Title: Down the Garden Path
Categories: Soap *
Yield: 1 Batch

FATS AND OILS
		80øF to 95øF
LYE SOLUTION
		80øF to 95øF
INGREDIENTS
201	g	Sodium hydroxide
1	lb	3 oz distilled water
9	oz	Olive oil
4	oz	Hemp seed oil
8	oz	Avocado oil
1	lb	Coconut oil
14	oz	Palm oil
1/4	c	Wet comfrey leaves, dried or fresh, finely chopped, and/or h
12	g	Grapefruit seed extract, optional
7	ts	Pure essential oil or fragrance oil, optional

Preparing the wet herbs: Pour 1 1/2 cups water over 1/4 cup chopped comfrey leaves. Seal well and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. Strain teh herbs and squeeze out any excess water. Add the wet herbs at the trace, before you add the scent. Wet comfrey stays green for many weeks in the final bars; dried herbs always turn brown quickly.

Preparing an herbal oil: This can be done a couple of days before making the soap (herbal oils spoil quickly, so don't store for longer than a few days at room temperature). Harvest a few handfuls of favorite herbs from the garden. Wash them lightly and pat as dry as possible. Warm the premeasured olive and avocado oils (don't use the hemp seed oil until the day of soapmaking, to avoid premature spoilage) slightly and pour over the fresh herbs; stir gently for a few seconds. Cover tightly and let the herbal oil rest at room temperature for a day or so. Strain before using.

Preparing an herbal infushion: Once the sodium hydroxide is well dissolved in the water, add 1/2 to 1 cup of clean fresh or dried herbs. Stir occasionally to release the color from the herbs. Strain before adding the lye solution to the fats and oils.

Source: "The Soapmaker's Companion" by Susan Miller Cavitch

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