approaching here in New Zealand, we also find ourselves battling some unwanted visitors in our dogs’ furs. Fleas love warm and humid weather, and it’s practically impossible to avoid them. It is a battle I fight every spring, even if our dog (see picture below) seems to be less disturbed by them than my thought of him having fleas.
I have been asked several times for a specially formulated dog soap, and knowing how expensive some of the dog shampoos and soaps can be, and that not all of the are good for our canine friends, I set about to find out more about dogs’ skins and coats, and what is good and not good for them. So after some research, formulating and tweaking, I have come up with a soap recipe that will not only keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy and shiny, but will also keep those fleas at bay!
If you have never made cold-process soap before, I strongly suggest you check out the basic cold process soap tutorial first.
Before starting, please read the safety and precautions post, especially since this tutorial requires the handling of caustic soda!
ONE: To prepare the lye, first measure out the water in a heat proof Pyrex jug. Then, in a separate container (I use a little plastic cup for this), weigh out the caustic soda. Make sure you are wearing protective goggles and gloves. Carefully, add the caustic soda to the water (NEVER THE OTHER WAY ROUND!), and avoiding any splashes, stir until the lye water is clear. Add two teaspoons of sodium lactate, which will help harden the soap and set aside to cool.
TWO: In a separate large Pyrex jug or pot, weigh out the coconut oil and shea butter. Either heat in the microwave (if using a Pyrex jug) or on the stove (if using a pot), until the oil and butter has completely melted.
I’ve added shea butter to the recipe because it helps to condition and maintain a balanced skin. I find it also helps with dogs who have sensitive skins and those who have been over-treated with harsh shampoos. Dogs have a more alkaline skin than humans, which is why their skins can be quite sensitive and reactive, and why it is particularly important to use the right products on their furs.
THREE: Weigh out the olive oil, sunflower oil and castor oil to the now-liquid coconut oil and shea butter, and give it a quick stir.
FOUR: Make sure you are still wearing your goggles and gloves. When the lye has cooled down to room temperature, carefully add it to the oils and then using a stick blender, pulse and stir until the oil/lye mixture has emulsified (does not separate).
FIVE: Add two tablespoons of neem oil to the soap. Neem oil is a well-known insect repellent, which is why you find it in many dog shampoos and soaps. What might be lesser well-known is that neem oil is also wonderful for the skin because of its anti-flammatory properties. Again, particular beneficial for dogs with sensitive skins. In addition, both neem oil and castor oil help promote a shiny coat.
SIX: Keep stick blending the soap mixture until it has thickened to a medium trace. Then pour it in your soap mold and leave it to harden in the mold for several days.
SEVEN: After 2 or 3 days, check if the soap has hardened and isn’t sticky and soft anymore. Carefully unmold, and leave to dry out for another couple of days before cutting it into bars. The bars of soap will need a further 8 weeks to cure before they are ready for use.
Please note that neem oil has a very strong scent, but this WILL mellow out a bit once the soap cures. You can also replace the neem oil with karanja oil, which has similar properties to neem oil and a milder scent.
Natural dog soap
Ingredients
- 500 g olive oil
- 250 g coconut oil
- 100 g sunflower oil
- 100 g shea butter
- 50 g castor oil
- 138 g caustic soda
- 270 ml water
- 2 teaspoons sodium lactate
- 2 tablespoons neem oil
Directions
- Measure out 270 ml of water into a heat proof Pyrex jug. Weigh out the caustic soda and carefully add it to the water, avoiding any splashes. Gently stir until all the caustic soda has dissolved and the lye water is clear.
- Add 2 teaspoon of sodium lactate to the lye water. Set the lye aside to cool down.
- In a large heat proof Pyrex jug or pot, weigh out the coconut oil and shea butter. Heat in microwave (if Pyrex jug) or stove (if pot) until all the oil and butter has melted.
- Add the olive oil, sunflower oil and castor oil to the now-liquid coconut oil and shea butter, and give it all a quick stir.
- If the lye has cooled down to room temperature, and making sure you are still wearing protective goggles and gloves, carefully add the lye to the oils.
- Using a stick blender, pulse and stir until the oil/lye mixture has emulsified.
- Add the neem oil.
- Keep stick blending until the soap mixture has thickened to a medium trace.
- Pour the soap into the mold and leave to harden for several days.
- After 2-3 days, check if the soap is firm enough to unmold. Remove from mold and leave to dry for another couple of days, before cutting into bars. The bars will need further curing for about 8 weeks until ready for use.
I want to make your dog soap but in putting your measurements in soap calc .net, I’m not coming up with the right water to lye ratios and we don’t have milliliter measurements only oz or grams in the USA And my soap is coming out to around 1535 grams.
Here’s the recipe in ounces: 18 ounces olive oil, 8 ounces coconut oil, 4 ounces sunflower oil, 4 ounces shea butter, 2 ounces castor oil with 5% superfat. Use 2:1 water to lye ratio. For the lye solution: 4.93 ounces NaOH, 10 ounces water and 2 teaspoons sodium lactate. Essential oils: 2 teaspoons lavender essential oil and 2 teaspoons lemon eucalyptus essential oil. Add at trace: 2 tablespoon neem oil. I simplified the recipe it, so it’s easier to use. Good luck!
any good tips for melt and pour soaps for dogs please. Thinking of using ACV in a conditioner or rinse bar??? any suggestions please
Check out this tutorial for a melt and pour soap for dogs. Don’t use conditioner or rinses on dogs, as they have a different skin pH than humans, and their coat is best kept healthy naturally without anything. Also, only wash their coat when it’s really dirty. 🙂
Hello!
What oils can I replace neem with?
Thank you!
Hi there! You can also use karanja oil, which has similar properties. Alternatively, you can leave it out, but the soap will then not have the same qualities.
My dog soap with the karanja oil turned out fab ,used on my dog last night with no irritation like she has with shop ones 😊
Thank you so much for letting me know! I’m glad you found a soap you can use on your dog. ❤️
Thank you!!! 🙂
Hi there, can you use melt and pour soup instead of dealing with Lye
Check out this dog soap, which is made with a melt and pour soap base: https://inmysoappot.co.nz/2017/11/04/dog-soap-for-sensitive-skin/
Can you use karanja oil instead of neem ?
Yes, you can! Karanja oil shares similar properties to neem oil and has a more pleasant smell. Because I added the neem oil as a superfat, you can easily substitute it without having to readjust the lye amount. Good idea to use karanja oil!
Ya thank you Jackie I like the smell better than neem 😁
Haha, you and me both! I think everything smells better than neem 😉
Hi Jackie, I’ve been looking for a good dog soap recipe for a while now – everyone seems to have a different way of doing it! Your recipe is the only one I’ve seen so far that adds in the neem oil afterwards, why have you chosen to take this route? I’m guessing you don’t add it into your caustic soda calculations then. Thanks!
Hi Karli! Great question! The reason I add it at the end is to keep as much of the neem oil unsaponified (not turned into soap). The lye doesn’t differentiate between the different oils to turn them into soap molecules, so by adding it after mixing, most of the chemical reaction will have already occurred between the lye and the other oils, leaving the neem oil as it is in the soap. If you want to be completely sure that you keep the neem oil in the soap as neem oil, a hot process method is actually better. During hot process you cook the soap until it has completely finished the chemical process and then you add the extra additives after the cook. I’ll be posting a hot process method later this year. Hope this helps!
Hi Jackie! Does the same apply to melt & pour process too, since we use neem oil as an additive? Does the neem oil retain its properties?
No, you don’t have to worry about saponification with melt and pour soap bases, since they are are already ready-to-use soap products. However, with MP you need to keep an eye on temperature. Add additives, such as neem oil when the MP is below 45 deg C, as many beneficial additives are heat sensitive. Also, you will need to play around with the amounts. Not all MP will tolerate the same amount of additional oils. Usually it’s only about 5% extra that you can add. If you add more, it starts seeping out of the soap. I hope this helps!
Hi! Does this soap cure longer before unmolding & cutting due to the prevalence of “medium to soft” oils? Is this also what increases the normal cold process cure time? I have been looking for something natural for my pups. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Shannon! 6-8 weeks is the usual curing time for cold process soaps, however the longer the better actually. I know some soap makers say only 4 weeks curing is needed, but that is just for the saponification process to be completed, aka no more caustic soap. But soaps that haven’t had sufficient time to cure, will still be soft and go mushy. There’s also a factor of crystallisation of the soap (salt) crystals, but for that can take months. However, soaps that have been allowed to crystallise completely are the longest lasting and best soaps you can get! Hope this helps! And a cuddle to your pup! <3
Do you cover the soap to insulate or leave uncovered?
With this soap it doesn’t really matter. I only insulate if I want to force gel to get nice bright colours. 🙂
Sodium lactate is necessary?
Hi Maria! No, it’s not necessary. It’s only there to harden the soap quicker, so you can unmould sooner. 🙂
Very Cool! Have to try this 😊