Healing with Herbal Soaps

Chronic illnesses are a dime a dozen nowadays. Because of modernity and the fast paced life most people live today, stress creeps in even when youth is an advantage. It's no wonder that marketing is tapping in on the insight and adding more and more alternative health products for consumption. Some though are just for hype and actually have very little natural ingredients or healing properties in them. One way to make sure that ingredients placed in are natural is to make your own. Herbal soaps are one of the easy alternatives that can be made at home.

Herbal soaps are soaps mixed with natural ingredients, juice extracts or vitamins from medicinal plants. Most soap makers use a combination of herbs such as lavender, comfrey and mint. Lavender has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Comfrey can be used to treat ailments such as broken bones, arthritis, sprains, gastric and varicose ulcers, bronchial problems, acne, severe burns, and other skin conditions. Mint is used to treat stomachache and chest pains aside from its invigorating flavor.

Popular soaps include sweet cinnamon, spiced mandarin, rosemary mint, peppermint and others. Tropical fruits can also be used like guava, papaya, cucumber and raddish. The possibilities are endless.

To start, prepare all materials needed for the usual soap making process. Homemade things such as plastic pail, Chopping board, wooden ladle or bamboo stick, Mortar and pestle, Glass or cup, Cheese cloth or strainer, Cooking pot (preferably made of enamel, clay, stainless or glass), Knife, Stove and Plastic molders.

A decoction or an extract of the herbs should be prepared beforehand. For example, Akapulko and guava leaves can be used for their anti-fungal and healing properties. The leaves should be washed thoroughly and chopped in small pieces. It is then boiled using the proportion 1:2, 1 glass of leaves and 2 glasses of water. The mixture is boiled for 15 minutes and then strained using cheese cloth or strainer.

For the soap, one should prepare 5 glasses cooking oil, 3 glasses Akapulko or Guava decoction, cooled, 1 glass Caustic Soda (NaOH), and coloring powder ( this one's optional). The caustic soda and three glasses of decoction are poured into the pail. Always pour the decoction first, followed by the caustic soda. Pouring it the other way around might cause an abnormal reaction. Stir constantly until the caustic soda is dissolved and stir in only one direction. 5 Glasses of cooking oil is poured in the mixture. Stir constantly and cool slightly. The mixture can now be transferred into plastic molds. The soap should be aged for about 30 days before using.