Subject: Re: Herbal soap making

From: [email-masked] (Dennis Torraco)
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 10:39:19

In article <[email-masked]> "A.K.Cosgrove" <[email-masked]> writes:
>From: "A.K.Cosgrove" <[email-masked]>
>Subject: Re: Herbal soap making
>Date: Mon, 19 Dec 94 14:23:03 EST

>Hi Steve,

>On 12 Dec 1994 23:49:24 -0500, 
>E. Stephen Sullivan  <[email-masked]> wrote:

>>Please help, I'm trying to melt glycerine soap in order
>>to add herbal oils and mold as I wish.  However, the 
>>soap is not melting- any ideas/and /or recipes would
>>be appreciated.  What soap do you use?
>    You're not going to be able to melt glycerine soap, I'm afraid. My
>best advice to you would be to make your own soap.

Forget about making the soap and melt it as you initially requested.  
While soap doesn't melt is does dissolve in water - the longer you 
keep it covered with water the softer it will get. Scraping aside the soft 
layer will hasten the process.  Then add your perfumes/oils and work them in. 
The less water you use to dissolve the soap the sooner it will dry and harden, 
but don't get in any hurry as it will take awhile. But mold?
Dennis Torraco
Los Alamos National Laboratory

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From: [email-masked] (MissAndree)
Date: 28 Dec 1994 09:07:49 -0500

Though I am by no means an expert soap-maker, I find that, yes, it is
possible to use, and melt, (pure) glycerine. What you need is a bain-marie
(double-boiler?) i.e. one pot containing chopped up or grated glycerine,
placed inside a larger pot containing boiling water. The glycerine needs
to be stirred constantly, until it reaches a creamy consistency. While
stirring, add olive or almond oil, orange and/or rose water, essential
oils, then pour/scoop immediately into an oiled mold. It will look lumpy
and "doughy," but will be sheer bathing heaven. It works for me...Enjoy!

MissAndree

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From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 28 Dec 1994 16:09:05 EST

I'm trying one recipe for extracting herbs that seems different
>from  many others I've come across. In this method, you fill
a glass container with herb, add vegetable oil to the top,
close jar, then set in a sunny window for a few weeks.  The
process is repeated with fresh herb and the once-used oil,
then the extraction is ready to use.

This differs in that other recipes used more fresh herb changes,
more frequently, and also did not mention setting the jar
in a window.  Also, the recipes differ as far as
shaking (succussing?)

If anyone has tried extracting their own herbs, please let
me know which method(s) you find best and to what use you
put your finished oils.

Thank you!

Alicia

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From: [email-masked] (Heather Smith)
Date: 30 Dec 1994 23:08:46 GMT

> from a chemists background, what you're trying to do when you prepare an
> extract is to saturate the oil with the desired active ingredient.  to
> do so you need to maximize the oil's exposer to the source (ie the plant)
> so i recommend the following points to prepare the strongest extract:
> -chop up, grind, blend, etc. the plant into the smallest particles possible
> -fill a jar with the palnt material, and top the jar off with oil.
> -let stand in the sun (heat increases the amount of compound your oil can
hold

>       for a week (?) shaking as often as possible.  the length of time
>       is up to you...since neither of us know how long it'll take to get
>       the majority of the active ingred. into the oil, use your own
>       judgement.  if the plant loses all its color and starts to smell funny
>       it's been too long.
>
> alternatively you could heat some of the plant in the oil on the stove,
>       stirring constantly to extract the good stuff. this is faster,
>       but less "romantic".  don't heat the oil too high or you'll fry your
>       plant.
>
> -strain off the plant material, squeezing out as much of the oil as possible
> -repeat the 3rd step as often as you feel is necessary.  any given solvent
>       (in this case the oil) is only capable of dissolving so much of a
single

>       compound (there is a limit!).  so you can repeat this extraction
process

>       as often as you like but sooner or later it just won't be doing you
much

>       good.  (wasted effort).  this is when the oil is saturated by
definition

>
> hope this helps.  everyone will have their own technique but the process is
> essentially the same, so you should just find what works best for you!
>
> blessings,
>
> heather

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From: [email-masked] (MarKrom)
Date: 31 Dec 1994 13:50:09 -0500

I have tried the sunny window method for herbs and have not been too
impressed with the results.  When using the oil method, I prefer to either
cook them or bake them in the oven for several hours.  This way I'm sure
I've extracted all the valuable oils.  I live where the weather is often
"unsunny" and cannot rely on 14 days of continuously sunny weather. 
Besides, it's the heat that really gets the oils out.

I use the oils topically, depending on what herbs I used, or else make
them into salves, boluses, etc.

Hopes this helps.

MarKrom

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 3 Jan 1995 16:33:08 GMT

Does anyone out there know of any evidence, either anecdotal or research-
based, of hawthorne extract exacerbating depression?  I have found haw-
thorne helpful for my metabolism, but find myself paying for it psycho-
logically.  Or at least I _suspect_ a causal relationship.  am I alone
in this?

--Thanks.

Claudia Morgan

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From: [email-masked] (Jet Silverman)
Date: 3 Jan 1995 10:56:54 -0800

[email-masked] wrote:
: Does anyone out there know of any evidence, either anecdotal or research-
: based, of hawthorne extract exacerbating depression?  I have found haw-
: thorne helpful for my metabolism, but find myself paying for it psycho-
: logically.  Or at least I _suspect_ a causal relationship.  am I alone
: in this?

How does hawthorne help your metabolism? If you feel that it is 
depressing you, you might want to balance it out with some catnip, which 
is good for a bad mood.

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From: [email-masked] (Hilda Marshall)
Date: 3 Jan 1995 19:43:33 GMT

>depressing you, you might want to balance it out with some catnip, which 

Well, it's good for a NERVOUS bad mood, anyway!  It can put you to
sleep.

Love, Hilda

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From: [email-masked] (Sharon Rust)
Date: Tue, 03 Jan 1995 18:19:21 +0000

> logically.  Or at least I _suspect_ a causal relationship.  am I alone

        My first thought is could it be the alcohol that is depressing you?
How much alcohol is in your extract and how often do you take it. Some of
my friends have been known to make an extract with Everclear 190 proof.
Sharon