Parsley Soap Recipe
Instructions on how to use parsley to naturally color handmade soap green. This is a re-batch recipe using cold-process soap. You could use any other type of bar soap to recreate it though.
Servings 6 bars
Cost $10
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 bars Soap can be handmade or purchased, about 454 g or 1 lb
- 2 Tbsp dried Parsley or 4 Tbsp fresh. Can be flat-leaf or curly parsley.
- 1/3 cup distilled water
- 1.5 tsp peppermint (mentha piperita) essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare your soap mold. I'm using a take-away container like you'd get from a Chinese restaurant. It's lined with baking paper, shiny side up. You could also use silicone molds.
- Finely pulse or chop the parsley, place it in a pan with the water, and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook for about a minute before taking it off the heat. Pulse the parsley-water with a stick (immersion) blender until you have a fine texture. It's my theory that it's the bits of parsley rather than the juice that ultimately tint the soap.
- Shred the bars of soap using a cheese grater. It may take some effort if the soap is fully cured.
- Place the shredded soap in the slow cooker and pour the parsley-water over it. Turn the heat on to high and gently stir every five minutes. I also gently squished the pieces to try to break them up a little. Try not to agitate the soap because you want to avoid it becoming sudsy.
- After about 30-45 minutes your mixture should look like this. Scoop it out of the slow cooker and press it into molds. It's quite thick so you may need to squish it in.
- Allow to fully cool, which can take 12 hours or overnight.
- Cut into bars and cure for 2-3 weeks before using. Curing involves spacing the bars out in an airy place and allowing the water to evaporate out. During this time the green may fade a bit. The best-by date of your soap will be the original best-by date of the soap or one year. Whichever is closer. Store this soap in a dim or dark place if possible, the color might not hold up well if left in the light.
