Soap Making Instructional: Hemp Aromatherapy Soaps
Indulge yourself with Hemp Oil glycerine soaps. If you have never used our Hemp soap base, we guarantee you will become addicted to its luxurious, all natural qualities. Our project sheet gives you instructions for making (6) different aromatherapy soaps. We have included the use of sea kelp (contains iodine, iron, sodium, phosphorus and calcium, as well as magnesium and potassium. A terrific source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, plus amino acids). French green clay (a great all-natural skin toner for all skin types), and Oats for a delightful facial/body scrub.
Here's what you need:
Hemp Glycerine Soap Base
White Glycerine Soap Base (only needed if you want to do dual-pours)
Essential Oils: we used Lavender, Lemongrass, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Tea Tree
Fragrance Oils: we used Green Tea, Cucumber, Avocado
Assorted botanicals such as sea kelp, green clay, ground oats, adzuki powder
Shrink Bags or clear plastic wrap
GETTING STARTED
Step One
Place soap base into a aluminum melting pot or double boiler. Heat soap until completely melted. Do not exceed a temperature of 140 degrees. You may wish to use a thermometer to gauge melting temperature.
Step Two
Add colorant once soap base has completely melted. We used green colorant for the Sea Kelp & Green Tea soap (also for the Cucumber/Avocado with Green Clay), orange color for the Bergamot/Citrus soap, yellow for the Lemongrass/Grapefruit soap, and brown for the Oats/Tea Tree soap. 6-8 drops per 1-2 lbs of soap base should be sufficient if you are using our DWP colorants.
Step Three
You may incorporate natural additives into your soap base. Try adding 1 teaspoon sea kelp powder per pound of soap base. Other additives include stone ground oats (we added 3 Tablespoons per pound of soap base), and also French green clay (approximately 1 teaspoon per pound of soap base). When using herbal additives, allow your soap base to cool until a thin skim forms. Stir the soap skim back into the base before pouring into your molds. It is important that you allow this skim to form. Herbal additives will tend to settle once the soap is poured into the molds. Allowing your soap base to slightly cool before pouring will help to disperse the additives within your soap base.
Step Four
Fragrance should be added once your soap has melted and slightly cooled. Your fragrance and/or essential oils will 'burn-off' if you add at too high of a temperature. Mix fragrance thoroughly but avoid over-stirring. You do not want to create any air bubbles in your soap base.
Step Five
You are now ready to pour your soap into the molds. Be certain that your molds are level. Balancing the molds on the edges of cereal bowls will help to keep unevenly shaped molds level.
Step Six
Keep a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol handy to disperse any air bubbles that may form on the back of the soap once it is poured into the molds. Occasionally a white soap scum may form on the back of the soap. As the soap begins to set, gently skim the white scum from the soap using a teaspoon.
Fragrance Tips:
If using our fragrance oils, we suggest using 2 teaspoons per pound of soap base. Essential oils vary. We recommend using no more than 1 teaspoon per pound of soap.
Releasing Soap from Molds:
For best results, allow soap to sit in molds until completely cool. Release soaps from mold by applying gentle pressure to top of mold. You may need to pull slightly on sides of mold to release air. Be careful not to force soap from mold. Permanent damage to the molds can occur if you exert too much pressure.
Natural Recycled Packaging:
Recycle portions of a corrugated cardboard box. Using an Exacto knife, cut a piece of cardboard to fit behind the soap (you should allow the edges of cardboard to extend slightly beyond the soap). In the above photo, we rested our finished soap on dried bay leaves and then used shrink wrap (our 8 x 10" size, cut to size) to complete the packaging. A hole punch was used to make two round openings for the natural raffia bow.
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