I know this has been discussed before, but I have a question about boiling soapwort. I want to try to make some for shampoo and I'm boiling it now as I'm writing this. How long do you boil it? I cut my pieces of root into disks and dried them. Do I need to grind them up before I boil them? I thought maybe I'd add some aloe to the decoction after it's done. Any ideas? Thanks, Diana

-- Diana (rock_hunter83@hotmail.com), December 31, 2001

Answers

Hi Diana, I don't have an answer, sorry, but a question, where did you get your soapwort from? I'd like to try growing some. Thanks.

-- Sandie in Maine (peqbear@maine.rr.com), January 01, 2002.

Hi Sandie, here in Missouri, it grows wild everywhere. It grows on the gravel bars in the creeks that I go to, so I just gather some while I'm there. I'm not sure if it grows where you live or not. You could probably order some seeds for it. Some of the seed catalogs mentioned in this site should carry them. Another name for it is Bouncing Bet. It's Latin name is Saponaria Officinalis, so ask for that. They grow about 2 feet tall and have pale pink flowers that bloom from June to October here. They have opposite, lance shaped leaves. Diana

-- Diana (rock_hunter83@hotmail.com), January 01, 2002.

It also goes by the name Bouncing Bette.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 02, 2002.