Using home-grown lavender in CP soap?

[CarolynD]

My mother-in-law is home-growing some lavender plants, and while she was showing them to me she wondered aloud if I would be able to use them in my soap. Has anyone had experience in using fresh lavender plants to scent their CP soap? We thought maybe if we let the leaves (or maybe even the whole plants) soak in some oil for awhile, it might transfer enough lavender essence to come through in the soap, but I have never attempted anything like that before. If anyone has tried it, I'd love to hear some thoughts. Would it work at all or be too weak to smell in the end product? What would be the best oil to infuse it into? How long would it need to sit? I don't sell my soap, it's just a small hobby, so my batches are very small and if this little experiment is a disaster it won't be a big deal - just a little waste of lavender, but then I think she's only growing the plants for fun anyhow. Oh, and I will mention that I do not know what variety of lavender she's growing, if that makes any difference. Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

 

[Obsidian]

Unfortunately, the scent won't come through in the finished soap.

 

[judymoody]

I have tried this - both lavender tea and lavender-infused oil and it's not strong enough to survive the lye. Also, if you use the dried flowers in CP soap, they will turn brown and look like mouse poop. Ask me how I know!

You could try infusing oil with dried lavender and then making a salve or body butter with it.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Scent or the colour of the flowers won't survive in CP. I've tried once, and got no scent with brown specks in soap, it was my first CP soap, so lesson was learnt early in my soaping.
You can always use good quality EO and hope for the best. If you have some dried flowers, you can sprinkle them on the top of your soap, I've never done it, but I've seen photos and they should be fine and will keep their colour.

 

[Seawolfe]

I've ground up dried lavender buds and used them for pencil lines a couple of times, thac comes out really cute. Another time I coarsley ground up the buds and mixed them with the lavender EO and the superfat in an HP soap. Here's the thread about it, it was one of my first soaps, and I should make it again, people loved the smell. I would argue that some of the lavender buds retained their scent on that one, because it was HP.

I think the lavender pencil lines also hold their scent, but I've never done an unscented soap with just a lavender pencil line, so I can't say for sure.

 

[CarolynD]

Thanks all! Sounds like it would probably be a waste of time, so we'll just have to find something else to do with it.

 

[Candybee]

I'd take your mom up on her offer. Instead of infusing in the oil use the lavender buds to make lavender water for your lye liquid. I have noticed that since using the lavender water my lavender soap has an extra fresh lavender scent. Its like the lavender water makes the scent pop. I just take the lavender buds and put them in a ziploc bag. Pound the bag with a hammer to crush the buds so they release their oils. Then put the crushed buds in distilled water. I use 1 tbs of buds per 10oz distilled water. I shake the lavender water container periodically and chill it before using. I make the water at least 24 hours ahead of time and but make sure I use it up within 2-3 days.

Everyone tell me its the best lavender soap they ever smelled.

Also, you can use the lavender water in a spritzer bottle and spritz you bed linens or in the air to freshen it up.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I would use the infused oil as a superfat in HP if anything. Unfortunately, the Admirable Lady nabs all of the cut lavendar to make scented things to put in our wardrobe.

 

[lsg]

You can make your own lavender hydrosol and use it in lotions and creams.