Lavender Soap

My first career, fresh out of college, was owning a retail store. Intermezzo* was a hip little joint ~ with a sales strategy of everything you've never needed. 

* The intermezzo, in the 18th century, was an interlude performed between scenes of an opera, providing comic relief.

Lavender Fields ~ Mona, Utah

During my first year in business, I spent my days putzing around the bath department, concocting soaps and lotions with essential plant oils, and waiting for a customer to walk in.

Then something terrible happened. 
We were voted Twin Cities Best Gift Shop and became a roaring success.

Suddenly, I had employees to deal with and department managers to scold. When my banker said I should sell franchises, I decided to sell the damn place instead.

I learned two valuable life lessons:

1. Success is hardly ever what it's cracked up to be.
2. How to make soap.

~~~~

You don't really need to grow Lavender in order to make soap. However! There are over 300 varieties of Lavender in the world and every one of them would look breathtaking in your garden.

TIP: The fragrance of English Lavender (Lavendula Angustifolia) is sweeter than their hybrid cousins, the Lavandins. This essential oil is wonderful for aromatherapy and perfume.

Lavender ~ Ever so easy to grow:
Choose a garden spot with good drainage and lotsa sun. Once established, she's a hardy, drought tolerant perennial - perfect for rock gardens.  

But, she doesn't start out that way.  Water her every 2 days and she'll jump for joy. Try a liquid, organic fertilizer when you water transplants. It helps her adjust to new surroundings.

In my area, our heavy clay soil causes problems. Work the soil well. It should be so loose you can dig it with your hands. Two inches of sand mulch will moderate soil temperature, reflecting heat and light up toward the plant.

Hot temperatures create more fragrant blooms. Severe pruning in early spring (to 2/3 of its size, leaving 2 inches of green above woody stems) stimulates beautiful growth. Remove ALL of the blossoms in fall. Because dried lavender will make every BFF you have a tiny bit happier.

RECIPE!  

(Finally! A post that holds some value...) 

 Let's just file this one under: Itsabout time.

Lavender Oatmeal Soap
* Oatmeal is a natural humectant, wonderful for dry skin. Lavender has a delightful, relaxing fragrance. This soap makes a rich, creamy lather and lasts forever. Makes about 45 bars.

Create a lavender infusion by pouring hot water over 1 cup lavender flowers for about 10 minutes. Set aside. Drain excess water before adding to soap.

Soap Ingredients

• 128 fl oz palm oil
• 25 fl oz coconut oil
• 25.5 fl oz lye
• 17.25 fl oz water
• 100ml lavender essential oil
• Organic rolled oats – oats will provide texture to your soap. (Begin with one cup, use your own judgement.)

~ I'm getting all scientific on you because, contrary to dress sizes, when it comes to soaps, measurements really do matter.

How to:

1. Melt palm and coconut oils to 113 degrees
2. Add lye and water
3. Stir until trace*
4. Add essential oil, lavender flowers and oats at trace
5. Pour into mold
6. Allow to set for about 3 days after pouring
7. Pop from molds and slice into bars

* No changes to ingredients, or process, when making soap at high altitude. (Soap might take a little longer to cure.)
** 'To trace' means well-mixed with no streaks of remaining oil.