Equipment Rubber Gloves Small Saucepan
Ingredients
US Customary - Metric
Rose and Yarrow Infused Olive Oil ½ cup dried rose petals approximately
▢ ½ cup dried yarrow flowers approximately
▢ 20 ounces olive oil approximately
Lye Solution
Solid Oils
▢ 6.5 oz coconut oil
▢ 2 oz kokum or cocoa butter
Liquid Oils
▢ 15 oz olive oil (infused with wild rose and yarrow, see instructions above)
▢ 3 oz sweet almond oil (can also use sunflower oil)
▢ 1.5 oz castor oil (add at trace)
▢ 25 g geranium essential oil for scent
Instructions
Rose and Yarrow Infused Herbal Oil
To infuse the olive oil with the flowers, add the dried rose petals and yarrow to a quart canning jar.
Pour about 20 ounces of olive oil over the dried flowers, making sure they are completely covered by several extra inches of oil. (This is slightly more than the amount of olive oil called for in the soap recipe because some of the oil will saturate the flowers, and coat the sides of the jar, etc. so the final yield will be less.)
Cover with a lid and infuse for several weeks, then strain. Use in place of regular olive oil in soap recipes.
Step 1: Make the Lye Solution
Wearing protective gloves and eyewear, carefully stir the lye (sodium hydroxide) into the distilled water until dissolved. Next, stir in the rose clay. Work in an area with good ventilation and be careful not to breathe in the fumes. Set the lye solution aside to cool for about 30 or 40 minutes or until the temperature drops to around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C).
Step 2: Prepare the Oils
Gently heat the coconut oil and kokum/cocoa butter on low heat until melted. When the solid oils are melted, take the pan off the heat and pour in the liquid oils. This helps cool down the melted oils, while warming up the room temperature oils.
Step 3: Mixing
Pour the cooled lye solution into the warmed oils. Using a combination of hand stirring and an immersion blender, also called a stick blender, stir the soap batter until it thickens and reaches a light trace. Trace is when the soap has thickened enough so when you drizzle a small amount of the batter across the surface, it will leave a fleeting, but visible imprint or “trace” before sinking back in.
Step 4: Add the Essential Oil
When the soap batter has thickened to trace, or the consistency of warm custard, stir in the essential oil(s) for scent.
Step 5: Pour in Mold
Pour the soap batter into your soap mold. Cover lightly with wax or freezer paper, then a towel or light blanket. Peek at the soap every so often; if it starts developing a crack, uncover and move to a cooler location.
Step 6: Cut & Cure
Keep the soap in the mold for 1 to 2 days, or until it’s easy to remove, then slice it into bars when it’s firm enough not to stick to your cutting tool. Cure on coated cooling racks or sheets of wax paper for about 4 weeks before using. The soap is safe to touch 48 hours after making it but it needs the extra time to allow the excess moisture to evaporate out.
Notes
For a quicker herbal infusion, set the uncovered jar into a saucepan filled with a few inches of water. Heat the pan over low heat for 2 to 3 hours. Cool and strain.
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