# Fresh/Dried herbs, plant material



## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

I have a fav soap that I buy from a local maker that's sold as a "gardeners" soap and has quite a quantity of lemon verbena pieces and other stuff that gives it a scrubbing texture. I don't know if the lemony scent is natural or EO more likely.

I'm just starting to experiment with soaping, have a LOT of flat frozen gallon ziplocks of non-drinkable milk in my freezer for winter projects now. Doing something like that textured soap appeals to me and I have LOTS of plant material and herbs to experiment with.

Who's had any success with adding what kinds of fresh or dried herbs and plant material to their soaps?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

My Eucalyptus & Please Don't Smoke the Soap & Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme all contain purchased dried herbs and homegrown dried and fresh herbs. I only infuse eucalyptus. No scent makes it through the lye, it is either an essential oil or fragranced oil. Vicki


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## Dorit (Apr 20, 2011)

In my readings I came across someone who said not to use fresh vegetable matter, use dried. I use my dehydrator, but you can also dry in the oven. I am looking for something to make a rich brown, has anyone tried grinding up bark?


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Dorit said:


> In my readings I came across someone who said not to use fresh vegetable matter, use dried. I use my dehydrator, but you can also dry in the oven. I am looking for something to make a rich brown, has anyone tried grinding up bark?


I'm also looking for a brown. I have used spices before, but it does not give a smoothe color. I was looking at ground walnut shells, but I think I'll just stick to the brown spices. You don't need much to color so I don't worry about a burning effect to the skin.

I think fresh veggie matter can mold or something in the soap. Maybe.


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

What about cocoa powder? That makes a lovely rich brown. I use walnut powder in one of my soaps. It stays speckley.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Cocoa powder gives you brown lather. Yes to the "no fresh vegetable matter" UNLESS it is pureed very well, and added at a rate of no more than 1T. per pound of oils in the recipe. I use pumpkin, cucumber, carrot, banana, etc, like that, no issues.


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

when do you add the fresh puree? right before pouring? how much?


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

LLB101 said:


> when do you add the fresh puree? right before pouring? how much?


Add at trace. Make sure to blend well.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I have it saved in my computer, but Ellen Peacock of Peacock color fame...elensessential.com or something like that, has all her colors and herbs with photos, up on her website, done with straight water but also goatmilk, since it changes the PH of the soap it also changes how colors react with it. Cool site, tell me if it isn't still there and I will see if Daniel can post it on here. Vicki


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

I found this on coloring with herbs
http://learn2soap.com/?page_id=16

bottom left has links that led to 
http://www.peacockdyes.com/peacockdyes.htm

and the FAQ on that site says 
How do you know what color you will get with a Milk Soap?
There is no way for us to know what color you may end up with in a milk soap. Milk based soaps tend to go tan or brown because of the sugars and proteins in the milk. There are as many way to make milk soaps as there are milk soap makers. There are just too many variables. We recommend doing small test batches using your technique and formulation to see if the dyes will work in your particular milk soap.

That's all I could find...


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

It's a PDF, I will see if I can get Daniel to put it up for us, all I could find right now is the soap swap that was herbs only. Vicki


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## LynninTX (Oct 25, 2007)

textures - 

oats to my Oatmeal Cookie, Milk, & Honey

cornmeal to my Lemon Cornmeal (I use lemon AND lime EO in this)

dried lavender in my Lavender (most of my lavender customers LOVE LOVE this, but I did a special request for a mom for a baby soap with no dried herb and now a man buys that one too for a shaving soap, but most still choose the bars with the dried herb)

dried rosemary and ground rosemary in the Rosemary

coffee grounds in my Coffee

not as textured, but 

mashed avocado in my Avocado


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

mashed avocado really?
add that at trace too?
do you really notice a difference with it in?


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## LynninTX (Oct 25, 2007)

Yep, mashed avocado and the customers who buy it love it! 

I think that is a bit richer soap as far as moisturizing... I replace the safflower oil I normally use with avocado oil... 

But frankly... I consider it label appeal. 

It is my #4 seller this year.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

That's cool Lynn. I can tell the difference in my pumpkin soap and my cucumber soap with the 'pulp' in it. I would bet the avadaco would add fat to the recipe also. I made a baby soap with carrots, just used the baby food from walmart because I wasn't boiling and mashing carrots  Even put some carrot oil in it, sparingly, that is for my old lady wrinkles! V


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## LynninTX (Oct 25, 2007)

LOL cute on using the baby carrots. 

I just added the pureed pumpkin for the first time to pumpkin soap based on the posts here.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Yup, I have a soap that I use baby food carrots and baby food bananas in. So easy that way and no waste.


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