How to Make Basic Herbal Soap

You can add herbs or essential oils to create your own herbal soap.

These days, chemicals and preservatives are added to most everything, even the soap you use to clean your skin. If you like to know what's in your soap and enjoy the fragrance of herbal soaps, you can make basic herbal soaps on your own or as a family activity. Herbal soaps can be made with the herbs of your choice, helping you create soaps that are soothing or invigorating, as well as cleansing.

Things You'll Need

• Bar of organic glycerin soap
• Cheese grater
• Bowl
• Double boiler
• 1 peppermint tea bag
• Spoon
• Soap molds
• Whole peppermint leaves

Instructions

1. Grate a bar of glycerin soap into a bowl, using a cheese grater. Use organic glycerin soap to ensure there are no chemical additives, preservatives or harmful dyes.

2. Heat 1/4 cup water in the top of a double boiler. Place one peppermint tea bag in the boiling water, turn the heat off and allow the tea to steep for two to three minutes. Remove the tea bag and discard.

3. Turn the heat on low, beneath the double boiler. Pour the grated glycerin soap into the double boiler and stir it into the peppermint tea. Continue to stir until the glycerin soap is completely melted.

4. 

   A single peppermint leaf adds a special touch to your herbal soaps.

   Pour the herbal soap mixture into the soap molds. Place one fresh peppermint leaf on top of each soap and use the spoon to push the leaf just beneath the surface of the soap. Since glycerin soap is transparent, you'll have a fresh peppermint leaf adorning the inside of your herbal soap.

5. Allow your herbal soaps to sit until they've hardened. Pop them out of the soap molds and store, individually, in sandwich bags.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute peppermint essential oil for the tea bag.

• Wrap a ribbon around your herbal soaps and give them as a gift.

References

• Natural Pure Soap: How to Make Herbal Soap