Herbal Soap

One of the best things about herbs is their versatility and the fact that you don’t have to ingest them to get their benefits. This is why it’s such a good idea to make your own herbal soap and lotion and other bath products because you can custom make them so that they have the properties of the herbs that you find you like best or work for certain needs or conditions you may have. There are many popular choices and if you just research certain herbs you can look up which ones have what benefits and find some that smell lovely to you. Lavender is a very popular choice because it has a nice fragrance, comfrey is also a good one as it does well at soothing irritated skin, and mint is very invigorating and is a good cleanser and works well in shampoos. Whatever herbs you decide remember to pick ones that you wont get sick of too quickly and that you can mix and match them so that they smell good together and have the desired effect as a soap.

You’ll want to find some really plain glycerin soap or at the very least a very mild unscented soap as this will be the base for your new herbal soap once you are done. You will also need a soap mold in whatever shape you like. Once you have all your ingredients ready take your soap mold and coat it with vegetable oil. Then heat one third of a cup of water in a double boiler and bring it to a simmer. Take about four tablespoons of herbs and crumble them into the water. Then take the double boiler off and allow the herbs to steep for fifteen minutes. Return the pan to the heat and add the soap after you have cut it up into lots of small pieces to make it easier and quicker to melt. Once the soap has melted completely and its mixed well with the herbs go ahead and pour your soap mixture into the soap mold. Leave the soap mixture alone until the soap has hardened and be aware that it will be a bit softer than a store-bought bar of soap. Just let the bar of soap rest at room temperature and it will harden gradually. After you’ve done that you can open the soap mld and remove your brand new bar of soap.

These soaps work great as gifts and you can make them in all kinds of unique shapes. You can even use cookie cutters to make soap as long as you seal one side of them and oil the inside so that you can get the soap out once it’s done hardening. You can also find cute and fun ways to package these with plastic wrap or cellophane along with cute labels listing their ingredients and what kind of her herbs as well as what the herbs are meant to do (for example, chamomile for restful sleep). If you include these items in a gift basket with other home made herbal products your recipients will absolutely love them and be able to enjoy using their soaps on a daily basis.

Remember when making your soap that you don’t want to go overboard purchasing new items and don’t worry about getting fresh herbs - dried ones are more potent and work better for your soap. Just focus on making the best soap you can. It’s also important that you try out your soap on a mall patch of skin before you use it everywhere. Most people aren’t allergic to soap but some can be so it’s a good idea to check on a small patch of skin that isn't visible before you use the whole soap all over. Other than that you will have a great time using your soap so have fun and enjoy making your herbal soap!