by Jan Berry
Dried or fresh herbs and flowers
4 to 5 oz (120 to 150 ml) simmering water
2 oz (60 ml) liquid castile soap
¼ tsp sunflower, olive, jojoba or another light oil
20 to 40 drops essential oil
Natural preservative (optional)
Vinegar hair rinse
Look through the flower and herb descriptions here and choose one or more herbs. Some good choices include: moisturizing hollyhock, shine-promoting sunflower, rosemary for thinning hair, lavender or chamomile for itchy scalp, calendula for chronic scalp conditions, thyme or sage for dandruff, roses for oily scalp, violets for dry scalp and nettle to stimulate hair growth.
Fill a half-pint (250-ml) jar about halfway with your chosen herb(s) and flower(s). Pour the simmering water over the herbs and flowers in the jar. Stir them around for a few seconds, to make sure they’re covered in the water, then let them steep for around 1 hour. Strain.
Gently stir the castile soap and sunflower oil into the infused water.
Choose an essential oil for your shampoo. Some you may want to consider include: lavender (relieves dry scalp), peppermint (refreshing), rose (toning), tea tree (for dandruff) or rosemary (antimicrobial). If you’re pregnant, nursing or have chronic health conditions, check with your health care provider before using essential oils.
Add around 20 or more drops of your chosen essential oil into the shampoo.
This homemade shampoo will stay fresh for around 1 week, if stored in your refrigerator between uses. To extend shelf life, add a natural preservative (see here).
To use, shake well and pour a small amount of herbal shampoo into the palm of your hand. It’s normal for it to look thin and watery. Rub the shampoo between your fingers and palms to work up some lather. Massage the lather into your scalp and partially down your hair. There’s no need to focus on the ends, as the process of rinsing should sufficiently clean them. Rinse well under running water, then follow with a vinegar rinse or spray (here).
See picture here.
It’s essential to follow up with a vinegar hair rinse after shampooing, to restore pH and remove shampoo residue. Some, especially those with hard water or fine hair, may find this shampoo weighs down their hair too much. If you try it out and don’t care for the result, use the rest as a body wash and try out shampoo bars (here and here) instead!
Rosemary Beard Oil
This beard oil conditions and tames unruly and itchy beards. By increasing circulation, rosemary stimulates hair growth and improves its overall health. If rosemary isn’t available, try using dried lavender leaves or pine needles instead. Olive oil was chosen for this recipe since it’s a great all-purpose emollient that works for most skin and hair types. Other good choices include sunflower, argan, apricot, grapeseed or sweet almond oil. You can even blend together more than one type of oil, if you’d like, to customize this recipe further. The tea tree oil is optional, but will help if itching or flakiness is a problem.
HELD: ½ CUP (120 ML) BEARD OIL
½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
3 tbsp (2 g) dried rosemary
Drop or two of tea tree oil (optional)
Infuse the olive oil with dried rosemary, using one of the methods here.
For a stronger scent and more powerful herbal action, pour the freshly strained oil over a new batch of dried rosemary and repeat the process to create a double-infused oil.
Use your fingers to rub a small amount of oil into your beard, as needed. Shelf life is around 9 months or longer, depending on type of oil used.
Create Your Own Vinegar Hair Rinse
After-shampoo vinegar rinses are an important part of using homemade shampoos and shampoo bars. They help restore pH, remove shampoo residue, soften hair and can be beneficial for flaky or irritated scalp conditions. While several types of vinegars are available and have similar effect on the hair, apple cider vinegar is preferred because it’s less processed and contains more nutrients than standard white vinegar.
Use the following formula to custom-tailor a vinegar hair rinse specifically suited to your hair type. If you don’t have fresh plants on hand, you can use half as much dried instead.
YIELD: ABOUT 8 APPLICATIONS (10 CUPS [2.4 L])
2 cups (500 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 cup (15 to 20 g) coarsely chopped fresh herbs or flowers
8 cups (1.9 L) water
Infuse the vinegar and herbs for two weeks, then strain.
To make the hair rinse, combine ¼ cup (60 ml) of vinegar with 1 cup (250 ml) of water. Depending on your hair type, you may want to adjust the ratios of vinegar and water to make the rinse stronger or milder.
Pour the diluted rinse over your hair and scalp after shampooing. There’s no need to rinse, though you can if you’d like.
For a more convenient alternative, you can fill a small spray bottle with the undiluted infused vinegar and store it in your shower. Spritz it all over your scalp and hair after shampooing, then follow with a rinse of plain water.
Herbs and flowers to consider using in your hair rinse include:
Basil—antimicrobial
Calendula—soothes scalp
Catnip—for flaky scalp
Chamomile—reputed to lighten blond hair
Mint—increases scalp circulation
Nettle—stimulates hair growth
Roses—uplifting and soothing
Rosemary—improves scalp circulation
Sage—cleansing
Sunflower—makes hair shiny
Thyme—antiseptic
Violets—soothes and won’t strip moisture
Simple Homemade Soaps
Many people are interested in making their own soap, but begin to feel intimidated or overwhelmed once they start researching the craft. I know, because I was the same way for a long time!
Once I made my first successful batch, though, I realized that the hardest part of soap making is just gathering up the bravery to actually try it. Yes, you do have to follow certain safety rules, but if you take your time and work carefully and methodically, it’s not difficult.
The most rewarding part about soap making for me was being able to make my sensitive and highly allergic toddler a soap that cleared his eczema and left his rough, dry skin so smooth that his doctor was beyond impressed. That’s an empowering feeling that money just can’t buy.
In this chapter, I’ll take beginners step-by-step through the basics of soap making. Once you’re familiar with the process, try making a batch of Chamomile “Almost Castile” Soap. It’s a simple recipe that requires just two oils and makes a lovely, gentle soap that’s wonderful for all skin types. If you don’t have chamomile on hand, don’t worry, I have plenty of substitution ideas for you!
Veteran soap makers will enjoy perusing the recipe section, filled with nourishing and healing soaps such as Thyme & Witch Hazel Clear Skin Facial Bar and Carrot & Calendula Soap.
Shampoo bars are a popular item to make and give, so I’ve included two of my favorites here as well, featuring sunflowers and hollyhocks, two flowers that can help smooth hair and leave it shiny and healthy looking.
I wrap up the chapter with an easy-to-make, pure coconut oil soap that works fantastic as a stain stick and laundry detergent!
Soap Making Basics
Before you jump into the process of making soap, there are a few things to know.
In order to make soap, you need to combine a caustic substance with oils or fat. In days past, our grandmothers used potash, made from wood ashes and animal fats. The problem was that there was no way to know how strong or weak the potash was and how much fat should be used in ratio to it. The result was often a harsh bar that did well for cleaning laundry, but didn’t feel so great on skin!
Today, we have one standardized chemical for making bar soap. It’s called sodium hydroxide, or more commonly, lye. Because it never changes, we can use online lye calculators and figure out exactly how much we need to make a perfectly balanced bar of so
ap every single time.
In order to do this, it’s important that all ingredients, even water and oils, are measured by weight instead of volume, since inconsistent measurements will yield unreliable results.
Some people fear that because lye is a caustic substance, some might be leftover in the soap and will hurt your skin. That’s an understandable concern, but it’s completely untrue. Every single molecule of lye reacts with corresponding molecules of oil and they both turn into something new—soap plus glycerin. There is no lye left in a properly made bar of soap.
Store-bought soaps either contain chemical detergents or lye. Look on the label of your favorite soap. If it has the words “saponified,” “sodium cocoate,” “sodium tallowate” or “sodium palmitate,” that’s just another way of saying oils that have been reacted with sodium hydroxide, or lye.
Lye is a strong chemical that does require utmost caution and respect when handling. For safety, wear a pair of goggles, to protect your eyes from splashes, along with rubber or latex gloves and long sleeves.
Always add lye to liquids, and not the other way around, or it may have a volcano effect and make a mess. When mixing lye into water or another liquid, it gets very hot fast, and strong fumes will develop for a few moments. Don’t breathe these fumes in directly. The ideal place to work is in your kitchen sink, with the window open for fresh air.
Handling lye is for grownups only. Make sure small children and pets are out of the area. Lye solutions should be clearly marked with both words and danger symbols for nonreaders.
If you get lye on your skin, rinse repeatedly with copious amounts of cool water. For large-area burns or if you get it in your eyes, rinse and seek medical attention right away.
I know that all of these safety warnings make lye sound pretty scary! Keep in mind, though, that soap is made every day by many people without incident. If you can safely handle bleach, another potentially harmful chemical, you should be able to handle lye with the same amount of competence.
Soap Making Equipment
There are a few basic things you’ll need for making soap.
Digital Scale—it’s important that soap-making ingredients, especially the lye, are measured precisely in order to make a balanced bar of soap. An accurate digital scale is a must. Check at your local big-box store, near the kitchen accessories section, for a reasonably priced one.
Thermometer—a candy thermometer works well to measure the temperature of lye solution and oils. Save it just for soap making, though, and get a separate one for making candy.
Small Measuring Container—this is for measuring dry lye. Mark it clearly with the words “LYE” and a symbol for nonreaders. I use a plastic cup.
Heatproof Pitcher—for mixing the lye and water together. Use stainless steel or heavy-duty plastic. Some people use heatproof glass, but over time the inside develops weaknesses that make it prone to breakage, so it’s not recommended.
Soap Pot or Large Bowl—for mixing the whole thing together. It should be stainless steel, high-density plastic, enamel-lined or ceramic. Don’t use aluminum or nonstick surfaces; they will react badly with lye.
Heatproof Mixing Utensils—use heavy-duty plastic or silicone spoons and spatulas for mixing and scraping soap into the mold.
Rubber Gloves, Long Sleeves and Safety Goggles—to keep hands, arms and eyes protected.
Stick or Immersion Blender—shortens stirring time considerably and is highly recommended. Don’t use a regular handheld mixer with beaters; it doesn’t work in the same way.
Soap Molds—you can buy a 3-pound (1.3-kg) mold for the recipes in this book, or use a glass loaf pan, like the kind you make bread in, and line it with parchment paper or an inexpensive trash bag. A similarly lined, sturdy small shoebox or plastic storage container could work too.
Lining Molds
This is a step that can be done several ways. One method is to use two long sheets of parchment or freezer paper, one cut to the exact width of the mold and the other cut to the exact length. Lay the sheets across each other so they hang over the sides of the mold. This makes it easy to lift the finished soap out of the mold by the paper.
For a quick and easy liner, buy a bag of unscented store-brand trash bags. Make sure they’re not the thinnest, flimsy kind that tears easily, but they don’t have to be expensive either. Open the bag and press it to fit neatly into the bottom of the mold. You’ll find that you have a lot of bag left over when you’re done. You can tie it up, out of the way, or trim the excess off.
You can bypass the need for lining your mold in the first place by buying silicone molds or wooden ones with silicone liners. While they have the advantage of being nonstick, they often hold in moisture longer, so your soaps may have to sit in them a few extra days before they can be unmolded.
Unmolding & Slicing Bars of Soap
Soap can often be unmolded 24 to 48 hours after being poured into the mold. It should be completely cool and feel solid when pressed. Some silicone molds or very deep ones will hold in moisture longer, so may take several extra days before the soap is firm enough to unmold easily. If you continually have problems with unmolding soap, try reducing the water in your recipe by 0.5 ounce (14 grams) or adding around 1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) of sodium lactate (a salt, naturally derived from corn or beets). Both of these techniques will help the soap harden faster.
Once your soap is firm enough, remove it from the mold and place the loaf on a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Slice evenly into bars using a soap cutter or sharp, unserrated knife. How thick you slice the bars is a personal preference, but many soap makers like to cut them about 1 to 1¼ inch (2.5 to 3 cm) thick.
Adding Natural Fragrance and Color
Essential oils can be added to soap for natural fragrance, though it does take a fairly significant amount, around 2 tablespoons (30 ml) per batch, to create a noticeable, long-lasting scent. (Use half as much for a lighter scent.) If you plan on scenting your soaps with essential oils, you’ll find that online vendors of soap supplies are significantly more economical than local health stores, where tiny bottles are often expensive. Many citrus essential-oil scents fade too quickly, while other essential oils are too cost prohibitive to use in soap. Some that I’ve found to work well include lavender, rose geranium, peppermint, spearmint, lime, 10x (ten-fold) orange, lemongrass and eucalyptus.
To color soap naturally, try adding clays and botanicals, such as annatto seed powder (for yellow and orange), purple Brazilian clay, French green clay, rose kaolin clay and indigo powder.
Soap Making Overview
Now that you have the basics down, you’re ready to make soap! Remember that all measurements are by weight, even the water portion.
STEP 1
Assemble your ingredients and don your safety gear of gloves, goggles and long sleeves. I like to lay several sheets of wax paper over my work area, to make cleanup easier. Prepare your mold by lining it, unless it’s silicone. (See here.)
STEP 2
Weigh out the water or herbal tea part of the recipe into a heatproof container and set it down into your kitchen sink or other spot near a source of fresh air. Weigh out the lye in a separate container.
STEP 3
Pour the lye into the water or tea and stir gently with a heatproof spatula or spoon until the lye is fully dissolved from the bottom of the container. Always add the lye to water and not the other way around, to avoid a potentially dangerous, and messy, lye-volcano. Avoid directly breathing in the strong fumes. Set the solution aside in a safe place out of reach of children and pets, 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.
STEP 4
While the lye solution is cooling, weigh out the oils and butters you’ll need for your recipe. Melt coconut oil and any solid butters in a double boiler before adding to the other oils in your bigger soap-making pot or mixing container. Heat the oils more, if necessary, until they’re about 90 to 100°F (32 to
38°C).
STEP 5
Pour the lye solution into the pot or mixing container of 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 could 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.
STEP 6
Once you’ve reached trace, you can choose to make either cold process soap or hot process soap.
For Cold Process Soap (1a)
Stir in any extra ingredients, such as essential oils, oatmeal, honey and such, then pour the soap batter into the prepared mold. At this stage, the soap is still caustic, so be sure to have your gloves on while handling it. Cover the mold with a sheet of wax paper and then the mold’s top or a piece of cardboard. To retain heat, tuck a quilt or towel around it. Make sure it’s in an area where it won’t get disturbed or knocked over, then allow it to stay in the mold for 24 to 48 hours. After that time, remove the soap from the mold and slice into bars. Let the bars cure in the open air on sheets of wax paper or a coated baking rack for at least four weeks before using.
For Hot Process Soap (1b–5)
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. The soap will go through many changes during the process. At times, it will rise up higher and then fall back in on itself. Parts of the soap will turn dark and gel-like. This is all normal. After 1 hour of cook time has passed, give the soap a final stir. It will have a thickened consistency reminiscent of mashed potatoes. At this stage, stir in any extras such as essential oils, oatmeal, honey and such. Spoon the cooked soap into the prepared mold. Allow it to firm up overnight, then remove from the mold and slice into bars. You can use hot process soap bars right away, though it makes a longer lasting bar if it cures in the open air for a few weeks.
