I live in Southern California, where I can grow aloe very easily. I was hoping to use it to make gifts for friends and family. I would love to make a nice, soothing soap with it but the only recipe I found calls for lots of expensive essential oils. Does anyone have a very simple recipe? I would prefer not to have to rebatch.

I would also like any other suggestions on what to do with the aloe - I have a lot of it.

Thank you!

-- Anne Lewis Sieck (AnneSieck@hotmail.com), July 04, 2001

Answers

dont see why you couldnt just add the sap, juice when your making soap,,add it just as the soap is setting up. Let us know how it works

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), July 04, 2001.

There is a wonderful soap forum that I visit alot. The people will help with all questions. Type in Sugar Plum Sundries they are a family soap company and they have a forum. Or type in soap and you'll get it. I am a soapmaker and agree with the post above. Now before I add anything new I run it though a calculator that tells me the amount of lye and water if you need that let me know.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), July 04, 2001.

When I use aloe in soap, I put the leaves in a blender and let it rip; chop, puree, blend, you name it! It adds a nice greenish color to the cold process soap. If you were to use more than 1/3 cup, you might want to decrease the oils an equal amount. Susan Cavitch Miller (or is it Miller Cavitch...?)has written at least 2 books with great recipes for cold process, all vegetable oil soap. Good luck!

-- Linda Kingsley (lkingsle@rochester.rr.com), October 23, 2001.