Goldenrod Soap Recipe

Goldenrod Soap Recipe

Goldenrod Soap Recipe

how to make goldenrod oil

This pretty herbal soap features goldenrod infused oil and tea, plus a design imprint created by using a fondant mat.

In September, I wrote a post on using goldenrod, and in it, I mentioned making goldenrod soap.

So in this article, I’m going to show how I use two goldenrod infusions to make soap: a water infusion (tea), plus an oil infusion.

Before I get into the recipe, do you see the pretty floral imprint that’s on the outside of my soap? I got the idea to use a fondant mat to line my mold from THIS guest tutorial over at the Soap Lovin’ Blog. I thought that was a really fun and clever idea, shared by Angela of Alegna Soap!

To Make Goldenrod-Infused Oil:

Place around 1 cup of dried goldenrod flowers in a heatproof jar. Pour 12 ounces (340 g) of olive oil over them. You could infuse this the slow way (tuck in a cabinet for at least 4 to 6 weeks), but I used the quick method.

Quick method: Set the uncapped jar down into a saucepan containing several inches of water. Place the pan over a burner and turn the heat to low. Let this steep for 2 to 3 hours. (I let mine do this, then let the oil infuse almost another 3 days at room temperature before using.)

Strain. Weigh the oil and add more olive oil, as needed, so that you have exactly 12 ounces (340 g) to use in the soap recipe.

To Make Goldenrod Tea:

Place around 1 cup of fresh (or dried) goldenrod flowers in a heatproof jar. Pour 10 ounces (283 grams) of simmering hot distilled water over the flowers. Let cool to room temperature, then let the tea steep in your refrigerator overnight. (I let mine steep for almost 3 days, because I got too busy to make the soap right away as planned.)

Strain and weigh the tea. Add enough distilled water so that you end up with 8 ounces of liquid.

If you’ve never made soap before, be sure to thoroughly research the process and precautions before proceeding. You can find more information in my Soap Making 101 article or check out my Handmade Natural Soaps eBook Collection & Course .

Goldenrod Soap Recipe:

  • 12 oz (340 g) goldenrod infused olive oil
  • 8 oz (227 g) coconut oil (*or babassu oil, if allergic to coconut)
  • 3 oz (85 g) rice bran oil (or more olive oil)
  • 3 oz (85 g) cocoa butter (I used deodorized)
  • 2 oz (57 g) sweet almond oil
  • 8 oz (227 g) goldenrod tea, chilled
  • 3.98 oz (113 g) sodium hydroxide (lye)
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) Karma essential oil blend (optional, see step 6)

Yield: 2.5 lbs of soap (28 oz oil + 8 oz liquid + 4 oz lye), or around 8 bars

Recipe Notes & Tips:

  • I used oils, cocoa butter and an essential oil blend (Karma) purchased from Bramble Berry to make this soap. (They’ve since discontinued this essential oil blend, sadly.)
  • Use a light colored olive oil, if you don’t want the green shade of extra virgin to potentially tint your finished soap.
  • Goldenrod flowers were gathered from the fields around my house, but Etsy sometimes has small shops selling freshly dried goldenrod.
  • Lye was purchased from Amazon.
  • I bought the imprinted fondant mat from Amazon, but your local craft store likely has some too, in the cake making section.
  • This recipe has a 5% superfat; if you’d like to go up to 6% then use 3.93 oz (111 g) of lye.
  • *If using babassu oil, use 3.93 oz (111 g) of lye for a 5% superfat.

Step 1: Make and chill the goldenrod tea, as directed above. Strain. Pour the tea into a heat proof plastic or stainless steel pitcher or container and add enough water, until it weighs 8 ounces (227 g).

Step 2: Wearing safety goggles, gloves and long sleeves, weigh out the lye and pour it into the pitcher of goldenrod tea. Stir well to make sure the lye is fully dissolved. It will heat up quickly and give off strong fumes that you should avoid breathing in directly. I like to do this step in my kitchen sink, in order to contain any spills or splashes.

Set the solution aside in a safe place, out of the reach of children and pets, and let cool for about 30 to 40 minutes. The temperature should drop to around 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C) during that time.

Step 3: Weigh the coconut oil (or babassu oil) and cocoa butter into a small saucepan or double boiler. Melt gently over low heat, keeping a close eye on it. Weigh the other oils into your soap making pot or container and then pour the melted oils into there too. The melted oils should bring the temperature up to around 90 to 100°F (32 to 38°C), though you don’t have to get too hung up on trying to make the temperatures match.

Step 4: Now, you’re ready to mix! Working carefully and still with gloves, goggles and long sleeves on, pour the lye solution into the oils. Stir by hand for around 30 seconds then begin mixing with an immersion (stick) blender. Do not use a hand mixer – you want a stick blender that looks like THIS.

Step 5: Blend for around 30 to 40 seconds, then hand stir with the motor off for 30 to 40 seconds. Alternate until trace is reached. “Trace” means that your soap batter has gotten thick enough so that when you drizzle some of it across the surface of itself, it leaves an imprint or “tracing” before sinking back in.

Step 6: When light trace is reached, stir in essential oil, if using. Use EO Calc to figure out how much essential oil to use in a soap recipe. Since the Karma essential oil blend was rather strong (at least to my nose), then I only used 1 tablespoon (15 ml) so the soap would have just a hint of scent. Use more, if you like more strongly scented items.

Step 7: Pour the soap into the prepared mold and cover with a sheet of wax paper, then the mold’s top or a piece of cardboard. Insulate the mold with a towel or small quilt, but peek every so often to make sure that the soap isn’t overheating. It will darken in spots and take on a gel-like appearance at some points (that’s all normal as it goes through “gel phase”), but if you see a crack developing down the middle, it’s getting too hot and should be uncovered.

Step 8: Allow the soap to stay in the mold for at least 24 to 48 hours. Remove from the mold and slice into bars. Let the soap cure for at least 4 weeks before use.

This post was last modified on December 14, 2024 2:08 pm