Jack of all Soaps: The homemade cleansing base that does it all!

A homemade cleansing base for everyone and everything!

There’s someone new at Coop Coco, and his name is Jack! He adapts to everyone’s needs and helps out with everything around here… That’s how he got his nickname! But who is Jack, exactly? This Jack of all trades is in fact a Jack of all Soaps: an all-in-one cleansing base recipe!

Made with very gentle ingredients, Jack of all Soaps can be used to wash your body, face, and hair—even if you have sensitive skin. Thanks to its neutral formula, you can also customize your all-in-one homemade cleansing base to your liking! You can add essential oils and other agents or switch the vegetable oil so that the soap totally corresponds to your tastes, needs, and desires!

Whether it’s to wash your dry skin or take care of your sensitive scalp, whether it’s for your skin or your children’s, whether you’re dreaming of a floral or a forest scent, this three-in-one cleansing base recipe is for you! Jack does it all—that’s why he’s the Jack of all Soaps!

How to make a neutral cleansing base

Before you begin

To make this cleansing base, you will be handling ingredients with extreme pHs in their pure state: lactic acid (pH 0.6) and coco glucoside (pH 11-12). You must wear suitable safety gear (protective goggles and gloves) throughout the entire process of making this soap. Don’t worry, the pH of the final product is perfectly safe. 

Ingredients

Phase A 

• 72 g (53.3%) demineralized water
• 1.7 g (1.2%) lactic acid
• 0.6 g (0.5%) aloe vera 100 X powder

Phase B 

• 7.5 g (5.5%) vegetable glycerin
• 1.7 g (1.3%) cellulose gum

Phase C

• 6.2 g (4.6%) sweet almond oil 
• 18.6 g (13.8%) coco glucoside
• 0.8 g (0.6%) rosemary oleoresin
• 1.7 g (1.2%) elderberry extract

Phase D 

• 24.2 g (18%) coco betaine

Tools

• 1 small stainless steel bowl
• 2 small measuring cups 
• 1 mini silicone spatula
• 1 scale, accurate to 0.1 g
• 1 pipette
• Personal safety gear
• A few ramekins
• 1 mini-mixer with frothing attachment (the small wheel)
• 1 tottle bottle, 120 ml
• 1 funnel

Good to know!

• In this recipe, we chose to use sweet almond oil for its softening properties. However, it is possible to replace it with an equal portion of the vegetable oil of your choosing.
• Aloe vera powder was selected for its hydrating properties and because it is rich in vitamins and minerals. If you do not wish to put aloe in your homemade cleansing base, you can replace it with an equal portion of demineralized water.
• Coco glucoside and coco betaine are gentle cleansing agents. They need to be used in synergy to bring out their lathering and cleansing properties. The coco glucoside can be replaced by an equal portion of decyl glucoside. 
• Rosemary oleoresin protects the oils from going rancid, but it also does so much more! It is purifying, soothing, and protects your skin from external damage.

Steps to follow 

1. Prepare and disinfect your equipment and workspace.
2. Weigh the phase A ingredients in a measuring cup. Mix with the mini-mixer.
3. Weigh the phase B ingredients in a second measuring cup. Mix well with the mini-mixer to disperse the gum.
4. Pour phase A into phase B. Mix with the mini-mixer until a gel forms.
5. Weigh the phase C ingredients in a small bowl. Mix with the mini spatula.
6. Pour phase C into the gel (from step 4). Mix gently with the mini spatula so that the product does not foam.
7. Weigh the phase D ingredient in a ramekin and add to the mixture. Mix gently with the mini spatula so that the product does not foam.
8. Pour into the tottle bottle using the funnel.

Use and conservation

This all-in-one cleansing base recipe is formulated for all skin types.

It can be used as-is as a classic shower gel or liquid shampoo. You can also customize it by adding the active agents and scents of your choosing. When your homemade cleansing base is done, just add 1–3% essential oils or aromatic essences of your choosing. In choosing essential oils, pay attention to whether they are dermocaustic (clove, cinnamon, ginger) or not. If you choose dermocaustic essential oils, they must not make up more than 0.5% of the weight of your final recipe. 

This cleansing base can also be used to make a DIY scrub! All you have to do is add exfoliants.

When made in optimal sanitary conditions, your cleansing base will keep for at least three months.