# help using lavender buds



## Sauboon (Dec 21, 2009)

Can someone tell me what is the best way to make lavender soap using the lavender buds?  Should I put the buds in the lye water or wait until the soap reaches traces? I figures the buds would kinda infuse the lye water.


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## renaissancemom (Dec 21, 2009)

you are better off waiting until trace to add the buds, but be warned they will turn brown in the final product.


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## carebear (Dec 21, 2009)

dont' add them to the lye - if they absorb it and it cannot get exposed to the oils you'll have little lye bombs.

and be warned that they turn brown and look like mouse turds no matter when you add them.  if you really want to add lavender buds you can stick them on top (takes longer for them to brown) or grind them up (brown, but at least they wont be turd shaped)


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## Deda (Dec 21, 2009)

carebear said:
			
		

> dont' add them to the lye - if they absorb it and it cannot get exposed to the oils you'll have little lye bombs.
> 
> and be warned that they turn brown and look like mouse turds no matter when you add them.  if you really want to add lavender buds you can stick them on top (takes longer for them to brown) or grind them up (brown, but at least they wont be turd shaped)



Yep, Mouse Turd Soap. That one's on the first page of my _My Mistakes_ book.


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## soap_rat (Dec 21, 2009)

My friend called them lavender BUGS.  I thought that was hilarious.

I'm trying to find some herbal thing that turns or stays purple in my lavender soap (hot process), with no luck yet.


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## SoapieCP (Dec 22, 2009)

I found to my dismay the lavender mouse poo thing too.  

I havent tried this myself yet but have you considered adding a purple colourant to the soap to mask the brown buds, or if you prefer a true natural colour maybe alkanet could be the answer? 

X


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## TessC (Dec 22, 2009)

My personal experience with alkanet was less than stellar.    The soaps started off with a really pretty dark purple swirl from alkanet root infused in olive oil:







That swirl has since turned a most unattractive shade of deep dogcrap brown, unfortunately.


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## dagmar88 (Dec 22, 2009)

those look just like marble!


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## ohsoap (Dec 22, 2009)

carebear said:
			
		

> dont' add them to the lye - if they absorb it and it cannot get exposed to the oils you'll have little lye bombs.
> 
> and be warned that they turn brown and look like mouse turds no matter when you add them.  if you really want to add lavender buds you can stick them on top (takes longer for them to brown) or grind them up (brown, but at least they wont be turd shaped)



I've never had a complaint about my mouse turd soap.  lol


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## anita (Dec 23, 2009)

I mix them in at trace. I also sprinkle them on the top and I use alkanet to colour the soap so I don't really mind that the embedded ones turn brown. The ones on top keep their colour so the soap still looks lovely. Do you find  that the seeds drag through the soap as you slice it making tracks along each slice. It's really annoying. any tips on how to cure this problem anybody!! sorry, don't mean to hog your thread!!


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## ikindred (Dec 23, 2009)

I add my lavender buds at trace and they do turn brown (mouse poo) over time but my mold is sectioned off into 18 bars so I don't have to cut the soaps so I don't have a problem with the buds making the lines.


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## honor435 (Dec 23, 2009)

most people put them on top, but i agree they look like bugs and all the person recving does is scrape them off. I would just scent with lavender?


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## beerfish (Dec 23, 2009)

These were ours, and although they browned a bit, I don't really mind the look. They also have been selling well, so I guess other people don't mind either. We also added some on top for effect.


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## TessC (Dec 23, 2009)

anita said:
			
		

> I mix them in at trace. I also sprinkle them on the top and I use alkanet to colour the soap so I don't really mind that the embedded ones turn brown. The ones on top keep their colour so the soap still looks lovely. Do you find  that the seeds drag through the soap as you slice it making tracks along each slice. It's really annoying. any tips on how to cure this problem anybody!! sorry, don't mean to hog your thread!!



Any batch I sprinkle anything on top of has turned out better since I started flipping the logs upside down before cutting them. I use a plastic miter box to cut my logs so I just sit the soap in there upside down on a piece of freezer paper that's cut to fit the miter box and slide it though.


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## HoneyBeeSoaps (Nov 18, 2015)

Just wondering, wouldn't adding buds on top be easier and stick better if you put them on the bottom of mold before pouring?  I've only made HP, did this with dried orange zest and it turned out okay.


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