This orange and cinnamon soap is one of my favorite gifts to give at Christmas. Uplifting orange and sweet, spicy cinnamon combine to create a scent straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. If you’re feeling festive this year, why not learn how to make your own Christmas soaps to gift this season?
This Christmas soap reminds you of the holidays, but the orange brings a sense of freshness and renewal. Sweet orange essential oil reminds me of hot summer days. A kind reminder of that as we actually approach the winter solstice.
Sweet orange is considered a top note in the fragrance world and pairs well with warm scents. And cinnamon, as you’ve probably guessed, is a warm scent.
Sweet orange brings the joy of the season, while cinnamon brings a cozy vibe. The cinnamon and orange blend is reminiscent of old-fashioned oranges with cloves, which were used to scent homes during the holidays. Vanilla adds a delicious element to the scent, making it a treat to enjoy during the festive season.
Of course, this is a Christmas soap that can be used all year round. It’s one of my favorite scents to gift as a gift because it’s so vibrant and bright. It’s a very cheerful soap and most people enjoy its scent. You’ll soon find that they want more.
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Why you’ll love this Christmas soap recipe!
A soap with a Christmas-like scent of sweet orange, cinnamon, and vanilla. This combination of popular scents makes it perfect as a gift. Cinnamon has an uplifting effect and also acts as a natural preservative due to the antibacterial properties of the essential oil. This recipe is perfect for winter as it is highly moisturizing. Contains olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, cocoa butter, and rice bran oil. The natural colors and swirls make this orange and cinnamon soap look artisan-made, making it the perfect handmade gift.
Orange essential oil benefits
Orange essential oil is made by cold pressing the peel of sweet oranges. Not only does it smell heavenly, but it also has many health benefits.
Orange soap is especially good at reducing stress and anxiety levels. Most citrus oils are known for their instant mood boost, and research has even shown that their scent can help people with pain.
Essential oils also help prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi, making this orange soap even more cleansing.
Some citrus oils are phototoxic. This means that exposure to the sun after applying it to your skin can cause skin irritation and reactions. The good news is that orange essential oil has very low phototoxicity, but you still need to be careful. If you apply it to your face, be sure to apply sunscreen to be safe.
Benefits of cinnamon oil
I also want to give a nod to the other half of this duo: cinnamon oil. Undoubtedly, this is the main ingredient that gives Christmas soap a festive and cozy atmosphere. Cinnamon isn’t shy at all, it’s a strong scent that many people find pleasant. To me, cinnamon is the scent of delicious baked goods you might eat before Christmas.
Sweet and spicy, cinnamon also has mood-enhancing effects. The antibacterial properties of essential oils make them safe and natural preservatives. This makes it a great addition to natural cosmetics, such as cinnamon soap.
As with any essential oil, you should never rub it directly into your skin. May cause burning sensation and rash. If you are applying it to your skin, dilute it with a carrier oil to reduce its concentration.
This cinnamon soap recipe uses coconut oil, sunflower oil, cocoa butter, and rice bran oil, so you get all the sweet Christmas spice without the worry.
Why this Christmas soap is perfect for winter
Natural soaps are made from high quality natural oils. This recipe was specifically designed to naturally moisturize, so it’s perfect for winter skin that’s dry and flaky from the winter air.
As part of the soap making process, glycerin is a natural byproduct. It is derived from plant-based oils and is commonly used as a moisturizer because it attracts moisture to itself and the surrounding skin.
Most commercial soaps extract the glycerin from the soap and add it to other products. Therefore, after using soap on your skin, you should use additional moisturizing products. They want you to buy more.
This Christmas soap helps and soothes the skin, rather than causing dryness or itching. I notice a big difference in how my skin feels when I use natural and commercial soaps, especially in the winter.
Make this soap in advance
Natural soaps require curing time before use. Curing completes the saponification process (the process by which lye and oils turn into soap) and completely evaporates the water.
For my soaps, I always recommend allowing 6 weeks for the soap to fully cure. If you want to give these Christmas soaps as gifts or enjoy them during the holiday season, your soaps must be finished and cured by early to mid-November.
So instead of making soap at the last minute, start making this cinnamon and orange soap now.
Orange and Cinnamon Christmas Soap Recipe
As soon as you lather up this Christmas soap, you’ll notice a difference in your skin. Although it is gentle on the skin, it thoroughly cleanses while moisturizing the skin.
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See recipe card below for exact measurements.
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Please make it!
If you’ve never made cold process soap before, we recommend that you first take a look at this guide to get more detailed instructions before you get started. I won’t go into the nitty-gritty details of how to make alkaline water or combine oils, but instead will explain techniques for this particular soap.
Once it’s light, add the sweet orange, cinnamon leaf, and vanilla absolute essential oils. Use an immersion blender to blend the oil into the soap.
Now it’s swirl time! The sweet orange oil itself gives this soap a nice bright orange color. But to add a little more pizzazz, add a teaspoon of turmeric. Add it to one side of the bowl and use a spatula to make small circles around the edge of the bowl. This prevents the ingredients from spreading throughout the soap mixture.
Once the turmeric forms a dark orange circle around the edge of the bowl, pull the color through the mixture once or twice. Then pour the mixture into the soap. This creates delicate swirls of deep orange color, similar to the cinnamon swirls found in cinnamon buns. This is a very luxurious Christmas present.
Before cutting the soap, it must be left in a warm and warm place for two days. Once cut, it must cure for six weeks before it can be used.
This is why I finish all my Christmas soap making in November. This will give you enough time to neatly wrap everything and mail it to out-of-town friends and relatives.
Give soap for Christmas
One of the fun parts of making this soap is giving it away. I usually double or triple the batches below. I keep a few bars for myself, but I give most away.
It’s especially fun to bundle bars together using eco-friendly materials like twine. You can also add some oomph with dried orange slices and a few cinnamon sticks.
Here are some of my favorite gift-giving methods using natural gift wrapping. No matter how you choose to wrap it, this soap is a gift your recipient will love in any season.
If you decide to give away this orange and cinnamon soap, please let us know!
Try more Christmas fun
cinnamon and orange christmas soap
Add some joy to your world by combining the comfort of cinnamon with the cheerfulness of sweet orange. This Christmas soap recipe makes enough for a 2 pound soap mold.
Measure the ingredients using a scale.
Heat oil and cocoa butter over low heat until 115°F.
Mix lye and water in a well-ventilated area. Stir continuously until completely dissolved. Then cool in an ice bath until it reaches 115°F.
Slowly add the alkaline water to a large bowl of oil. Using an immersion blender, blend until a light streak forms.
Add essential oils and blend again.
Add turmeric powder to the edge of the bowl. Using a spatula, draw small circles all over the bowl until you have a large orange circle around the edge of the bowl. Use a spatula to wash all over the soap several times.
Pour into a 2 pound soap mold and wrap with a towel. Leave in a warm place for 2 days.
Slice the soap into even pieces. Let cure in a dry, dark place for 6 weeks.
A city girl learned gardening and it changed everything. Writer, artist, master gardener. A better life through plants.
