How to Make an Herbal Soap

You don't need to pay high prices for fancy, scented soaps; you can make your own fragrant concoctions with some simple ingredients and a little know-how.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soap Coloring
• Soap Fragrance
• Soap Molds
• Dried Herbs
• Vegetable Oils
• Glycerin Soaps
• Double Boilers
• Kitchen Knives Or Grater
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring cups

1. Decide what kind of dried herbs you'd like to use. Good choices are lavender for its lovely fragrance, comfrey for its ability to soothe irritated skin, and mint for its invigorating properties. Experiment with your favorite herbs to find your favorite combination.

2. Assemble the other items you will need: the plainest soap you can find (plain glycerine soap is best, but Ivory or another mild, unscented soap will do), a soap mold, and a double boiler.

3. Coat your soap mold with vegetable oil.

4. Heat 1/3 cup water in a double boiler to a simmer.

5. Crumble 3 to 4 tablespoons of herbs into the water.

6. Take the double boiler off the heat and allow the herbs to steep for 15 minutes.

7. Return the pan to the heat and add the bar of soap, cut into small pieces.

8. When the soap is melted, pour the mixture into the soap mold.

9. Leave at room temperature until the soap has hardened (it will be a bit softer than the bar you started with).

10. Open the mold and remove the soap.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't want to invest in soap molds (though they only cost a few dollars at most craft stores), you can use almost any heatproof container of the appropriate size. A tin can works well, but don't forget to oil it first.
• Though very few people are allergic to any herbs or the other ingredients in this recipe, there's always the chance of having a reaction to a new soap. When in doubt, test your results on a small patch of skin on the inside of your arm before using the soap on your entire body.

[eclecktic]

on 10/19/2008 I appreciate the strong herbal infusion proportions for making the remelt soaps. What good advice. The tips for around-the-house soap molds for first timers are good too.

on 8/14/2006 If you don't want to go to the trouble of purchasing a soap mold, then simply get a cup (or a bigger container for larger soap mixtures) and put a piece of foil over the top. Then push the foil down in the middle to make a bowl shape and secure the foil to the cup by pinching it round the edges. You can then simply pour the soap into the mold, wait until it becomes solid and peel the foil off. No vegetable oil needed.

on 1/2/2006 Glycerin soap will melt fairly quickly. Regular soap, such as Ivory, can take some time. Grate it or cut it into the smallest pieces possible for best results. Use a potato masher while it is melting. Add water to help soften it as it melts. Use as little water as possible; if there is too much water, the soap will set up too soft or not at all. The more water you use, the smoother it will be, but the longer the time (weeks or months) you will need to let it dry out.

on 11/22/2005 My friend and I just used potpourri for the fragrance and it worked wonderfully. Also, we grated the Ivory soap and it melted a whole lot quicker. :)
A very fun activity and great for Christmas presents - who doesn't use soap? :)