Make It: Herbal Tea Soaps

Make It: Herbal Tea Soaps

from the Aromatherapy episode of Creative Juice

Materials:
1 pound glycerin soap-base
½ cup blend of: oatmeal, lavender, rose petals, and the contents of herbal tea bags (such as chamomile or mint)
1 rectangular small loaf pan
Large glass measuring cup
Med sized stock pot
Mixing spoon
Few drops of essential oil
Fork
Large kitchen knife

Steps:

1. Using a kitchen knife cut the block of glycerin soap into 1”X1” cubes. Place the cubes into the large glass measuring cup.

2. Place the glass measuring cup into the stock pot and fill the pot with water. This creates a double boiler. Make sure you only fill the water half way up the sides of the measuring cup. Place on the stove with medium heat.

3. Melt the glycerin cubes. Keep a watchful eye. Stir as needed. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and skim off any skin that may form on the surface of the melted glycerin.

4. Pour ¾ of the soap mixture into the loaf pan. Use a spoon to pop or remove any air bubbles. Set aside for 15 minutes or until you have a solid layer on top. Place the remaining glycerin back in the pan. Turn the heat down to a low simmer.

5. Once the poured glycerin has a solid layer on top, use a fork and firmly score the top of the poured, cooling soap. Scoring the soap allows the top layer of soap to adhere to the bottom layer.

6. Remove the remaining glycerin from the stove and add a few drops of essential oil and ½ cup of dry ingredients. Mix well.

7. Pour the remaining melted soap into the loaf pan. Let the soap set for 1 hour. Pop the soap out of the mold. If you are having trouble removing the soap you can quickly run the loaf pan under warm water. Slice the soap into six bars or keep as one large bar of soap.