How to Use Saponins to Make Soap

Saponins improve foaming abilities in homemade soaps.

Natural plant saponins found in plants like soap weed, braken and horse chestnut offer foaming boosts to homemade soaps and creams. These saponins are easily found in soap-crafting stores and on online websites for making your own soaps and spa products. Using saponins to make soap proves to be a simple and safe process as opposed to using harsh chemicals like lye and animal-based fats that are found in commercial soaps.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup, goat milk melt and pour soap base
• 1/4 oz., extract of soap weed
• 1/4 oz., extract of horse chestnut
• 1 oz., coconut carrier oil (cold-pressed )
• Double boiler
• Soap mold

Instructions

1. Break apart a cup of goat milk melt and pour soap base into the reservoir of a double boiler.

2. Set the stove to a medium temperature once the bottom of the boiler is filled with water.

3. Allow the goat milk soap base about 15 minutes to slowly melt into a white and thin liquid.

4. Add the extracts of soap weed and horse chestnut to the melted soap base.

5. Stir the contents of the double boiler's reservoir while drizzling in an ounce of coconut oil. Stir for two minutes or until the contents are completely mixed.

6. Pour the mixture of soap and saponins into a soap mold.

7. Give the soap five hours to harden or set it in a freezer for an hour, so it can harden.

Tips & Warnings

• Add fragrance oils or dyes to further complete your homemade soap.

References

• Plants for a Future: Soap Plants