Homemade soap making using garden herbs

Melt and pour soap with infused oils with garden herbs

The melt and pour method is a simple way to get introduced to DIY homemade soap making.  One of the first things to think about is what type of base soap to use and what aroma and mood you want to create.  There are various types of base melt and pour soap available.  I like using the shea butter soap and the goat milk glycerin soap.  These types of soaps and others can be found at any crafts or soapmaking store.

I like using the melt and pour method because is very easy and can also become another opportunity for spending quality time with my daughter.  This method does not use the sodium hydroxide used in the cold process soapmaking method.  Although it is easy, it needs to be done carefully because the melted soap base will get very hot.

Another great thing about making soaps at home is that you can select all ingredients and ensure these are natural and the end product fit your needs.  Also, you can use your own garden herbs and give yourself a guilt-free luxurious soap.

While I enjoy spending time exploring the outdoors, I also enjoy gardening and planting herbs and vegetables.  I have planted some herbs over the years and enjoy growing them and of course, using them for cooking and aromatherapy.  Every time I am in the backyard, I grab some rosemary rub it in my palms, and take a deep breath of the refreshing smell.  I enjoy the aroma (and taste of course!) of rosemary, basil, and mint.  While spending some time outside today I got a moment of inspiration to create a soap with these refreshing aromas from fresh herbs from my garden.

First, gather your materials:

Here is a picture of some of the basic materials you will need.

• Base Soap – I used Goat Milk glycerin soap and clear glycerin soap for this how-to.
  • 1/2 lb of goat milk soap and 1/2 lb of clear glycerin soap
• Herbs of your choice – both basil and rosemary evoke great feelings of comfort.  See below on how to infuse the oil with these herbs.
• 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil – to infuse with the herbs
• 10-15 drops of Essential oils – peppermint and lavender are two of my favorites, however, there are so many options here, from luxurious delicious earthy aromas to fruity and floral.  The choices are endless…
• Colorant – some are sold at crafts stores, in the soap-making aisle.  This ingredient is also optional, with the infusing of the herbs in the olive oil you will get a very light green color.

Other tools you will need are:

• sharp knife to cut the base soap
• cutting mat
• small bowls
• glass measuring cups
• mold for the soap
• toothpicks

Then, start the fun…

First, infuse the olive oil with the rosemary by placing the olive oil and the rosemary in a small pot at low heat.  Then, let it simmer for at least 1/2 hour.  This gives a great rosemary smell to the olive oil and will be used to give this rich aroma to the soap.

For this “recipe,” I used 1 tablespoon of olive oil and all of the rosemary in the picture.  It was about one tablespoon.

After the 1/2 hour in the heat remove from the heat and strain through a small strainer or cheese cloth into a small bowl.

The next step is to cut the soap into squares and place it in the glass measuring cup.  Melt in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until fully melted.  This will be about one minute to one minute and a half.

After the soap has melted, stir the essential oil (10-15 drops) and any coloring.  In this recipe, I used the peppermint essential oil for the goat milk soap.  The rosemary-infused olive oil was used in the clear glycerin soap.  Use only 1 teaspoon of the rosemary-infused olive oil.  Make sure to stir well until fully combined.

Pour the goat milk soap into the molds until the molds are about 1/2 full.  Then pour the clear glycerin soap.

With a toothpick, make swirls and mix the colors to give some different patterns to the soap and mix a bit.

Let the soap fully cool and harden and then remove it from the molds and enjoy.

The final product…

The smell of these soaps is refreshing and I like the funky pattern.  I just remembered that I made some coffee soaps in the past, and it was easy to make too… now, I will be looking for the recipe and making them again, coffee goes well in everything.

Below is a list of more melt-and-pour soap projects for more inspiration:

Melt and Pour projects for inspiration:

Oh so Sparkly, Beautiful Floral Soaps

Embossed Exfoliating Soaps

Lavender Melt and Pour Cube Soaps

Embossed Soap Party Favors

Hand Painted Rose Soap DIY

I would love to read what you think and whether this brought some inspiration for your homemade soap making.  If you did it would be lovely to see the pictures.

Click here to see the list of great parties I will be linking to this week.