Are you obsessed with matcha as much as I am? I have tried many matchas on the market. It was only a matter of time before I incorporated it with my other love, soap! This matcha green tea soap recipe feels amazing on the skin and is ideal for any tea lover.
I have a confession: I’m addicted to tea. I mean, there are definitely worse things out there than consuming an excessive amount of herbal tea, but this obsession of mine is becoming a bit expensive.
Of course, I grow a lot of herbal tea in my tea garden. And I use that to flavour the hibiscus tea that I make and drink throughout the day.
But it’s my morning wake-up cup that was getting a little pricey. I have developed a taste for a good cup of matcha tea. Unlike coffee, matcha has a slow energy increase and decrease, so you won’t crash or get jittery. The caffeine in matcha is so much more preferable to me!
As I have been drinking matcha tea daily, I have been looking for the brand that tastes the best. Some I have loved, and some are better suited for other things…like matcha soap!
This post will cover…
Matcha Taste Test
As a certified matcha lover, I jumped at the opportunity to do a taste test. There are so many varieties and brands out there that one matcha can taste completely different than another.
When it comes to matcha, you can buy ceremonial or culinary grade. Even between the two grades, it can be hard to find consistency.
For my taste test, I tried out six different matcha tea brands that I ordered online. I prepared each brand the same way, and they all tasted very different! Some were earthy, some creamy, and others tasted just like classic green tea.
Check out my video below to see which matcha brands were my favourite!
Can You Put Matcha in Soap?
With many green tea soaps, it is hard to maintain that lovely green colour. In fact, many quickly turn brown when left to cure. Matcha, however, holds onto a faint light green colour.
For this recipe, I blend the matcha powder in when the mixture has reached a trace. Matcha likes to stick together, so you really have to blend well to avoid any clumps.
As with any natural colourant, the green fades even more over time. Enjoy your matcha soap within the first 6 months to keep the true matcha green colour.
Is Matcha Green Tea Good for Your Skin?
While the light green colour is lovely, I’m more interested in the benefits of matcha for my skin! Matcha is a superfood, containing five times more antioxidants than other high-antioxidant foods such as blueberries and spinach.
In addition to being an antioxidant hub, matcha also contains a ton of fibre, potassium, polyphenols, and L-theanine. Polyphenols have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, making them helpful in treating acne. The tannins in matcha also help to reduce sebum production, helping to avoid any unwanted breakouts.
But what is green tea soap good for? While ingesting it is a quick way to reap the benefits of matcha, you can also enjoy it topically with matcha-infused products. Matcha soap can help to reduce inflammation and exfoliate the skin, leaving your skin feeling soft and fresh. Made 100% naturally, the soap is good for all skin types.
Matcha Green Tea Soap Recipe
Get ready for tea paradise with this matcha green tea soap recipe. This blend is designed with moisturizing in mind. The bar is quite soft and will leave a silky feeling on your skin.
This recipe is for people who have made soap before. Follow this recipe list and find more detailed instructions here.
Materials
- Kitchen scale
- Infrared thermometer
- Double boiler made of stainless steel (not aluminum) soap-making pitcher and a pot of water
- Pyrex or heatproof glass measuring cup (4-cup)
- Immersion blender
- Safety gear (rubber gloves, face mask, apron, eye protection, etc.)
- Soap mould
Ingredients
Prepare Your Ingredients
Wear your protective gear, and measure out all your ingredients by weight with your scale.
Heat your oils slowly over the stove until 115° F.
While your oils are heating, add your lye to your water in a well-ventilated area. Stir carefully until fully dissolved. Cool lye in an ice bath until 115° F.
Blend Your Soap
Slowly add your lye water to your oil in a large bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until it reaches a light trace. At this point, you can add your matcha powder. Blend well until the matcha is fully mixed in, careful to not let your mixture get too thick. Add in your essential oils and blend again.
Pour Your Soap
Pour your soap into a loaf soap mould. Let it sit somewhere warm for 48 hours.
After the initial 48 hours, unmold your soap and cut it into equal sections. Let the soap cure in a cool, dark place for 6 weeks. Enjoy!
Matcha Soap FAQ
My matcha turned into a nice light green by directly adding the powder to the soap at trace. It resembles an olive green colour as opposed to the vivid green you might associate matcha with. For a more vivid green, consider adding spirulina powder.
Most matcha you will find in your local grocery store isn’t actually matcha. Most often, it is a cheaper green tea that has been ground. Real matcha is much more expensive and SO delicious.
To make matcha, the tea plants (tencha) must be shaded for several weeks before they are harvested. Removing sunlight from the plant forces them to produce more chlorophyll, giving them a brighter taste and stronger umami flavour.
The leaves are then harvested by hand, steamed, and dried. The stems and leaf veins are also removed prior to drying. Finally, the leaves are finely grounded by hand. Grinding must be done slowly so heat isn’t generated. It can take one hour to grind just 10 grams of matcha.
Understanding the process of how matcha is made really makes me appreciate drinking it every morning!
Matcha Green Tea Soap Recipe
Calling all tea lovers! This matcha green tea soap recipe adds a little bit of earthy, tea love into your beauty routine.
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Put on safety gear including rubber gloves amd safety goggles.
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Using a kitchen scale, measure out all your ingredients.
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Heat your oils over low heat until fully melted and it has reached 115 degrees F.
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In a well ventilated area, add your lye to the water in your pyrex glass, stirring constantly. It will get hot very quickly.
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Cool your lye water in an ice bath until it reaches 115 degrees F.
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Add your oils to a large bowl and then slowly add your lye water to the mixture.
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Using an immersion blender, blend mixture until it reaches trace (pudding-like consistency).
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At trace, add in your matcha powder. Blend until fully combined. Add in your essential oils and blend again.
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Pour your soap into a load-style soap mold. Wrap in a towel and place somewhere warm for 48 hours.
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After 48 hours, remove your soap from the mold. Cut into desired sections.
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Leave your soap to cure on a wire rack for 6 weeks in a cool, dark place.
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
