Best way to use herbs?

[Linzybelle]

I have a bunch of mint, basil, and sage from the garden. Is there a good way to use it in CP soap?

 

[savonierre]

I have had dried mint stay green in soap, anything else I have tried has gone brown and yucky.. The key is using well dried herbs, imho.

 

[Kleine Teufel]

Don't sprinkle herbs on top. Any smidge of humidity on it and it'll mold up. Even wrapped soaps will mold. I only incorporate it into the batter now.
Lavender buds turn brown and look like bugs in the shower, lol.

 

[Ancel]

You can infuse herbs in your oils, or make an infusion with water to use as your liquid. There's a great soap blog called subplot Soaps, Heather got into soap making to use the herbs from her garden. Her blog is full of inspiration for using herbs and botanicals:

http://www.subplotsoap.blogspot.com/

You could look at Shawnee's site too, Alchemy and Ashes, for more inspiration on using herbs. There are so many ways to use and combine methods. Small batches mean more experimentation

I also just came across a microwave distiller for making essential oils at home! More ways to spend money

 

[Linzybelle]

Great! Thanks! The microwave distiller sounds intriguing!:smile:

 

[three_little_fishes]

Infusing in your oils is fun. I also incorporate dried herbs into batter. I have sprinkled on top and haven't had a bit of problem with mold from humidity. That includes when I was newer at making soap and cured in a bathroom closet where humidity was ridiculously high (got DOS like crazy though!).

 

[Sihir]

I saw an interesting recipe where someone made a tea and used that as their water - that could be interesting for your herbs!

I've sprinkled well-dried thyme in a batch once and not only did they turn an awful brown, but the area immediately around them got rather brown too, so my soap looked like it had brown freckles throughout.

 

[judymoody]

If you want to use dried herbs and have them retain something close to their original color and scent, you could try the HP method and stir them in at the end of the cook. Then the lye will be neutralized and less likely to affect the herbs.

Almost all oil infusions or teas I've made with green botanicals have resulted in brown soap. Nettle and comfrey-infused oils will produce green soaps but a more muted green which will fade towards olive green over time. Botanicals are also more sensitive to sun exposure so keep naturally colored soaps in a dark place.

Calendula stays yellow and alkanet, yellow dock, and madder are good for pinks, reds, and purples. The shade is often unpredictable, but that's half the fun.