Just Some Quick and Easy Soap I Made In Less Than 30 Minutes

6:50 AM Posted by jo

My husband likes to use my homemade glycerin soap for shaving so I made some last night. I think many of you know already, that I like to make things that only require a few ingredients and at the same time are quick and easy to make. Once I like things that work I like to stick with it, so I haven't been experimenting with many new soap bases lately. I always make sure that I have some bulk herbs such as chamomile, calendula, lavender, rosemary and nettle at home that I can use for soap, infused oils, or herbal infusions. I make a few variations of the herbal infusions, and I add the suitable essential oils that I need for my soaps. Sometimes I throw in some extra shea butter or coconut oil.

So, first I made some herbal tea of 1 tablespoon dried lavender and two tablespoons of rosemary. I let it sit while I melted half a pound of glycerin base in a double boiler. I removed the glycerin from the stove and stirred in the herbal infusion and one tablespoon of finely chopped dried rosemary. You can add coffee grounds if you have a car mechanic in the house. For a more feminine touch, add dried lavender or rose petals.

I poured the mixture into silicon cup cake molds. I wanted to use a more masculine mixture of cedarwood, pine and rosemary essential oils for the shaving soaps. I added a couple of drops of the essential oil shaving blend once the mixture was poured into some of the molds. Lavender essential oil was added to the rest of the soaps. I used two different shapes of molds to separate the soaps. Don't forget to stir if you add the oils once the mixture is poured.

I rather focus on the essential oils for my soaps instead of experimenting too much with the soap base itself. Essential oils are powerful and they stay potent longer than herbs. Here are some examples of oils and their uses:

Masculine scents

Cedarwood, cinnamon, frankincense, marjoram, peppermint, bay, pine, cardamon, myrrh, juniper, and ginger.

Sensitive skin

Oils with anti-inflammatory properties like yarrow, lavender, neroli, German chamomile, and everlasting/helichrysum may be used for sensitive skin.

Dry skin

Jasmine, rose, neroli and German Chamomile. Oils like geranium, palmarosa, sandalwood, and lavender that have a balancing effect on the sebum production have traditionally been used for dry skin as well.

Oily Skin

Cedarwood, cypress, juniper, sandalwood, tea tree, lemon, lavender and bergamot are the most effective oils for oily skin. Juniper and cypress are both astringents, and as such they help regulate the fluid levels. Bergamot and lavender work great together. Lavender has a balancing effect and bergamot reduces the sebum production.

Aging and mature skin

jasmine, neroli, geranium, and rose. The cytophylactic properties of essential oils are especially beneficial in skin care for aging and mature skin. Cytophylactic means that the oils stimulate the generation of new cells, which will aid in preserving the health of the skin. These oils are also used for treatments of burns. Frankincense, lavender, helichrysum, rosewood, sandalwood, patchouli and myrrh all have cytophylactic properties.

You don't want to add essential oils until the mixture has cooled a little, but don't wait too long so that the glycerin hardens again.

Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
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