Gardeners Soap Recipe for Gentle Hand Cleaning
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This all-natural gardeners soap recipe is created with gardening and cooking enthusiasts in mind. It’s colored with alfalfa leaves, scented with herbal essential oils, and has poppy seeds for exfoliation. This from-scratch cold-process soap is a great recipe for gently cleaning hands.
Many handmade soap recipes focus on creating luxurious bars for the whole body. However, what part of you do you wash the most? Hands! Especially if you’re a dedicated kitchen gardener. This recipe helps you create gentle and conditioning bars that are specifically for cleaning hands. It includes just the right amount of coconut oil for a fluffy lather and lashings of plant butter for conditioning and supporting your skin. Best of all, you can use poppy seeds from your own garden, if you wish, to create a lovely speckled effect that also helps exfoliate and scrub dirty hands.
One of the most wonderful things about this gardeners soap recipe is that it’s from scratch. You get to meet every ingredient that goes into it, and the easy instructions follow the cold process method. If you are new to making handmade soap and would like more guidance, I have plenty of articles here to discover, including the free soapmaking series. I also go through making cold process soap in much more depth in the natural soapmaking for beginners online course. It includes full instructional videos and step-by-step soap recipes.
How to Make Gardener’s Hand Soap
This is a simple cold-process soap recipe that follows standard soap-making steps. One difference is that you do need to start the process about two weeks (or more) before you make soap. During this time, you’ll allow dried alfalfa to infuse with the olive oil you’ll use to make soap.
Though you can stir alfalfa powder directly into the soap batter, my experience is that the color will fade quickly. If you infuse it into a carrier oil, the color will last for months and months. Maybe years. I go through all this in my alfalfa soap recipe, but trust me, the wait is worth it! Good natural green soap colorants are few and far between, and this is one of them.
After making the alfalfa-infused oil, you strain and use the green oil to make soap as normal. This recipe includes several other main oils, including coconut oil, shea butter, mango butter, and castor oil. Some are easier to find than others, but I’ve included ingredient links if you find them useful.
Together, the oils and other ingredients create gorgeous and nourishing bars of soap that are perfect for washing hands. Though optional, the essential oils are a beautiful herbal blend that will help mask odors (think onions) and just smell incredible. The speckles of poppy seeds add visual interest and help to gently remove dirt from your skin and nails. They’re also optional.
Using a Recycled Soap Mold
For this recipe, I’m sharing a soap mold that is a little unconventional. It’s a one-liter milk carton! I’ve used them for years in my in-person soap-making workshops, and they work a treat. Attendees can take them home after the workshop and rip them open two days later to unmold their soapy creations. I’m sharing the idea here because it’s a brilliant way to create softly rounded square bars, upcycle waste, and save money.
Instead of buying a silicone mold for soap batches, you can simply use empty cartons. One-quart (one-liter) cartons are also the ideal size for making small batches of soap, typically one pound (454 g). That includes most soap recipes here on Lovely Greens, but it’s also a good size for test batches. If you’d like, you can use different soap molds, though.
- How to Make Liquid Hand Soap
- Wildflower Herbal Salve Recipe
- Rose Hand Cream Recipe
- 12 Ways to Create Textured Soap Tops
Gardeners Soap Recipe (Cold Process)
Equipment
- immersion blender (stick blender) (also called a stick blender)
- Mason jar (pint) (473 ml jar)
- drink carton (1 quart/liter) (or another mold(s) of your preference)
Materials
Alfalfa Infused Oil
- 1/4 cup Alfalfa powder 28 g / 0.99 oz
- 385 g olive oil (light colored or pomace) 1 pint / 16 oz
Lye solution
- 61 g sodium hydroxide 2.16 oz
- 124 g distilled water 4.39 oz
Solid oils
- 95 g coconut oil (refined) 3.36 oz (21%)
- 100 g shea butter (refined) 3.52 oz (22%)
- 45 g mango butter 1.6 oz (10%
Liquid oils
- 191 g alfalfa-infused olive oil 6.73 oz (42%)
- 23 g castor oil 0.8 oz (5%)
After Trace
- 1 tsp poppy seeds 2.5 g
- 2 tsp lavender essential oil 8 g (optional)
- 1 tsp peppermint (mentha piperita) essential oil 4 g (optional)
- 1 tsp rosemary essential oil 4 g (optional)
Instructions
Make Alfalfa-infused oil
- Make the alfalfa-infused oil, using the cold-infusion method, at least two weeks before making the soap. Pour the olive oil and alfalfa powder into a glass jar, seal it with a lid, and give it a shake. Place the jar in a dark but warm place, shaking it when you remember. Every few days is enough.
- At the end of the two weeks, strain the oil through a cheesecloth and sieve. The oil will be a dark army green, and the alfalfa may form a thick sludge at the bottom of the jar. Don't squeeze the cheesecloth – let the oil drip through until it stops. At the end, you should have enough alfalfa-infused oil to make at least two 1-lb (454 g) batches of this gardeners soap recipe. Store it in a clean Mason jar in a dim place until needed. Discard the alfalfa.
Prepare Your Workspace
- Cold-process soapmaking is chemistry, and this recipe uses lye. Lye is a caustic substance that is completely neutralized in the soapmaking process, but it can be harmful if not handled correctly. Please read this soap making safety guidance before proceeding.
- To make soap, first prepare your workstation with your tools, equipment, and safety gear. Wear long sleeves, rubber gloves, eye protection, and an apron. Carefully pre-measure the ingredients into their respective containers. The solid oils into the pan, the liquid oils into a bowl or jug, the water in a heat-proof jug, and the lye in another jug or container. If using it, measure the essential oil in a small glass or ceramic container.
- Set out the mold and ensure you have everything else you need laid out. Though this recipe includes instructions and photos for using an empty drinks carton as a soap mold, you can use another, if you wish.
- To prepare a drinks carton as a simple soap mold, just cut the top of it off. Ensure the inside is clean and dry.
Make Gardeners Soap
- Working in an airy place, pour the lye (sodium hydroxide) crystals into the distilled water. Stir well to dissolve the crystals completely. There will be a lot of heat and steam, so be careful. Don't breathe it in. I generally have the window open above my kitchen sink, where I tend to do this step for small batches of soap like this one.
- Leave the jug of lye solution to cool. The best way is to set it in cold water in the sink.
- Melt the solid oils on low heat in a stainless steel pan on the stovetop. Leave it on the heat until all the oils are fully melted.
- When melted, remove from the heat and set on a potholder. Pour in the liquid oils. If you have the olive and castor oils in the same container, stir them together before pouring them into the pan. Castor oil is thick and sticky, and it's easier to pour when mixed with a lighter consistency oil.
- Preheat the oven to 175°F (80°C).
- Next, measure the temperatures of the lye solution and the oils. Aim to cool them both to around 100°F (38°C). When they are both around that point, pour the lye solution into the pan of oils. Pour it against a spatula held in the oils to reduce splashing and air bubbles from forming.
- Dip the immersion blender into the pan, and with it turned off, stir the mixture. Next, bring it to the center of the pan, and with both your hands, hold it on the bottom of the pan and stick blend for just a couple of seconds. Turn it off and stir the soap batter, using the blender as a spoon.
- Repeat until the mixture thickens to 'trace.' This is when the batter leaves a distinguishable trail on the surface. The consistency and look of it will be like thin custard. The soap batter will look like pea soup!
- At this point, work relatively quickly. Stir in the poppy seeds* and the essential oil if using. Mix thoroughly but quickly. Essential oil adds scent to your soap, and the blend is very herbal and garden-like. However, they're optional ingredients, and you can leave them out if you'd like.
- Pour the soap into the mold. Tap it to settle it and release air bubbles.
- To deepen the green color of your soap, you need to force gel phase. The way I do it is to place the soap in an oven that's been pre-warmed to about 175°F (80°C) and then turned off once the soap is inside. Leave the soap inside, undisturbed, overnight. The next day, take it out and leave the soap on the counter.
- Once 48 hours have passed, take the soap out of the mold and cut it into bars using a soap cutter or kitchen knife. The paper drinks carton mold is easiest removed by gently tearing it off.
- Cure it for at least 28 days. Curing means leaving the bars spaced out on a protected surface out of direct sunlight and in an airy place. This allows the extra water content to fully evaporate out. Here are full instructions on how to cure soap.
Video
Notes
Alternative Soap Colorants
This recipe is a reworked version of an older one I shared many years ago. If you’ve come to this recipe having found one of the images below or an older link or bookmark, know that the main difference between the old recipe and this new one is the soap color. The previous recipe was a pale purple color created with a nature-identical mineral colorant. The same type of color is used to make mineral makeup.
If you’d like to make the recipe purple instead of green, use ordinary olive oil (not infused with alfalfa) and mix 1/8 tsp Ultramarine violet into about a Tablespoon of the olive oil from the recipe. Add it to the oils when you pour the lye solution in, and carry on with the rest of the recipe.
Customizing This Recipe
You can also customize this soap recipe using other natural soap colorants and exfoliating ingredients. For example, you could color the soap yellow using calendula flowers or chopped rosemary, raspberry seeds, or powdered pumice instead of poppy seeds. Use what you have and what’s available in your garden! Even kitchen cupboard essentials work, too. Some spices give excellent natural color but often must be infused in oil, like alfalfa powder, for long-lasting hues.
One ingredient sometimes recommended in soap recipes is chia seeds. I don’t advise this. Once you use the soap, the chia seeds swell and release a glutinous globule around each seed. This is not ideal from a pleasant usage perspective or the soap’s longevity. If there’s anything else about the recipe you’d like to change or customize, please read my article on how to change a soap recipe.
I have a question about the Olive Oil amount. The recipe states 385g and then an additional 191g to infuse with alfalfa powder for a total of 576g or do we draw 191g from the 385g for a total of 385g? I am looking forward to making this beautiful soap.
Shay
Hi Shay, the first step is to make alfalfa-infused olive oil, and for that I list 385 g. You should still have about that much of it after straining the oil. The alfalfa powder may absorb a bit, though! The reason that I have you make so much is that it will give you enough oil to make two batches of this recipe. It takes 2+ weeks to make, so it’s always good to have enough to work with in case something goes awry with your first batch. Hope this helps clear things up :)
Hello, I was wondering if this recipe can be doubled or tripled in order to make a bigger batch?
Also is it ok to use my goat milk for this recipe??
Thank you
Deborah
Hi Deborah, and yes, feel free to double/triple it to suit your needs. Goat milk can be added to it, too, but it should be added in a specific way so that the sugars in the milk don’t cause the soap to scorch. You can see how, in my goat milk soap recipe.
Hello
This recipe sounds great! Wondering if I could substitute sunflower for avocado oil? And also I have cocoa butter but no shea, could I just substitute with all cocoa butter?
Thanks so much
Very sorry, Jill, but you can’t substitute different oils for soap recipes like that. Remember, cold process soapmaking is chemistry not cooking. Here’s more information on how to change a soap recipe.
Good evening!!!!!
I have made this soap twice and I love it. However, every time, jut a few hours after i have poured it, it develops orange spots. The spots are only in the outside of the soap, if you cut into them, they will be find.
Any ideas? The first time I did it a 120F, the second time at 100F, because i didn’t want it to gel, which it did anyways.
I have measure carefully the ingredients, the only thing i have used diferent is the coconut oil, because the one i have is unrefined. Also haven’t used the ultramarine, the first time i made it with extra virgin olive oil, now i used pomace infused with alkanet.
Any ideas who they develop dos?
Thank you so much!!!
When I hear ‘orange spots’ it makes me wonder if you’re getting instant DOS (dreaded orange spots). It’s a rancidity reaction that you see in soap when using oils that are old (past their best-by date) or making soap with heavy water (tap water high in minerals or contaminants). Send me a photo to one of my social accounts or email?
Hi Tanya, I’ll send you some pictures via email. Thank you so much.
I don’t think orange spot behave like DOS, based on what i have read, but the form anyways. When do you add the grapefruit extract? Since its next to the essential oils, i added with the essential oil at the end and mix by hand. I have done this twice, and it always happens, I wonder if it’s the grapefruit extract that have to be added with the main oils. All the oil are good and unexpired, and i hav made it twice with different batches of oils and it happens, just an hour or so after i have made it. Thank you so much.
Got your photos and yes, it’s a yellowing of the soap linked to rancidity. Rancidity can happen in a number of ways in soap but is usually the result of using old oils, tap water, other out of date ingredients, or oils that have been exposed to heat/light and that have gone off early.
I’ll try to remove the GSE next time, because I have made it twice with diferent batches of oils both good, also the same oils i have used in other recipes and nothing has happened. I’ll keep you posted ;-) Thank you.
Hello Tanya! Is there anything that can be substituted for the coconut? A friend of mine is allergic to it and I’d love to make her some of this soap. Thank you :)
Hi Bree, first I’d ask her to look at the products that she’s already using. If there’s an ingredient called sodium cocoate in any of them then she is using coconut oil on her skin already. Sodium cocoate is saponified coconut oil. Often, people who are allergic to eating certain foods don’t have a reaction to using it on their skin. A lot of folks are surprised to find this out. As for a substitute — babassu oil will work, but you need to recalculate the lye amount in a recipe if you want to change any of the oils, including for this substitution. Alternatively, begin with a coconut-free recipe like this one and this one.
Hi Tanya
I have some finely ground pumice – how much would I add to the batch – I have heard somewhere that the pumice speeds up trace – so I will hand whisk it into the batter just before pouring I am just not sure how much is the right amount
Thanks
Liz
I wouldn’t use any more than a half-teaspoon of pumice in this recipe, although you can use more if you want really rough soap. I’ve not had issues with pumice making soap trace quickly, but I have had very fine pumice form lumps if added after trace. I tend to put it in with my liquid oils and allow the stick blender to disperse it while the soap comes to trace.
Hi Tanya,
Could you confirm the amount of lavender mica to use in your lavender and rosemary soap recipe? Is it an eighth of a teaspoon? Or 1 to 8 teaspoons?
Many thanks, Catherine
Hi Catherine, it’s 1/8th of a teaspoon
Thanks Tanya. On day off i tried to make a cream ” Wild rose & Honey Hand Cream Recipe” by your recipe , it was really very cool the cream is very absorbed into the skin does not leave fat as i have oily skin and i tried it on my face on body and it’s really super)) it’s my first cream by your recepe!!!! Now i want to do more. But i have a question how to understand which emulsifier to choose for a cream by what principle and if is differences for face or bođy. For example i understand that there are emulsifiers especially for water \oil and oil\water. But for example i would like to do cream Oil\water and there are a lot of emulsifiers and i cant undetstsnd what kind of them will be better for cream , how can i oriented in them.
Hello, Tanya. I would like to ask you is it important what kind of oils ( unrefined or refined) for soapmaking
It’s entirely personal preference. However, oils are subject to both heat and caustic soda in soap making so I like to reserve my better oils for lotions and creams. Refined oils are also more costly and have a stronger scent which is why I always use refined coconut oil in my own recipes.
Thank you so much for the lovely recipes!!
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I just have one question can I use Lavender butter for this recipe? or for the other Lavender soap recipe you share with us in your post “Natural Soapmaking for Beginners – Basic Recipes and Formulating Your Own”. If I can, how do you sugest to integrate this new ingredient in the recipe?
I’m unfamiliar with Lavender Butter – could you provide more specific information on what it is? What ingredients is it made with?
Hi Tanya! I really would like to try this! I’m a little intimidated about using lye, can I use a “melt & pour” lieu of the lye? If so, would I still be able to add Shea & coconut oil, as well as the lavender essential oils? I have dried thyme & lavender that I grow, can I use that in the soap as an added botanical/ exfoliant? Please help! When I get a tad braver I will make the soap using lye
Your lavender and Rosemary hand soap turned out beautiful. Lavender is such a lovely scent =)
Hi Tanya…I would really like to give this a try….is it possible to get small amounts of the ingredients needed so I only have enough to make this batch of soap?? Or maybe you sell them as a sort of 'have a go starter kit' on your site for people who would like to give it a go??
I have long wanted to learn soapmaking, but it seemed a little daunting. Your recipe and instructions make it sound doable. This particular soap looks gorgeous and I love scrubby soaps. Can't wait to try it! Beautiful photos, too.
Rodemary and Lavendar I adore those two and I buy soaps of this kind when I got a little bit of money they are not cheap in Washington state, I ususally find mine in Seattle where the taxes take a big bite out of any purchase but they are worth it as in my tiny town they are not to be found..I use them after I garden and anytime I need to mini scrub my hands without taking the skin off and they smell so good! thanks for the recipe I will try to make them and give them to very special friends only. happy Passover and happy easter! ciao!