What Soap Ingredients Can I Grow?

In the last post I talked about a lot of ingredients I like to use in my soap. Many of them are costly, so I asked myself "What Soap Ingredients Can I Grow?" A few that I have grown in my garden are:

lavender - In Wisconsin, many varieties are not perennial, so I tend to re buy this plant a lot.
calendula - This plant is part of the marigold family and it is prolific. It self seeds!!!!
poppies - You need to grow a special variety to harvest seeds. I had trouble getting this one started.
loofah - Gourd family plant that has a long, long growing season. Loofah is the dried inside membrane of the gourd.

You can also grow herbs that you can infuse into your olive oil. I have infused St. John's Wort, Lavender, and there are many others that you can use. Herbs are easy to grow and can be grown in a window sill or in a small container on a patio.

It takes some advanced planning and time to be able to use your own ingredients, but it is worth it! Even though you may not be certified organic, you can let people know you grew your ingredients in your soap without chemicals.

As you browse through all the seed catalogues that are arriving in the mail, ask yourself, "What Soap Ingredients Can I Grow?"

You can learn how to make soap at How to Make Soap.