Soap - Rosemary & French Clay

Strictly speaking, soapmaking is not a therapuetic modality such as herbalism or aromatherapy, however, skin care and hygeine products do contribute to the environmental stress load our bodies must deal with each day.  Careful selection of products such as lotions, toothpaste, deodorants, soaps and more can contribute to healthy lifestyle.  To that end, choosing a soap which is either fragrance free (unscented does not always mean fragrance free!) or uses organic natural fragrances and colors is one way to lessen the environmental exposure to harsh chemicals which our bodies must deal with every day.

This soap is made with organic fixed oils and butters, distilled water, organic rosemary infused distilled water, and lye (no lye, no soap!). The color is obtained by the addition of French green clay at trace.  Organic rosemary ct.verbanone essential oil is also added at trace to add a lovely rosemary scent to the finished bar.  Additional dried rosemary leaves are added between the plain and clay layers as well as sprinkles on top for appearance.

Rosemary is often used in skin and hair care products to stimulate hair growth and to ease itchy dry skin.  French green clay is frequently found in high-end spa treatments such as body wraps and masks, it is reputed to assist the body in the removal of impurities from the skin and is used as a polishing agent.  This soap is super-fatted to provide additional moisurizing qualities as all soap is drying to a degree and should be followed with a quality lotion or body butter.

This soap will be cured and ready for use in four to six weeks.  Rosemary & French Clay soap is sure to be lovely addition to the natural hygeine regimen.

Herbal preparation - A Slow Adventure

Today, I am processing more Holy Basil (tulsi) from my CSA farmer at Endless Bounty.  The first thing to notice is the rich, sweet aroma of the fresh herb.  It is instantly relaxing due to the high percentage of naturally occuring essential oil in the plant matter.  

My plan for this batch is to use some of it fresh for more iced tea, and to dehydrate the rest.  Some of the dehydrated herb will be tinctured later as Holy Basil is an adaptogen and useful in the home wellness chest.

The first step for all of these uses is to thoroughly wash the plant matter.  I wash it three times in my large salad spinner, then spin out out until it is fairly dry.

(After wash, before spun)

Next, I load the plants into my dehydrator, reserving a portion for fresh use.

Lastly, the dried herb is stored in a glass canning jar and labeled with the common name, botanical name, source, and date to be stored in my herb pantry.  The yeild from this batch was a little less than a pint of dried herb.