Making Homemade Luffa Soap

The luffa soap is done. Here’s how I did it. First, I grew some luffa gourds. And prepared them sponge-style. You can buy luffas already prepared.  I’ve never done it so I don’t have a recommended seller, but you can do an online search and...

Making a Luffa Sponge

This year was a first for many things in the garden.  Probably the most dramatic new addition was the luffa gourds. They got off to a bad start.  Soon after sprouting, they disappeared entirely one night.  Chipmunks?  Alien abduction? So I planted more.  They soon...

Peppermint-Rosemary Soap

This is the batch I made for presents this year.  It’s a little fancier than the soaps I usually do–never swirled before.  I think I like it, though. It’s peppermint-rosemary with green clay and a smidge of ground rosemary on top.  I used my standard...

Neem Oil Soap

Neem oil, if you believe all its fans are saying, will do anything and everything, and has done for millenia. For repelling insects, treating eczema, psoriasis, acne and dry skin, it has a league of admirers. Do a simple search and prepare to be amazed by the breadth...

Pure Olive Oil Soap Recipe (Castile Soap)

A 100% olive oil soap recipe is also called a “Castile” soap recipe in English-speaking countries. But, not all soaps labelled “Castile” are truly 100% Olive Oil. I heard the stories about *real* Castile soaps.  The resulting bars were so...

Micro-soap

I don’t know this never occurred to me before. When I was making my latest batch of liquid soap, I just popped all the oils in the micky for a couple of minutes on 30% power and they were ready to go! Ivory the Inventress (though somebody else has totally...