Warm Cinnamon Tallow Soap

July 10, 2026 - By Ashley

This is a lovely naturally scented, gentle body soap that I’m making and leaving out to cure for Christmas gifts. I chose a subdued light green, cream and white variegated color scheme with natural clays and non nano particle zinc oxide; topped it with tiny alder corns, rose petals and nettle to give it a natural Christmas look. The combination of cinnamon, clove, vanilla and sweet orange gives it a fragrant holiday scent. Tallow is the main fat in this beautful soap and I have found that a portion of coconut oil in typically soft tallow soaps makes a harder, longer lasting bar of soap. Each ingredient is natural, soothing and nourishing, making this the perfect addition to your holiday bathroom for seasonal guests, for your family or as gifts. Let me share.

Warm Cinnamon Tallow Soap

*when I make cold process soaps that don’t contain tea or milk that needs to be frozen before adding the lye, I use my lye solution to melt my oils. My tallow and coconut oil I did warm to a liquid a state for this recipe but I just scooped the harder mango butter in and I didn’t take temps, again, just used the lye solution to heat up my oils. After I pour my soap batter, I set my soap up in the fridge for about one hour, after that I remove my batch and place it on the back of my hot stove fpr a few hours. I have found that doing soap this way takes it through a gel phase once it’s been set up in the fridge, this mitigates cracking and allowing the bar to heat up to a gel like phase gives a harder longer lasting end product.

20 ounces of tallow (I’m using sheep tallow and I warmed it on my stove to get a liquid state.)

5 ounces of coconut oil (this too I warmed to a liquid state.)

2.5 ounces mango butter (could sub for shea butter)

2.5 ounces castor oil

9 ounces water

4.75 ounces lye

1 tbsp non nano particle zinc oxide

1 tbsp rhassoul clay

2 tbsp French green clay

Essential oils:

40 drops sweet orange

40 drops clove

40 drops cinnamon

20 drops vanilla (if you don’t have vanilla essential oil as it can be rather pricy, try adding one to two tsp’s of vanilla extract, the scent isn’t as intense but it still smells amazing)

For layering: after trace, add the zinc and essential oils. Mix well. Scoop a thin layer into the mold, tapping and spreading to even it out. Now add the rhassoul clay, I find at this point the batter is rather thick and switching from an immersion blender to a whisk works better to incorporate the clay. Once mixed, add that rhassoul layer on top of the zinc layer, tapping the mold on the table and spreading carefully. Lastly, whisk the French green clay into the rest of the batter and scoop it on top of the two layers, tapping the mold, spreading and creating a pretty swirly on top before topping with whatever decor elements you choose. Cinnamon sticks, clove buds, dried flowers, herbs, or alder corns the way I did.

After mixing the lye into the water I allow it to sit until it’s clear. While it’s sitting I weigh my oils in a glass bowl.

Before mixing the lye solution and fat, I like to have all my ingredients measured and prepped so I can add quickly to my soap.

Once everything is prepared, add the lye solution to the fats and I like to mix by hand for a few minutes until all of my fats are melted.

Once trace has been reached, add the zinc and oils.

Once mixed well scoop out the first layer.

Thats the first layer. Now whisk the rhassoul clay into the batter for the second layer.

Scoop in and spread the second layer.

Now whisk in the French green clay for the final layer.

I topped my soap with cute little alder corns I picked from alder trees around our acreage. I’m using a soap cutter to cut my bars so I measured and marked the sides of my mold so I would know where to place decor tops like this without risking them getting smashed from the cutting twine.

Once done, I place my soap in the fridge for about one hour, remove, and then I place on the back of my hot stove to reheat into a bit of a gel phase. Since the fridge cooled it quickly and sealed the top, this is the best way I’ve found to mitigate cracking. It doesn’t always work perfectly but I’m not picky. It’s handmade:)