how to use holy basil in soap making

[Kalpanaganesan]

I had holy basil from my garden and it is considered sacred by Indians.As iam from india i would like to include the same.how to add it.one of my friends said adding to oils .if so do we have to blend and mix with the oils before adding lye or we should add the powdered form of the leaves that are dried in the shade.If we are adding in powdered form do we have to add to the oils before adding lye.when blending do we have to use distilled water to blend.kindly suggest me ways.

 

[Ford]

Hi, a lot of people hydrate there dry components before adding. You could add to oils before lye water. Or add to batter at trace. EX. I have been hydrating my Kaolin clay with the fo's I use. Hope this helps.

 

[Hermit]

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/botanicals.64959/
Here's a good thread that talks about using different types of plants in soaps. Zany posted other links with more information too. You will probably have to experiment with different ways of adding that plant to your soaps to find out what works, and what doesn't.

Most plants turn the soap brown, and it's supposedly impossible to get their scent into the soap without adding Essential Oils taken from the plants.

Small batches with cheep oils is probably the way to go until you figure out what works with that plant.