Nettle Soap Recipe

Nettle soap recipe

April 30, 2023

It doesn't get much more natural than making your own soap and using plants to colour them! Nettle powder is a traditional way to colour soap and creates a dark, natural green coloured soap.

We're using a blend of lavender, peppermint and rosemary essential oils. This creates a herbal scented soap to match the green colour. 

Nettle powder has its own distinctive scent, however when we added essential oils to the soap we couldn't smell the nettles.

Equipment:

  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Weighing scales
  • Digital thermometer
  • Heatproof bowl
  • Plastic measuring jugs, ideally 2x 1L and 1x 2L
  • Silicone spatula
  • Soap mould or DIY alternative ( Explore our range of silicone soap moulds!)
  • Stick blender

Nettle soap recipe ingredients

Ingredients:

Method:

Mix sodium hydroxide solution for nettle soap

1. Mix the sodium hydroxide solution

  • Put your gloves and goggles on, and open the window
  • Weigh the water
  • Weigh the sodium hydroxide in a separate jug
  • Add the sodium hydroxide to the water
  • Stir until dissolved
  • Leave it somewhere safe to cool, it will be hot!

Melting oils for nettle soap

2. Weigh and heat the oils

  • Weigh the cocoa butter, coconut oil and olive oil into a heatproof bowl
  • Melt over a pan of boiling water, or using short bursts in the microwave.
  • Stir regularly
  • Once melted, leave to cool

Mixing essential oils and nettle powder

3. Weigh the essential oils and nettle powder

  • Weigh your essential oils
  • Weigh your nettle powder
  • Mix well until combined

Checking temperatures

4. Test the temperatures

  • Test the temperature of the sodium hydroxide solution. It should be between 25C and 40C
  • Leave it to cool if necessary, but don't reheat it if it's too cool.
  • Test the temperature of the oil mixture. It should be between 35C and 40C
  • Leave it to cool or reheat if necessary

Blending nettle soap until trace

5. Blend until trace

  • Add the sodium hydroxide solution to your oil mixture
  • Using a stick blender, stir and blend in short pulses
  • Keep checking how the soap batter thickens
  • Test for trace by dripping soap batter across the jug of mixture, if it sits on top for a moment the soap has reached trace.
  • Stop blending once the soap has reached trace
  • Add your essential oils and nettle powder mixture
  • Blend in short bursts until combined

Pouring soap into moulds

6. Pour into moulds

  • Pour the soap mixture into a mould
  • Tap the mould on the surface to free any air bubbles
  • Cover with greaseproof paper
  • Insulate with a towel
  • Leave on a flat surface for 48 hours

Nettle soap bars

7. Cut and cure

  • Unmould the soap and cut into bars
  • Spread out with an air gap between the bars
  • Leave to cure for 4-6 weeks

Continue reading

Now that you've learned how to make nettle soap, why not continue your soap making journey?

Did you try making your own nettle soap? Comment below and let us know.

Comments

Barry Barton

Barry Barton said:

Great info

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