A friend asked me what herbs to use in soaps.Here are some off the top of my head:

Calendula-soothing

Lavender-antiseptic and scent

Lemon balm-acne

elderflowers-soothing skin

borage-softening

chamomile-softening and astringent

Mint-scent and and antiseptic

violet flowers-scent

luffa-scrubbing

She is looking for herbs to use (specifically mine!),not oils. Any other suggestions? I don't make soap so only know from memory. What kind of quantity of herbs,as well?

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001

Answers

Comfrey is another good one for soothing the skin, either the leaf or the root. Rosemary and lavender make a nice invigorating combination. Rosemary, spearmint, and green clay make a good soap for oily skin.

I usually make an infused oil with the herbs, either by putting them in a glass jar with the oil in a warm place for a couple weeks or by baking them in a low oven for a few hours. Then I use the infused oil in the soap recipe. You can grind up a few herbs and add them to the soap for decoration but too much will make the soap scratchy and the pH does funny things to some of the colors. For example, most blue flowers, like Lavender, will turn a funky greenish-gray color.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

Ground anise seed adds a nice licorice scent, and is a favorite of hunters and fishermen, hides the yucky human stink on us!

It is the big favorite down here in the boondocks, especially come November, when deer, as well as politicians, are in season!

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Annie

Don't forget the simultaneous Deer Hunter Season.As well as Farmer's Livestock Season.Or aren't your hunters that careless?

That's a great idea.I knew anise for that purpose,but never thought of a soap! Thanks.

Sherri,thanks too for the oil suggestion. Never knew that either.So you could use perhaps olive oil or coconut oil and immerse the herbs in it, then strain and use the oil? Would probably want to heat the oil to control fungal and bacterial growth from the herbs,as well as help in extraction,it would seem. I guess that would not be as importants with a soap. Or perhaps it would.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

So far,I found this recipe.You could soak herbs in the oil to extract their essence,then strain and add.

Goat Milk Soap

You will need:

42 oz olive oil

28 oz coconut oil

18 oz palm oil

12.7 oz Red Devil Lye

33 oz goat milk (or buttermilk can be used too )

1 cup ground oatmeal

4 Tbsp. honey

Bring fats and oils to 92 degrees F. Mix Lye and Milk and allow to fall to 92 degrees F. Pour oils and fats into lye/milk mixture slowly, stir til thickened and til it traces. Pour into molds. Cure for 4-6 weeks.

Smells like honey for many weeks!

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2001

I probably would cut the oatmeal back to 1/2 cup or even less, unless it's ground extremely fine. Otherwise the soap is going to be scratchy. Also, it's easier and safer to add the lye mixture to the oils rather than the other way around. The honey should either be melted with the oils or mixed in after the lye solution is added to the oils. Adding honey to the lye/milk mix will cause a big bubbly explosion.

I've never made milk-based soaps, but my understanding is that you have to start with the milk ice-cold, almost frozen. Otherwise the heat generated when you add the lye will cause the milk to curdle. You need to add the lye to the milk just a tiny bit at a time and stir, stir, stir. Whenever you add lye to water you get an exothermic (heat-generating) reaction that generates some nasty fumes. I usually mix up my lye in a pyrex measuring cup on the front porch so I have good ventilation.

Two good soapmaking books are "The Soapmakers Companion" and "Milk- based Soaps". Kathy Miller has a great website that takes you step-by- step through the process and has a lot of good recipies. I don't have it bookmarked on my computer here at work, but searching for "Miller's Homemade Soap" should pull it up.

One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post about the herb- infused oils is that it's best to use dried herbs rather than fresh. If you want to use fresh herbs, allow them to wilt in a warm, shady place for about 24 hours before using them. The water in the fresh herbs will cause the oil to grow mold. With the dried herbs mold ususally isn't a problem. I have some oils that are over a year old that still are fine, although I do store them in the fridge.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2001