Crafting Soap
Posted By admin on October 11, 2008
Mauve and Rose Clay Soap
scented with White Ginger & Amber Fragrance
Update: March 29, 2009
Today, I made a batch of soap using equal portions of Vegetable, Coconut, Palm, and Olive Oils. I added just a touch of Lanolin as the oils were melting since I have never added Lanolin to a batch of soap before and I want to see how it turns out.
At trace, I added 1.5 teaspoons Mauve Clay and a half teaspoon of Rose Clay. Rose Clay imparts a brighter rose color overall while the Mauve Clay leaves tiny spots of reddish pink in the soap. I’m not sure how it will come out after it gels and hardens, but I will have pictures up soon.
I also added almost two teaspoons of salt and sugar at trace. Some people dissolve salt into the water before adding lye, but I have not tried that yet. I prefer to add it at trace, but am very careful to stir it in well.
Calendula Soap
scented with Oatmeal & Honey Fragrance
Today I am using the double boiler to make Calendula Flower Tea and infused oil. Calendula Flowers hold their color well in cold-processed soap, so while my goal is a white or off-white soap, I will be adding dried flowers for color in this batch. I will use equal portions of Olive and Coconut Oils, with some Vegetable Oil.
Calendula Benefits
Calendula has been used to treat a variety of skin disorders, ranging from skin ulcerations to eczema. It has also been used to sooth stomach ulcers and inflammation. Today Calendula is still used by many for the medicinal and health related effects it offers. Flavonoids, found in high amounts in calendula, are thought to account for much of its anti-inflammatory activity as well as medicinal effects. Triterpene and caretonoids are two other constituents of calendula that may play an important role in the herbs medicinal applications.
The following are list of calendula’s reported medicinal applications:
- Wound healing
- Anti-inflammatory
- Burns (minor, including sunburn)
- Conjunctivitis
- Eczema
- Gastritis
- Injuries (minor)
- Peptic ulcer
- Ulcerative colitis
- Sore Throat
More about Calendula Benefits and Uses
The oil extracted from the calendula herb serves many purposes. Externally applied to the ear, it has been reported to alleviate pain and discomfort from an earache. Taken internally, it may aid in eliminating fever, soothing a festering ulcer, and relieving discomfort of menstrual cramps. Calendula provides one of its greatest benefits in relieving eruptive skin disorders such as shingles, a viral infection. Calendula is considered by many to be an effective detoxifying herb that can help with the toxicity associated many severe fevers and infections. Calendula is also widely recognized as a cleanser for the liver, gallbladder, and other organs.
Dosage and Administration
To make calendula tea simply pour 200 ml of boiling water over 1-2 teaspoons of calendula flowers and let sit for 15 minutes. Calendula tea may be taken 3 times per day.
Calendula Tincture
Calendula tincture can be taken with water or tea, 3 times a day (in doses of 1-2 ml). To make calendul tincture soak a cup of flowers in .5 quarts of rectified alcohol or whiskey for 5 to 6 weeks. A tincture dose is 5 to 15 drops.
Calendula Salve
To create a calendula salve for external application boil 1 oz dried flowers or leaves with 1 oz lard.
As calendula may seal dirt into the body, make sure when using on a wound that the wound is thoroughly cleaned out. Do not use tincture on wounds as the alcohol base will burn the raw tissue. Calendula as a lotion is even less irritating than most over the counter external antiseptics.
Possible Side Effects
For the general population calendula has no known side effects or interactions.
Comfrey Soap
scented with Lavendar Essential Oil
This morning, I made a batch of comfrey cold process soap and it turned out beautifully except that the scent of Lavendar is very faint.
In preparation, I made a fairly strong comfrey root tea (about one cup) using distilled water. I strained out all traces of sediment and put the liquid tea in the refrigerator to cool. I read somewhere that you could add comfrey to cold process soap in the lye/water phase, so I thought I would give it a try, but I decided I would also like to add more comfrey by soaking it in olive oil and adding it to the oil phase and even more comfrey leaf and root at trace.
I used equal portions of Coconut and Olive Oils at about 600 grams/per oil and equal portions of vegetable and palm oils at about 500 grams/per oil. I have a fairly large wooden loaf mold that produces approximately 30 bars per batch, so this is the perfect weight for the size of the mold.
The next day, I incorporated the tea into the water phase. It turned out that I needed to add a little distilled water to contribute to the 513 grams of water necessary for this particular batch and to this I added 208.72 grams of lye. Mixing the lye into the comfrey tea water was uneventful except that there seemed to be a little curdling on the top.
I poured the lye mixture into the oils and used my stick blender until the batch started to trace. Then I added some finely chopped comfrey leaves and a little bit of the sediment from the comfrey tea, which again consisted mainly of comfrey root. I also added about 50 drops of Lavendar Essential Oil.
About Comfrey
Dried comfrey root is as hard as a rock until you boil it in water.
Mucilage and allantoin are the primary constituents in comfrey which are responsible for the herbs soothing and anti-inflammatory effects. Comfrey has a wide range of medicinal uses for both internal and external ailments. Its actions are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory.
Comfrey is an:
- anodyne (alleviates pain),
- astringent (constricts blood vessels),
- expectorant (expels mucous),
- emollient (used to soften body tissues including skin),
- haemostatic (helps blood clotting),
- proliferant (increases cells growth),
- refrigerant,
- mild sedative, and
- vulnerary (ability to heal injuries)
More Comfrey Benefits and Uses
Dried comfrey leaves are especially popular when used in connection with internal disorders, such as lung ailments, and when used as an expectorant. Comfrey acts as a natural laxative and the mucilage as a gum-based substance relieves diarrhea and also helps with the digestion of food, a great benefit to people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.
Reports indicate that comfrey is useful for individuals suffering from ulcers and diabetes. Mucilage created by comfrey delays the emptying of the stomach and reduces after-meal peaks of glucose and insulin. It also helps to remove cholesterol, and the high nutrient content helps people feel better.
Comfrey is most commonly used in connection with the following conditions:
- Bruises
- Sprains and Strains
- Dislocations
- Wounds
Finished Comfrey Soap
This is a hard smooth bar and the comfrey leaves seem to have retained their color. The overall color of the soap itself is a medium tan.
Dated: March 19, 2009
Welcome to my free resource site on cold process soapmaking
This website was created after I realized just how easy it is to make cold-process soap, despite having to work with lye.
I read soapmaking books for ten years before taking the plunge and when you talk to people, the fear of working with lye is pretty much the most common reason they don’t make their own soap.
We also have an extensive glossary (from A-Z) and personal pampering information in our Home Spa pages. See the sidebar links on the right.
Visit my page on working with Lye Safely
and once you get past the first successful batch, you will become more comfortable with the process.
The benefits are undeniable. You will experiment with different oils and butters, colors, exfoliants and other useful additives, make soap for holidays and special occasions, perhaps sell your wares at craft shows or flea markets, and you will hand them out to everyone willing to try them. Before you know it, you will have requests for more. How neat is that?
Crafting real soap bars in your kitchen offers a great deal of satisfaction for those who are looking for more natural alternatives to commercial “soaps”.
Create your own Recipes based on the oils you have available on hand. Our recipes or formulations are always created “on the fly” depending on what we have available in our soap cabinet. The Ingredients Page offers descriptions of the most commonly used oils in cold process soapmaking. Once you determine that you have the ingredients you want, weigh them out, write them down and head for an online lye calculator.