Today we’re squishing up a creamy off-white Gentle Clay Facial Cleansing Bar, starring velvety white kaolin clay and a gentle surfactant blend that kicks off dense, rich lather. You don’t need any heat or even a mould to make these—just a bowl, a dust mask, and a pair of gloves! We’ll smoosh and squish seven ingredients together, shape that dough as desired, and leave it to age. And that’s it! Gentle Clay Facial Cleansing Bar, here we come.
Post updated October 2025
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Post Overview
Inspiration
The inspiration for this bar came from two places. The first was a sample formulation from Colonial Chemical that I came across while doing some research with a patron. I can’t share the formulation as it’s behind a log-in wall, but the general gist is that it contained nearly 25% corn starch, which wasn’t something I’d ever seen in a syndet bar before. The inclusion of that much cornstarch allowed the finished bar to have a far lower total active surfactant matter than solid syndet bars usually have. In order to be solid, they’re usually comprised of upwards of 80% solid surfactants, which makes for quite a concentrated end product. The corn starch functions a bit like water in a liquid syndet formulation: it dilutes the surfactant, making for a milder (and cheaper to make!) end product.
The inclusion of a large amount of corn starch led me to inspiration part 2: A request I’ve had quite a few times in the last year or two. That request was for a solid syndet bar that uses Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI) as the sole solid surfactant.
Regarding how much SCI you can use in a formulation, the CIR says: “safe for use in cosmetic formulations at 50% in rinse-off products and at 17% in leave-on products.” Or, more specifically, “The greatest concentration of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate tested as a rinse-off product was 49.87%.”
With that in mind: if we’re making a product that needs to be well over 50% solid stuff in order to be solid, SCI can’t be your only solid ingredient. Back in 2020 (and before) I usually used another powdered/dry surfactant to bridge the gap between 50% and the 80%-ish mark—but in this bar, corn starch does that job, so we only need the one solid surfactant!
Since 2020 I’ve seen other formulators use more than 50% SCI, and I suspect that is because of the full wording in the CIR report:
In 1993, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) published the safety assessment of sodium cocoyl isethionate with the conclusion ‘safe for use in cosmetic formulations at 50% in rinse-off products and at 17% in leave-on products’. These concentration limits were based on the maximum concentrations reported in safety test data at the time.
From that wording, I interpret that they didn’t find any issues with using more than 50%; they simply didn’t check above 49.87% as that was the maximum reported usage at the time. So, it’s not a hard limit—it’s a “we know this is fine and didn’t check anything higher.”
The dry phase
We’re using very finely powdered Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI) for this bar. If yours is chunky or in the little noodley-sticks you can use it, but you will have to grind it up in your coffee grinder first. Just make sure you’re wearing a very tight-fitting dust mask (USA / Canada) so you don’t inhale any surfactant powder as that is incredibly unpleasant (imagine that soap-in-your-eyes sensation, but in your airways).
Our powdered phase is rounded off with some white kaolin clay, which helps give this dough an easily mouldable consistency and is just generally creamy and lovely in cleansers.
The wet phase
Once we’ve got our powdery base, we need to transform it into a mouldable dough with some wet things!
Our wet phase is mostly two different liquid surfactants; non-ionic Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, and amphoteric Cocamidopropyl Betaine. Not only do they help turn the powders into a dough, but they also make the overall product milder and really help boost the lather. If you don’t have either of them you could use a different liquid surfactant with the same charge. Decyl Glucoside or Coco Glucoside would be good alternatives to Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, while Sodium Cocoamphoacetate or Shea Butteramidopropyl Betaine can work instead of Cocamidopropyl Betaine.
I used my microplane zester to shred up some of the bar to then dissolve in water and test the pH. Forbidden cheese!
A small amount of liquid oil adds some richness. I used jojoba oil in the version I shared in 2020, but have since experimented with a variety of different liquid oils, and everything I’ve tried has worked well. In the 2025 video I used Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT aka Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride). You can definitely use a different liquid oil, but if you choose a plant oil I’d swap 0.1% of it for some tocopherol (Vitamin E) as that plant oil is probably more prone to oxidization than jojoba oil and medium chain triglycerides.
Lastly, a preservative to keep things safe and stable. In 2020 I used Liquid Germall™ Plus, and in 2025 I used Optiphen™ Plus. This is a fairly easy-to-preserve formulation, so you could swap the preservative if you need/want to. Optiphen™ or Euxyl® PE 9010 would be good, easy options.
If you wanted to include an essential oil or fragrance oil you definitely could; I’d just knock ~0.3% off the Cocamidopropyl Betaine to make room for 0.3% essential oil or fragrance oil, adjusting as required for preference and safety.
Making
Mix everything together with gloved hands. The goal is a smooth, workable dough, but there’s a decent chance it’ll need a little bit of adjusting to get there. Even if you use all the same ingredients, slightly different brands or formats can make enough of a difference that the dough will be a bit too wet or dry. This is a big part of why the amounts in the 2025 version are slightly different than the 2020 version—because I didn’t have exactly the same SCI that I did in 2020.
If it’s a bit too dry, add a few drops of Cocamidopropyl Betaine or distilled water. If it’s a bit too wet and sticky, add a bit more corn starch or clay. Make sure you weigh in any additions and take careful notes so you don’t have to fuss with the formulation every time you make it.
Because the dough is so workable you can shape it a several different ways. The cheapest way is to hand shape it, which is what I did in the 2025 video. You can also press the dough into a cavity mould (a measuring cup is easy and something you likely have!) or use a press, as I did in 2020.
Leave the bars to age and dry out for at least three to five days before using. Enjoy!
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Gentle Clay Cleansing Bar
2020 version
70g batch
Dry phase
34.3g | 49% finely powdered Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI) (USA / Canada / UK / Aus / New Zealand / Nigeria)
10.5g | 15% corn starch
6.58g | 9.4% white kaolin clay (USA / Canada)Wet phase
3.57g | 5.1% jojoba oil (USA / Canada)
7g | 10% Cocamidopropyl Betaine (USA / Canada)
7.7g | 11% Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside (USA / Canada)
0.35g | 0.5% Liquid Germall Plus™ (USA / Canada)2025 version
300g batch
Dry phase
147g | 49% finely powdered Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI) (USA / Canada / UK / Aus / New Zealand / Nigeria)
45g | 15% corn starch
31.5g | 10.5% white kaolin clay (USA / Canada)Wet phase
15g | 5% medium chain triglycerides (USA / Canada / UK / Aus / NZ)
30g | 10% Cocamidopropyl Betaine (USA / Canada)
27g | 9% Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside (USA / Canada)
4.5g | 1.5% Optiphen™ Plus (USA / Canada)Instructions
Put on your dust mask (USA / Canada) and weigh the dry phase into a bowl. Stir until uniform.
Add the wet phase to the dry phase. Put on a pair of nitrile gloves and blend thoroughly with your hands. Once the mixture is uniform, you’ll be left with a stiff, easily-mouldable paste.
If your dough is too sticky, you’ll need to add more clay or corn starch. This is likely to happen if you used a larger grain Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI) than I did, as it has less surface area to absorb moisture.
If your dough is too dry, you’ll need to add more Cocamidopropyl Betaine or distilled water.
Now it’s time to shape the bars!
In 2020 I used the cube mould, pressing the entire 70g batch at once. I highly recommend lining the top and bottom of the mould with cut-to-size pieces of parchment paper. I set the regulated pressure on my compressor to 55psi. You can see this in action in the 2020 video.
In 2025, I used my hands to roll and smoosh the bars into round, flat-topped bars.
You can also smoosh the dough into a cavity mould.
Leave the bars to dry for at least 3–5 days before using.
Use this bar as you’d use any bar soap. Enjoy!
When made as written, the pH of both versions of this facial cleansing bar comes out to around 5.5, which is great.
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this facial cleansing bar will regularly come into contact with water, I recommend including a broad-spectrum preservative to ward off microbial growth.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post.
- As written in grams, the 2020 version of the formula will make 70g.
- As written in grams, the 2025 version of the formula will make 300g.
- To learn more about the ingredients used in this formulation, including why they’re included and what you can substitute them with, please visit the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia. It doesn’t have everything in it yet, but there’s lots of good information there! If I have not given a specific substitution suggestion in this list please look up the ingredient in the encyclopedia before asking.
- If you’d like to learn more about the surfactants used and compare them to ones you might already have so you can make substitutions, check out this page.
- You can use a different starch/fine flour, like arrowroot, instead of corn starch. If you do this, you’ll definitely need to adjust the wet/dry balance of the formula.
- You can use a different light, fine clay instead of kaolin—French green or zeolite would be good choices. If you do this, you’ll definitely need to adjust the wet/dry balance of the formula.
- I do not recommend bentonite or rhassoul, or heavily pigmented clays like Australian pink.
- You can substitute another lightweight oil like sweet almond, grapeseed, or sunflower seed instead of jojoba oil/Medium Chain Triglycerides. If you do this, trade 0.1% for some vitamin E to delay rancidity.
- If you’re like to use a different preservative, please review this FAQ and this chart.
- If you’d like to incorporate an essential oil, please read this.
Gifting Disclosure
2020: The bath bomb press and cube mould were gifted by The Bath Bomb Press.
2025: The SCI, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Medium Chain Triglycerides, and bee soap stamp were gifted by YellowBee.
Ok, I read it all, but still have questions. 🙂
Is it ok to use only Cocamidopropyl Betaine, and no other liquid surfactant, even though that would make it have little bit less active matter.
Of can I use something like coco glucoside and just try to adjust the pH with some citric acid in the dry part? It’s about the same active matter, but double the pH than Caprylil/Capryl Glucoside.
Thanks!
Yes to everything 🙂 I’d start with ~0.1% citric acid for pH adjusting. Happy making!
Hi marie,
You say above “Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI) has a maximum allowable usage rate of 49.87% in rinse-off products”
I use just over 80% SCI in my shampoo bars and they work really well. Why do you say 49.87 is the max?
Many thanks and best regards,
Karen x
Hi Karen! That maximum allowable usage rate comes from the CIR for safety reasons—you can learn more here and here. It’s not a performance thing (I’m sure the bars work beautifully!), it’s a safety thing 🙂
Thanks Marie xx
hi thank you for creating this gentle facial cleansing bar.
Is there any way you can make it into the deep cleansing bar. by changing some of the ingredients? please advise
For deeper cleansing, I would recommend a double cleanse with an oil cleanser rather than just making this stronger 🙂
Marie,
Thanks for sharing this formulation. I made it but made two modifications; using arrowroot starch in lieu of the cornstarch; reducing the amount to 10.0% and made up the difference with Jojoba exfoliating beads. Turned out beautifully (well except for the part of not being able to easily remove it from my Mooncake Mold). At 70 I’m always on the look out for gentle facial cleansers. Awesome formulation!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Marine, can I melt the sci? I found that it mix better… but should I do it before mixing with the starch? Thank you!
I don’t recommend melting the Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI); it makes for a messier, harder to work with dough and a softer finished bar. I promise all of this mixes up just fine!
Hi,
Just wanted to know, why are you using here a preservative?
Cause i saw on some solid shampoo recipe that they did not use it.
Thank you
I never put preservative in my shampoo bar and it lasts forever without getting any mold. You can do with this one too I guess, but since it’s for face I suggest you to just put preservative for safety reason.
As per the blog post, “Because this facial cleansing bar will regularly come into contact with water, I recommend including a broad-spectrum preservative to ward off microbial growth.” 🙂
Hi Marie!
I have been searching for facial soap bars and I have found this one and the “Lavender Facial Cleansing Bar”, that is almost the same, except for the clay and oil… My question is: what is the difference between these regarding to effect on the skin? One is for dry skin and the other not or they are just different soaps?
Thank you!
Hey Ale! For starters, neither are soaps, which is important 🙂 You can read more here. This question is a bit like finding two sandwich recipes and asking what the differences are/which one is better. In the end, they’re both sandwiches and both will fill you up, but personal preference will factor in a lot as to what you prefer. Many of the “distinctions” skincare companies market their products with are just marketing. I think this one is easier to make and I find it holds together better 🙂
Hi Marie,
Thanks for this lovely bar! I am loving it so far except the scent is a bit on the meh side.
I added a touch of essential oils (blend of less than 2% total) and it still is a bit on the smelly side. I typically wouldn’t want to add fragrance to facial products. Do you have any suggestions?
I’d suggest just waiting a few days—the surfactant smell usually fades on its own 🙂 If you already have, I’d probably just live with it, honestly. It’s a rinse-off product (as opposed to a perfume or something where the scent will linger on you for hours), and I’d agree that adding lots of fragrance or essential oil is not a great idea. Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Hi Marie, I just wanted to tell you how much I love this bar. I’ve made both this and the gentle lavender facial cleansing bars and love them both, but I think I like this one a bit more. This produces a wonderful creamy lather. I love the feel of my skin after I’ve used this bar. Thanks so much for all your recipes !
I am SO thrilled to hear it, Deb! Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making 🙂
Could this be used as a Shampoo syndet bar? Is there any reason it wouldn’t be suitable for your scalp? Is it safe for babies? Thanks in advance! I love how much information you have available on your site 🙂
You can definitely use this as a shampoo bar 🙂 The preservative I have used is not approved for use on people under 3. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s formulation, I think it will suit you nicely 🙂
Hi marie!
can i use coco glucoside instead of capryl glucoside? I can´t find the capryl glucoside here where I live
Yes, but you will want to test and subsequently downwards adjust the pH of the finished bar as the pH of coco glucoside is much higher than that of Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside 🙂
Hi Marie! Thank you for this recipe. Been looking forward to create my own facial cleanser. One question: can I add tocopherol/Vitamin E?
Yup!
Hi Marie,
Can you explain why you wouldn’t reccommend using bentonite clay as a substitution?
Because they’re SUPER different ingredients; watch this to learn more. Happy making!
Hi Marie!
If I will be using decyl glucoside to replace capryl glucoside do I need to adjust the pH? If I don’t will there be a significant difference it terms of gentleness on skin?
Maybe? You will have to test it + see. If it’s too high, you’ll need to make another batch and incorporate some acid to reduce the pH. That’s part of the work I do when I develop these formulations 🙂 Happy making!
Thank you for sharing this formulation! I made this with antiflammatory twist (with active decalact sebum). I love the ingredients you’ve selected here in foaming cleansers! I’ve often used cosgard (benzyl alcohol & DHA) in clay shampoos so I combined it with walnut oil here (mine has yummy nutty scent and golden color). I also used another glucoside (adjusting ph and adding sodium citrate to stabilize ph – it’s often recommended with this active). It came together quickly and seems very lovely! I hand formed it. I like the fact that I didn’t add any fragance so it has faint nutty scent. xx
Love this cleanser! You’ve done amazing work again! It has become my favorite second cleanser and ‘antiacne type’ body wash. It pairs well with simple cleansing oil.
It foams well, feels gentle, is easy to use and doesn’t leave my skin dry or tight. I used to use clay cleansing powders but this is much more effortless and there was some room for oil soluble goodies too. I definitevly need to try new things more often! I’m glad that it is stable even though I used the natural preservative.
Hi Marie,
Can I add Hydrolyzed Rice Protein in this bar – to pair it with your rice shampoo bar?
Yes, definitely! Reduce one of the liquid surfactants to make room for it. Happy making!
Hi Marie
Can we use it for eye makeup removal ? And what add to it for less drying effect? More oil up with %.
Hope my questions are clear my English is not good
I don’t recommend it; you’ll want something like a cleansing balm for that as the fat breaks down the film formers in eye makeup. I’ve shared several easy cleansing balms this year, I’m sure you can find something to suit ❤️ Happy making!
I read everything, looked for reference and substitution for non-ionic Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, since naturally thinking is the only company I found that sells it and shipping from UK, well. You suggested “Decyl Glucoside instead of Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, or Sodium Cocoamphoacetate instead of Cocamidopropyl Betaine.” But can I use Cocamidopropyl betaine ph of 6.5 only with SCI and adjust Ph with citric? By the way I love your videos and plan on supporting you once i recovery some funds from this new found love of making cosmetics.
I lied, I only have coco glucoside, can I rid of these two ingredients if I only use this? Would you adjust with lactic acid, citric acid?
In leu of :
7g | 10% Cocamidopropyl Betaine (USA / Canada)
7.7g | 11% Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside (USA / Canada)
I am so sorry, I found the chart you created on surfactants and the PH and where to BUY! You are amazing. Since the CCG is very low as far as PH I am purchasing. Seems like a no brainer. I love that the company is Canada/USA.
Would you recommend that I give the lactic/citric a try in the meantime. I’m inpatient.
Hi Marie! I’d be curious if this recipe could be adapted to an oil-free formulation, using aloe vera or some other moisturizing ingredient instead of jojoba oil. My face unfortunately can’t tolerate any kind of carrier oil, even if it’s non-comedogenic or in a wash-off product (annoying, I know). This seems to be the most promising formulation I’ve found in a bar form, so I’d love to see if you think it might work. Thank you for all your amazing resources!
Lauren, I have made this with aloe instead of jojoba oil 🙂 same percentages. It worked great but did take a bit longer to dry – close to a week.
Hi Marie, Can this be used a cleaning bar for dogs?
Hi, Marie. What is the ASm for these bars? Thanks.