Go Back
Print Pin

Alfalfa Soap Recipe

This natural green soap recipe uses alfalfa as a natural soap colorant, which we introduce as a homemade infused oil. The oils in the recipe are deliberately light in color so as to not interphere with the natural color of alfalfa. The essential oils used are non-staining but can be left out if you wish. This cold process soap recipe makes 4-6 bars and is gelled to amplify the color. Technical information: 1lb / 454g batch -- 5% superfat -- 33% lye concentration.
Keyword oatmeal, soap, soap recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Curing time 28 days
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 bars
Author Lovely Greens
Cost 10

Equipment

Ingredients

Alfalfa Infused Oil

Lye solution

Solid oils

Liquid oils

  • 227 g alfalfa-infused olive oil 8.01 oz (50%)
  • 23 g castor oil 0.8 oz (5%)

After Trace

Instructions

Make Alfalfa-infused oil

  • Make the alfalfa-infused oil at least two weeks before making the soap. Place the olive oil and alfalfa powder in a glass jar, seal it, and give it a shake. Leave the jar in a dim 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 soap. 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 and rubber gloves, eye protection, and an apron. Carefully pre-measure the ingredients. The solid oils into the pan, the liquid oils into a jug, the water in a heat-proof jug, and the lye in another container. Measure the essential oil into a small glass or ceramic container.
  • Set out the mold and ensure you have everything else you need laid out. Being organized at this stage will help you to make soap successfully. Also, to gel soap, it's easier to use a loaf mold, but you can also force gel in the oven if you want to use cavity molds. If you plan on using your oven as instructed below, make sure that it's clean and ready to use.

Make Alfalfa Soap

  • The first step is to dissolve the lye (sodium hydroxide) crystals in the distilled water. In an airy place, either by an open window or outdoors, pour the lye crystals into the water and stir well. There will be a lot of heat and steam, so be careful. Try not to breathe it in.
  • Leave the lye solution to cool. I tend 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.
  • Measure the temperatures of the lye solution and the oils. Aim to cool them both to around 100°F (38°C). Preheat the oven at this point to 175°F (80°C).
  • When the temperatures of both are around that point, pour the lye solution into the pan of oils.
  • 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 up 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!
  • Stir in the essential oil if you're using it. Mix thoroughly but quickly. Essential oil adds scent to your soap, but it's an optional ingredient and you can leave it out if you'd like.
  • Still working quickly, pour the soap into the mold(s). Give it a tap 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.
  • 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.

Notes

Once made, your soap will have a shelf-life of up to two years. Check the oil bottles that you're using -- the closest best-by date is the best-by date of your soap.
Are you a beginner soapmaker looking for more guidance on how to make handmade soap? Enroll in the Natural Soapmaking for Beginners Online Course to get up to speed quickly. You'll learn all about soap ingredients and equipment and be guided through step-by-step soap recipe videos.