by Jan Berry
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS
4.09 oz (116 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
10 oz (283 g) water
10 oz (283 g) hollyhock-infused olive oil (see here for how to infuse oils)
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil
4 oz (113 g) sweet almond oil
4 oz (113 g) castor oil
2 oz (57 g) shea butter
1 tbsp (15 ml) lavender essential oil (optional)
½ tbsp (7.5 ml) litsea cubeba essential oil (optional)
Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, carefully stir the lye into the water in a heatproof plastic or stainless steel container until completely dissolved. Set the solution aside in a safe place and let cool for about 30 to 40 minutes. The temperature should drop to around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C) during that time.
While the lye solution cools, weigh out the oils and butter and gently heat them to a temperature of around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C). Pour the warmed oils into your soap-making pot or bowl, then add the cooled lye solution.
Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for about 30 seconds, then turn the immersion blender on and mix the soap batter, alternating every 30 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out. Continue mixing until trace is reached. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when it’s drizzled across itself.
FOR COLD PROCESS SOAP
Stir in the essential oil, if using, then pour the soap into a prepared mold. Let it stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours, then remove and slice into bars. Let the bars cure in the open air for at least four weeks before using.
FOR HOT PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. After the hour has passed, stir in the lavender and litsea cubeba essential oils, if using, then spoon the cooked soap into a prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use the hot process soap right away, though it makes a longer-lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
To use a shampoo bar, just wet your hair with water and then gently rub the bar over it, massaging the lather onto your scalp and to the ends of your hair with your fingers. For long hair, you may want to work up a lather with your hands first and then rub it through your hair, to avoid tangles. Rinse well, follow with a diluted vinegar rinse and enjoy beautiful, shiny hair all day long!
Dandelion Scrub Bar
A scattering of poppy seeds dots this brightly scented soap, giving texture and a gentle exfoliating effect. Dandelion flowers, which are wonderful for treating rough, dry skin, are infused into skin-softening olive oil, then combined with bubbly coconut and nourishing sunflower oil. This bar is perfect for scrubbing away dirt and grime from hands, making it a wonderful gift for the gardener or farmer in your life! It can also be used as an all-over body bar.
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS
4.19 oz (119 oz) sodium hydroxide (lye)
8.5 oz (241 g) water
6 oz (454 g) dandelion-infused olive oil (see here for how to infuse oil)
3 oz (85 g) sunflower oil
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil
3 oz (85 g) cocoa butter
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemongrass essential oil
½ tbsp (5 g) poppy seeds
Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, carefully stir the lye into the water in a heatproof plastic or stainless steel container until completely dissolved. Set the mixture aside for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the temperature is around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).
While the lye solution cools, weigh out the dandelion-infused olive oil and sunflower oil and pour them into your soap-making pot or bowl. In a double boiler, heat the coconut oil and cocoa butter on low until completely melted. Pour the melted butter combination into the other oils and check the temperature. If needed, heat the oils to around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C).
Pour the lye solution into the warmed oils. Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for about 30 seconds, then turn the immersion blender on and mix the soap batter, alternating every 30 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out. Continue mixing until trace is reached. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when it’s drizzled across itself.
FOR COLD PROCESS SOAP
Add the lemongrass essential oil and poppy seeds, then stir until they’re fully incorporated. Pour the soap into a prepared mold. Let it stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours, then remove and slice into bars. Let the bars cure in the open air for at least 4 weeks before using.
FOR HOT PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. After the hour has passed, stir in the poppy seeds and lemongrass essential oil, then spoon the cooked soap into a prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use the hot process soap right away, though it makes a longer-lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
For smoother, cleaner skin, use daily and follow with a light but effective moisturizer, such as Basic Calendula Lotion.
Carrot & Calendula Soap
This delightful soap is a treat for all skin types. Carrots are a nutritional powerhouse full of antioxidants and vitamin A, while calendula-infused olive oil soothes and softens skin. Coconut oil helps make soap bubbly and hard, while sunflower oil nourishes all skin types. Castor oil is a great addition to soap since it helps boost and stabilize lather. Raw honey adds a little something extra special to the bar, but if you’re vegan, it can be omitted. Carrot soap is popular for use as a facial bar, but can also be used to wash your body for softer, smoother skin.
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS
6 oz (198 g) bottled or home-pressed 100% carrot juice
3 oz (57 g) water
4.22 oz (120 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
15 oz (425 g) calendula-infused olive oil (see here for how to infuse oil)
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil
4.5 oz (128 g) sunflower oil
2.5 oz (71 g) castor oil
1 tbsp (21 g) raw honey (optional)
1 tbsp (15 ml) water, for hot process version
Place the carrot juice and water in a heatproof plastic or stainless steel pitcher. Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, slowly stir the lye into the diluted juice until fully dissolved. The mixture will probably be a bright shade of orange and may smell unpleasant during this phase—this is normal. Set the mixture aside for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the temperature is around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).
While the lye solution cools, weigh out the oils and pour them into your soap-making pot or bowl. Gently heat them to around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C).
Pour the lye and carrot juice solution into the warm oils. Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for about 30 seconds, then turn the immersion blender on and mix the soap batter, alternating every 30 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out. Continue mixing until trace is reached. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when it’s drizzled across itself.
FOR COLD PROCESS SOAP
Add the honey, if using, and stir one more time until it’s fully incorporated. The soap will still be a dark or medium orange at this point, but will lighten as it cures. Pour the soap into a prepared mold. Since it has honey and juice in it, it may tend to heat up faster than other soaps, so you don’t need to cover the mold. If you see a crack developing in the top, it means the soap is getting too hot. Move it to a cooler room or even your refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours to cool it down. Let it stay in the mold for 2 to 3 days, then re
move and slice into bars. Let the bars cure in the open air for around 4 weeks before using.
FOR HOT PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. Stir the honey and water together until completely blended. The extra water will help the honey stir into the hot soap, with a reduced chance of scorching. After the hour has passed, stir in the diluted honey, then spoon the cooked soap into a prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use the hot process soap right away, though it makes a longer-lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
Cucumber Mint Soap
Cool and creamy, this soap is a refreshing treat on a hot summer day. The French green clay not only gives each bar a pretty color, but also helps soothe itchy skin caused by bug bites or heat rash. Mint-infused olive oil conditions skin, while coconut and castor oil add a bubbly lather. Extra nourishing avocado oil is loaded with essential fatty acids to help promote beautiful skin. Perky peppermint, with its cooling, anti-inflammatory properties, makes the perfect companion for cucumber, an astringent skin toner in its own right. The essential oil also adds a wonderful scent and feel, making bath time with this soap an energizing and uplifting experience!
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS
¼ of a fresh, unpeeled cucumber (approximately 2 to 3 oz [55 to 85 g])
8 to 9 oz (227 to 255 g) cold water
4.17 oz (118 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
17 oz (482 g) mint-infused olive oil (see here for how to infuse oil)
8 oz (227 g) coconut oil
3 oz (85 g) avocado oil
2 oz (57 g) castor oil
2 tbsp peppermint essential oil
½ tbsp (8 g) French green clay
1 tbsp (15 ml) water
Purée the cucumber and about 4 ounces (120 ml) of water together in a food processor or blender. Strain the resulting liquid with a fine mesh sieve or strainer so there are no pieces of cucumber left; you’ll only need the juice from it. Add additional cold water, as needed, until you have 9 ounces (255 g) of cucumber and water slurry.
Place the mixture in a heatproof plastic or stainless steel pitcher. Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, slowly stir the lye into the cucumber water until it’s fully dissolved. Set the mixture aside for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the temperature is around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).
While the lye solution cools, weigh out the oils and pour into your soap-making pot or bowl. Gently heat them to around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C).
In a small bowl, stir together the essential oil, clay and water to make a thick paste that will be added later in the recipe.
Pour the lye and cucumber water solution into the warm oils. Hand stir with an immersion blender (powered off) for about 30 seconds, then turn the immersion blender on and mix the soap batter, alternating every 30 seconds or so with hand stirring to prevent the immersion blender’s motor from burning out. Continue mixing until trace is reached. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes. “Trace” means that the soap batter is thick enough to leave a faint, fleeting imprint when drizzled across itself.
FOR COLD PROCESS SOAP
Add the combined essential oil, clay and water, then stir one more time until they’re fully incorporated. Pour the soap into a prepared soap mold. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and then the mold top, if it has one, or a piece of cardboard. Tuck a towel or blanket around the mold, to help keep the heat in. Let the soap stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours then unmold and turn the soap loaf out on a sheet of wax paper. Cut the soap into bars and cure in the open air for around 4 weeks before using.
FOR HOT PROCESS SOAP
Pour the soap batter into a slow cooker turned on low heat. Cover with the lid and let cook for 1 hour, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. After the hour has passed, stir in the combined essential oil, clay and water, then spoon the cooked soap into a prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use the hot process soap right away, though it makes a longer-lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
See picture here.
Coconut Laundry Soap & Stain Stick
This pure coconut oil soap is intended for laundry purposes only. It has no extra oils or fats in it, making it better suited for cleaning tough stains on clothes rather than your skin. It can be used as a stain stick, as detailed below, or to turn it into a homemade Lavender Laundry Detergent recipe. I often leave laundry soap plain, but you can add essential oils for natural fragrance if you’d like. Lavender, peppermint or lemongrass are three fresh, clean scents you may want to consider. Since pure coconut oil sets up so quickly and can be employed for laundry use after only two weeks of cure time, I prefer to make this soap using the cold process method only.
YIELD: 7 TO 8 BARS
10 oz (283 g) water
5.15 oz (146 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
28 oz (794 g) coconut oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) essential oil, for scent (optional)
Place the water in a heatproof plastic or stainless steel pitcher. Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, slowly stir the lye into the water until fully dissolved. Set the mixture aside for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the temperature is around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).
While the lye solution cools, warm the coconut oil until it’s melted and around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C). Pour it into your soap-making pot or bowl.
Pour the lye solution into the warm coconut oil and stir by hand for 1 to 2 minutes. Most often, coconut oil soap will set up quickly and you may not need to use your immersion blender. If it doesn’t start to thicken after that amount of time, use your immersion blender in intermittent bursts for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until trace is reached.
Pour the soap into a prepared mold. Leave the mold uncovered and let it sit undisturbed for 2 to 3 hours. You want to cut coconut oil soap much sooner than other types of soap, since it hardens quickly and will be crumbly and difficult to cut if you wait too long. After 2 hours, check to see if the soap is firm enough to slice into bars. Even though it becomes solid sooner than other soaps, it may still be caustic for another 12 to 24 hours, so make sure you’re wearing your gloves for this step.
Set the bars on sheets of wax paper or coated cooling racks and allow to cure in the open air for around 2 weeks before using.
To use as a stain stick, cut each bar of soap into halves or thirds to make easy-to-hold stick-shaped pieces. Wet the soiled area with plain water and rub the soap directly into it until a lather forms. Launder as usual. These stain sticks should work on most types of machine-washable clothing, but always test a small spot out first, to be sure.
Herbal Home Remedies
This is the chapter where your flowers and herbs can really shine!
Here, you’ll learn how to make remedies and potions for treating pains, coughs, sore throats and other such maladies. I share several of the time-tested recipes that I use to keep my family healthy and well.
It’s a joy to spend time outdoors when the weather is warm and sunny, but bee stings and bug bites can put a real damper on the fun. Try whipping up a batch of Bug Bite Powder or portable Lavender Bug Bite Sticks for a dose of quick relief. To help keep bugs away in the first place, try mixing together some Catnip & Basil Insect Repellant Spray.
Working and playing outdoors all day can leave you with sore muscles in need of serious relief. Dandelion oil is fantastic and just what you need to ease away aches and pains. You can use it to make a handy roll-on Lavender Dandelion Pain Relief Oil or a quick-acting Dandelion Magnesium Lotion, which has helped many friends and family members who suffer from nighttime leg cramps.
When fall and winter roll around, colds and flu aren’t far behind. Keep a stash of remedies on hand, such as Oregano Oxymel or Violet Flower Sore Throat Syrup, to help speed up recovery time and help your loved ones feel better fast!
Catnip & Basil Insect Repellant Spray
This homemade bug spray features catnip, for its reported ability to repel mosquitoes just as well as DEET, and basil, which contains compounds that repel flies, mosquitoes and other pesky critters. To make this spray most effective, be sure to add at least one of the essential oils listed. According to current aromatherapy guidelines, basil, citronella and lemongrass essential oils should not be used on children under the age of 2 and eucalyptus should be reserved for those who are age 10 or over.
YIELD: 1 CUP (250 ML)
½ cup (10 g) fresh catnip and basil leaves, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) witch hazel
Citronella, basil, lemongrass and/or lemon eucalyptus essential oils
Water, for diluting
FOR THE HERB-INFUSED WITCH HAZEL
Place the catnip and basil leaves in a pint (500-ml) jar. Pour the witch hazel over the herbs. You may need to add a little extra witch hazel to ensure that the herbs are completely covered. Cap the jar and tuck it away in a dark cabinet for 1 week, then remove and strain. The finished infused witch hazel should stay fresh at least 9 months to 1 year.
FOR THE BUG SPRAY
Fill a small 2-ounce (60-ml) glass spray bottle a little over halfway with the infused witch hazel. Add 3 or 4 drops total of your favorite bug-repelling essential oils, such as citronella, basil, lemongrass or lemon. Fill the rest of the bottle with plain water, cap and shake.