This foaming bath butter whipped soap is thick, creamy and luxurious, like a spa treat in a jar. I whipped Stephenson foaming bath butter with a little kaolin clay, colored it pink and green, and piped it into jars with a fun Monkey Farts scent. It holds its shape beautifully and doesn’t sag.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links in this post are affiliate links. They cost you nothing extra and help support Koala Soap.
Materials & Tools
- 20 oz Stephenson foaming bath butter
- 1.5 tablespoons kaolin clay
- Monkey Farts fragrance oil
- Pink mica and Stardust Tail Green mica (from this Stardust mica set)
- Hand mixer or immersion blender
- Press-and-seal plastic wrap
- A sturdy, heavy-duty piping bag with a large tip
- 8 oz jars with lids
- Mixing bowls, a spatula, gloves and a silicone mat
Fragrance Amount
My rule is no more than 5 ml of fragrance oil per 16 oz of base, so this 20 oz batch can take up to about 6 ml. You can always use less, but I wouldn’t go over 5 ml per 16 oz.
How to Make Foaming Bath Butter Whipped Soap: Step by Step
1. Weigh the Bath Butter and Add Kaolin Clay
Weigh out 20 oz of foaming bath butter. If your kitchen is cold, it may be firm, which is fine. Add 1.5 tablespoons of kaolin clay. It helps thicken the whipped soap and gives it a silky feel.
2. Whip It
Add your fragrance and whip the bath butter with a hand mixer. Stephenson’s is much thicker than the other foaming bath whip I’ve used, so it whips up quickly. It was too thick for my whisk attachment.
3. Split and Color
Divide the whipped soap into bowls. I eyeballed it. Leave one white, fold pink mica into another, and fold Tail Green mica into the third. Fold the color in gently, then mix until even.
4. Spoon the Colors Onto Press-and-Seal
Lay a sheet of press-and-seal wrap on a silicone mat and spoon the colors in strips side by side. Press-and-seal works much better for this than regular cling wrap.
5. Roll Into a Log
Roll the wrap up into a log, squeezing the soap toward one end, and twist the ends.
6. Pipe Into Jars
Cut one end of the log and slide it into a piping bag with a large tip. Pipe swirls into 8 oz jars. This bath butter is very thick, so use a heavy-duty piping bag and a bigger tip. My regular bag split a hole in the side! Tap the jars gently to settle the soap.
Tips & What I Learned
- Use a heavy-duty piping bag. Thick bath butter can split a thin bag.
- Go big on the tip. A larger tip makes piping thick soap much easier.
- Kaolin clay adds body. It helps the whipped soap hold its shape. Try it with thinner bases too.
- Press-and-seal is the way to go. It holds the colors together for piping.
- Expect a little extra. 20 oz whipped up to slightly more than my 8 oz jars could hold.
Troubleshooting
My piping bag burst.
Switch to a heavy-duty bag and a bigger tip for thick bases.
My whipped soap sags in the jar.
Thinner bases sag more. Adding a little kaolin clay and whipping longer helps it hold its shape.
The base is too firm to whip.
Let it warm up a bit at room temperature first, especially in cold weather.
FAQ
What is foaming bath butter?
It’s a thick, ready-made whipped soap base. You add fragrance and color, whip it, and use it like a body wash.
How much kaolin clay should I add?
I used 1.5 tablespoons for 20 oz of foaming bath butter.
How much fragrance should I use?
No more than 5 ml per 16 oz of base, so about 6 ml for a 20 oz batch. You can always use less.
More Whipped Soap Ideas
- How to Make Whipped Soap
- Peppermint Foaming Bath Soap
- Kaolin Clay Melt and Pour Soap
- All my soap tutorials on YouTube
If you make this, I’d love to see it! Tag me on Instagram or Pinterest, and subscribe on YouTube for new soap tutorials.
