Infusing plants

[jannahilliard]

Hi I am very new to soap making. We are making a liquid soap for a university assignment in response to the lack of soap in shops at the moment.

We are wanting to incorporate native New Zealand plants that have properties beneficial to skin.

If I infused the oil with the plant before making soap, does that have potential to ruin the mixture by changing things chemically?

Is it better to infuse the water that we will dilute the soap paste with?

We are poor students so not wanting to risk infusing the oil if it will ruin the recipe

Any advice appreciated

 

[ChemicalPyros]

Hello,

Infusing in the worst case scenario does not do anything, and in the best case scenario it does what you were hoping for.
I would suggest that you do both, use infused oil and then dilute with infused water (this way you insure that water and oil soluble molecules are present in the final soap) and increase your chances of obtaining beneficial soaps.

Hope this helps

 

[jannahilliard]

Thank you!