Herbal Infusion Techniques
| Here is a page I wanted to put up to help people who would like to do herbal infusions in their soap. I like to include them because I think that some of herb's properties make it through the lye process. Even if it doesn't, adding botanical infusions to soap sure creates a rich, creamy lather. Some of my favorite herbs to use are chickweed, comfrey, nettle, kelp and calendula. I use the infusions in my facial bar but I think the best use of them is in balms and salves where they do not go through the harsh lye environment of soapmaking. |
Oil Infusion Method :I prefer to use fresh herbs but this summer I was too busy to start infusing the herbs in oil which is my preferred method. That way I can use them in balms and salves. Use dried herbs in oil, here I have some olive oil with herbs in it that has been sitting near the wood stove all winter being gently warmed. Every time I walked by it I pick up the jar and give it a good shake. Next time I infuse an oil I want something that is lighter and not a greasy as olive oil, perhaps sweet almond or grapeseed oil. If you use fresh herbs you are introducing water into the oil which is a potential for molds to grow and make the oil unusable. If you are going to simmer the oil slightly like in a crockpot you can use fresh herbs, especially if you plan to use the infusion right away.  Here are some dried herbs that can
be found at most health food stores.
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Tea Method :I like to collect fresh herbs in the morning. When I make my infusions I don't measure how much herb I put in, just till it looks right. Our family has always had a comfrey plant in the garden, it is a good herb for skin.
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| Here I have all the dried and fresh herbs in the pot. I am adding enough water in the pot to fill to just under the herbs.
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| I try to keep the temperature to below a boil as high temperature probably destroys much of beneficial properties of the infusion. I cook it at a light simmer until the fresh leaves are limp. Probably about 20 minutes at a simmer or less.
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| Once the herbs are done cooking, I strain all the big pieces out using a stainless steel colander.
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| When the bigger chunks of herbs are removed I strain it again with clean cloth to get the smaller pieces from the dried herbs out. They would make the soap scratchy if they were left in.
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| Here is what the herbal tea looks like. When I use just fresh herbs instead of dried its is much greener. Also remember it is important to keep the boiling to a minimum to keep from cooking the herbs and destroying their properties.
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| What gets strained out is good for the compost!
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| Here is a batch of Castile Facial Soap (87% olive oil) I made using the herbal infusion as the water in the recipe. Usually I get the soap to be a little greener but like I said above, the dried herbs probably added more brown to it. It gives the soap a rich feeling to it and even though it's not proven, I believe some of the herbal properties made it through the process.
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Here is the jar of olive oil that I have dried herbs in.
Here I have some
fresh comfrey I got from my garden. I cut it into smaller pieces so the water is able to get to more of the leaf area and infuse faster.
I have some fresh comfrey, nettle, and dried herbs. Our water comes from a well and I feel it is good water to use in the infusion. If I lived in the city I would probably use distilled water for this.
