thecandlespastore Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 People who claim to make their soap with no lye but their soap is not melt and pour? There is even a lady on Ebay selling a "no lye" recipe for old fashioned soap "the way grandma used to make it". Now I know grandma did not have any melt and pour in the 20s:laugh2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridith Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 You can make soap with soap wort - I think that is what it is called. I have a recipe somewhere for this soap using a plant. From my understanding, it won't lather that great, but it is soap for the most part. I wonder if that is what she used to make her soap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecandlespastore Posted June 27, 2006 Author Share Posted June 27, 2006 You can make soap with soap wort - I think that is what it is called. I have a recipe somewhere for this soap using a plant. From my understanding, it won't lather that great, but it is soap for the most part. I wonder if that is what she used to make her soap.Never heard of soap wort, off to do some research on it. Thanks for the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerriWV Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 People who claim to make their soap with no lye but their soap is not melt and pour? There is even a lady on Ebay selling a "no lye" recipe for old fashioned soap "the way grandma used to make it". Now I know grandma did not have any melt and pour in the 20s:laugh2:A friend of my mom's swears she knows someone who made soap without lye. She was going to try to get the instructions for me, but haven't seen anything of it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecandlespastore Posted June 27, 2006 Author Share Posted June 27, 2006 "I recently received a very helpful answer from you regarding growing herbs in containers, for which I thank you. Among others, I placed an order to buy a soapwort plant from Richters, and my question concerns the appropriate way to make "soap" from it. I read conflicting information from different sources -- some say to boil the dried roots, others to boil stems and leaves. Which one is the appropriate way? Could you also indicate to me what ratio I should have of plant material and water? Can other plants be added, such as chamomile or mint? If leaves and stems are to be used, can they be used either dried or fresh? According to Margaret Dinsdale, author of "Skin Deep", an excellent book on making your own herbal body products, both the leaves and roots are used. The fresh leaves infused in boiling water makes a mild soap substitute. But it is my impression is that the roots are richer in saponins, the constituents that are responsible for the soapy nature of the plant. The "Plants for a Future" database (http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Saponaria+officinalis&CAN=LATIND) says this about soapwort [sans references]: "A soap can be obtained by boiling the whole plant (but especially the root) in water. It is a gentle effective cleaner, used especially on delicate fabrics that can be harmed by modern synthetic soaps (it has been used to clean the Bayeaux tapestry). It effects a lustre in the fabric. The best soap is obtained by infusing the plant in warm water. The roots can be dried and stored for later use. The plant is sometimes recommended as a hair shampoo, though it can cause eye irritations." "Seems as if it can be used alone to make something that is soapy in nature, but not as a substitute for lye in itself. I dont think you can mix olive oil, coconut oil, etc with it and come out with a bar of soap."One of the best known examples of this, at least in Europe, is our native wild flower Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis). This is a perennial plant usually found in damper soils in woods, hedgerows, by streams, etc. It is still used nowadays particularly for cleaning delicate fabrics, including the Bayeaux Tapestry! The saponins are extracted by boiling for a short time and then infusing the whole plant. It can also be used as a hair and body wash alone." It is more suitable for washing clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridith Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 I know you can grow soapwort yourself and that it doesn't work as well as soap like sudsing but does have alot of the same characteristics. What about Potash or the use of ashes from a fire? Is potash the same as lye? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecandlespastore Posted June 27, 2006 Author Share Posted June 27, 2006 Mmm, I think so. It just makes a softer soap. I know that African Black Soap is made with potash, and it is naturally softer than most soaps. Its also high in shea butter content so that might have something to do with it.Here is a website that growns soapnuts:http://soapnut.com/nutshell.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scent Cellar Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 I use soapwort powder in my herbal bath bags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecandlespastore Posted June 27, 2006 Author Share Posted June 27, 2006 Looks like it would color your clothes red if you wash with it, but from the info on the website I guess it does not. Learn something new everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridith Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 I think Black Soap is soft because of the high content of shea - shea has so many unsaponafiables. That's just me taking a guess though. I'll have to look to see if I can find that recipe I have that uses soapwort. I believe I sent it to Robin too. Maybe she will have it still? Or maybe she has done this recipe and can report to us how it turned out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KMommy Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 The African Black soap I use doesn't contain any shea. I think there are several types of this soap available right now. I have also seen a African Black soap for sale that contained shea. Some are simply regular soap that black dye has been used.http://www.nasabb.com/nasabbnew/factssheablack.htm#Black%20SoapScroll down to Black Soap :- Used for centuries. Beware of the FAKES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecandlespastore Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 I have encountered a few of the black soap phonies too. True african black soap will have a hig shea content if shea nuts are used instead of cocoa nuts. Being born in Nigeria plus both my parents are Nigerian, I have been using it all my life. My mom swear by black soap and shea butter, and she looks like she could be my sister, her skin is so fresh and smooth, not one wrinkle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecandlespastore Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 "Unrefined Shea Butter is the best type of shea butter to use in skin care products because it is not chemically treated." I agree, I think refined does lack in a lot of what makes shea butter what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridith Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 I think African Soap is made from plantains (sp?) - you know those banana looking things. I could be wrong but I think that is where it comes from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecandlespastore Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 Plaintain skins are part of the process, so are palm kernels, cocoa pods, saponified oils of olive, palm, coconut, shea butter.The dried plaintain skins are what lends to its dark color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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