This DIY persimmon soap recipe uses real fruit and a gentle, well-balanced oil blend to create a creamy, handmade bar. I made this soap with freshly juiced Kaki persimmons grown in Spain and used the juice as a full water replacement. Working with fruit slows the process down and invites you to pay close attention to temperature, trace, and timing, but the result is well worth it.
This recipe suits intermediate cold process soap makers who feel comfortable managing heat and trace. If you enjoy working with fresh ingredients and natural textures, this soap is a beautiful project to try.
A Note on Persimmons
As a fruit, persimmons are antioxidant, fibre rich and contain vitamins A, C and E. In this soap recipe, persimmon adds interest, tradition, and natural sugars to the soap.
If you enjoy the science side of plants, you may want to explore general research on persimmons through food science publications.
Why Use Fruit in Soap?
Fruit contains natural sugars, and those sugars help support bubbly lather in cold process soap. Fruit can also increase heat during saponification, which means careful temperature control matters.
For this recipe, I recommend freezing the persimmon juice before making your lye solution and avoiding heavy insulation after pouring.
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DIY Persimmon Soap Recipe – Oil Percentages
Remember to always run your recipe through a proper soap calculator so that you know the exact amount for each ingredient listed. I’ve found Soapcalc to be very helpful.
- Olive Oil – 32%
- Coconut Oil – 20%
- Shea Butter – 20%
- Avocado Oil – 10%
- Rice Bran Oil – 10%
- Castor Oil – 8%
Additives
- Kaolin Clay – 1 tsp per pound of oils
- Sodium Lactate – 1 tsp per pound of oils (added to lye solution)
Scent Options
- Fragrance Oil: In this soap I’ve used Baja Cactus Blossom at 4% (a soft, delicate floral)
- Essential Oil Option: If you are looking to go totally natural or if you want to stay away from florals, I would reccomend trying Orange essential oil
Liquid Choice: 100% Persimmon Juice
- 3 large ripe Kaki persimmons, juiced and well strained
- Used as a full water replacement. This amount worked for the size of my recipe but always run your recipe through a lye calculator so that you know the exact amount needed for each ingredient.
Tip: Strain the juice very thoroughly to remove pulp and fibers. Extra solids can speed up trace and increase heat.
How to Make DIY Persimmon Soap (Cold Process)
Before making any soap recipe, please ensure that you are familiar with safe soaping practices. There are a number of beginner soaping videos that teach how to make soap safely. This recipe is an intermediate level soaping recipe. If you have not made soap before, please try a beginner soap recipe first, and make sure that you have and that you are wearing safe soaping PPE (personal protective equipment).
1. Prepare the Persimmon Juice
Juice ripe persimmons and strain well. Freeze the juice into cubes to help control heat when mixing with lye.
2. Make the Lye Solution
Make sure there is an open window in your soap room. Many soapers mix their lye water outside to help try to avoid fumes. Slowly add sodium hydroxide to the frozen persimmon juice, stirring gently. Work slowly and allow the solution to cool completely before use. Make sure that all of the sodium hydroxide has dissolved before moving on to the next step.
3. Melt and Combine Oils
Melt hard oils and butters, then add liquid oils. Bring everything to a similar, moderate temperature. I like to make between 80 and 90 degrees farenheit.
4. Add Kaolin Clay
Add the kaolin clay to your fragrance to help with scent retention in your soap.
5. Bring to Emulsion
Add the cooled lye solution to the oils and blend to light trace. This will happen fairly quickly. You will know that you are at trace when your oils no longer separate on your blender when you remove it from your mixture, and when you can drizzle soap from the blender onto the top of the mixture and it retains a line without immediately sinking through.
6. Add Scent
Stir in the fragrance oil or orange essential oil. Keep the batter fluid and avoid over-blending.
7. Pour and Rest
Pour into your mold. Fruit sugars can increase heat, so do not heavily insulate. Leave the soap uncovered or lightly covered.
8. Unmold and Cure
Allow the soap to saponify for 24–48 hours. Unmold, cut, and cure for 4–6 weeks before use.
Color Tips for First-Time Batches
I recommend not adding color the first time you make this soap. Persimmon juice can shift during saponification, and skipping colour lets you see the natural final shade of your batch. Once you understand how the juice behaves, you can experiment with color in future batches.
What to Expect From This Soap
- Creamy, stable lather
- Gentle cleansing feel
- Natural color from persimmon juice
- Soft floral or bright citrus scent, depending on your choice
Final Thoughts
This DIY persimmon soap recipe blends traditional inspiration with mindful, modern soap making. Working with real fruit encourages patience, observation, and trust in the process. If you enjoy intentional ingredients and hands-on crafting, this is a rewarding soap to make.
Be sure to watch the full video tutorial for tips on temperature, trace, and the overnight saponification rest.
Happy soap making 🤍
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