Spring is my favorite time of year. As the weather gets warmer, I love seeing the cheerful yellow dandelions popping up everywhere – in fields, gardens, even lawns. Dandelions are one of my favorite spring plants. I think they’re so versatile! You can use the leaves, roots, and flowers for food, medicine, and even making dandelion soap for natural skincare.
A lot of people think dandelions are just pesky weeds, but I treasure them. As a soap maker, I love to use dandelions to make beautiful handmade cold process soap bars. I find it exciting to take a simple flower and transform it into a luxurious soap. Making dandelion soap is like an art – it combines science, creativity, and appreciating nature’s gifts.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to make your own dandelion soap, start to finish. We’ll go over picking the dandelion flowers and getting their skin-benefiting properties into your soap. I’ll share my personal dandelion soap recipe that has an amazing fresh scent. Every step is fun and lets you get creative.
Whether you’re an experienced soaper or just starting out, making dandelion soap is a fun project! It will make you fall in love with these sunny little flowers. And you’ll end up with a one-of-a-kind soap that lets you bring some spring into your daily routine. For me, it’s all about embracing the simple beauty of nature.
Benefits of Dandelion in Skin Care
One of the reasons I love using dandelions in my skincare products like soap is because this plant is truly a skin-nourishing powerhouse! The flowers, leaves, and roots are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are amazing for your skin.
For example, dandelions are loaded with vitamin A which helps stimulate cell turnover and rejuvenate dull, dry skin. The vitamin C in dandelions brightens skin tone and combats damaging free radicals that lead to premature aging. And the flower petals even contain gentle alpha-hydroxy acids that provide mild exfoliation.
But dandelions don’t just nourish your skin on the surface. They’re also anti-inflammatory, which can help calm conditions like eczema and psoriasis. The milky sap has pain-relieving properties that relax redness and swelling. And all those antioxidants help protect skin from environmental stressors.
In my dandelion soap, I use sustainably foraged dandelions that have been dried and infused into olive oil. This transfers all those good-for-you vitamins and compounds directly into the soap! With every use, you’re treating your skin to a gentle dose of dandelion benefits.
One of the highlights of crafting dandelion soap is the joyful task of foraging for these flowers right in my own backyard. I never have to venture far; dandelions are always eager to make an appearance somewhere in my patch of green. Gathering them here offers peace of mind, knowing they are free from chemicals. As I meander through my garden, plucking these bright yellow gems, I’m conscious to harvest just what I need, leaving plenty for the bees and butterflies that visit.
Foraging for dandelions on my own land is a grounding experience, constantly reminding me of the abundant and free resources nature provides. Dandelions have taught me to value and utilize what is often overlooked or deemed undesirable. There’s a profound sense of fulfillment in transforming these so-called “nuisance” plants into a natural product that nurtures my skin.
MAKE DANDELION-INFUSED Olive OIL
The olive oil used in my dandelion soap is an herbal infused oil made with dried dandelion blossoms.
Learn more about making dandelion infused oil in my dandelion oil post: Easy Dandelion Oil for Skincare
DEHYDRATE AND POWDER DANDELION LEAF
Adding dehydrated and powdered dandelion leaf to these dandelion soap bars at trace is a wonderful way to infuse your creations with the natural benefits of this versatile herb.
To do this, start by dehydrating dandelion leaves until they are crisp, ensuring all moisture is removed to prevent any spoilage within your soap. Once dry, grind the leaves into a fine powder.
As you reach the ‘trace’ stage in soap making—when the soap mixture thickens and leaves a visible trail when drizzled on itself—gently stir in the powdered dandelion leaf. This not only adds a gentle, exfoliating texture but also imparts the skin-loving properties of dandelion directly into the bars. The addition of dandelion leaf powder enriches the soap with vitamins and minerals, making each bar a nourishing treat for the skin.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO MAKING Dandelion SOAP
Making your own cold-process dandelion soap bars is not just a fun project, it’s a ritual that connects you to the ingredients and the process. Here, I’ll guide you through each step to create your own dandelion soap using the dandelion you’ve foraged and infused in olive oil.
EQUIPMENT
- Safety Goggles
- Rubber Gloves
- Kitchen scale
- Glass Measuring Cups
- Thermometer
- Stainless steel pot for melting oils
- Immersion Blender
- Silicone Spatula
- Soap Mold – This one is the perfect size to fit this recipe.
- Freezer Paper for lining molds if not using silicone
INGREDIENTS
- 9 oz coconut oil
- 9 oz olive oil infused with dandelion (herb infused) Here’s how to infuse herbs in oils
- 4 oz shea butter
- 3 oz castor oil
- 3 oz sweet almond oil
LIQUIDS AND LYE
- 3.9 oz lye
- 9 oz cold water
Additions at Trace
- 2 teaspoon dandelion leaf, powdered
- 1/2 –1 oz. essential oil of preference. Here’s what I used:
- .75 oz lemongrass
- .5 oz sweet orange
- .25oz peppermint
When it comes to adding essential oils to your soap recipe, the amount you use can vary based on personal preference and the strength of the essential oil’s scent. However, a general guideline for soap making is to use about 0.5 to 1 ounce of essential oil per pound of soap.
Method:
1.) Safety First: The first thing I do when making a batch or cold process soap is assemble all needed equipment and ingredients. Then I put on gloves, goggles, and long sleeves for protection.
2.) Measure the Water: The first thing I do when making a new batch of soap is measure the cold water and pour it into a heatproof pitcher. I keep a set of glass measuring cups in various sizes for soap making. When measuring, be sure to use a kitchen scale. It is essential to be precise when measuring ingredients for soap.
3.) Lye Solution: Next, weigh the lye using a kitchen scale, then carefully add the lye to the water and mix until dissolved. I like to do this part outdoors, as this will initially make fumes. Be sure to wear your goggles and gloves. Lye is caustic and will burn if it comes in contact with skin. Allow the lye solution to cool for 30 to 40 minutes until it reaches a temperature of about 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C). To speed this up, you can place the pitcher in the sink filled with ice water.
5.) Blending: Once both the lye solution and oils are at the right temperature (both mixtures around 110°), slowly pour the lye solution into the oils. Mix them by alternating between hand stirring and using a stick (or immersion) blender until the mixture reaches ‘trace’ – when the mixture is thick enough to leave a mark on the surface. For a batch this small, you can opt to hand mix using a whisk, although it will take a bit longer than using an immersion blender.
6.) Adding Extras: After the mixture has reached trace (kinda like thick pudding), it’s time to stir in your dried and powdered dandelion leaf and essential oils. If you’re sensitive to essential oils or smells, you can certainly leave them out.
Dandelion Soap
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 oz coconut oil
- 9 oz olive oil infused with dandelion herb infused Here’s how to infuse herbs in oils
- 4 oz shea butter
- 3 oz castor oil
- 3 oz sweet almond oil
LIQUIDS AND LYE
- 3.9 oz lye
- 9 oz cold water
ADDITIONS AT TRACE
- 2 teaspoon dandelion leaf powdered
- .75 oz lemongrass essential oil
- .5 oz sweet orange essential oil
- .25 oz peppermint essential oil
Instructions
- Preparation: Assemble all equipment and ingredients. Wear protective gear (gloves, goggles, long sleeves).
- Measure Water: Measure cold water into a heatproof pitcher using a kitchen scale.
- Lye Solution: Weigh and carefully mix lye into the water. Allow to cool to 100-110°F.
- Oil Mixture: Weigh and melt the coconut oil and shea butter, then blend in the other oils (except essential oils) until the mixture reaches 100-110°F.
- Blending: Combine the lye solution and oils when both are at the right temperature, mixing to reach 'trace'.
- Adding Extras: Stir in powdered dandelion leaf and essential oils at trace.
- Pouring and Curing: Pour into mold, optionally swirl the top, cover, and insulate for 24 hours. Unmold, cut into bars, and cure for 4-6 weeks.
Notes
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