Botanicals

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About Botanicals

Petals, herbs, flowers, and seeds galore! The beauty of mother nature is at your fingertips with our botanicals collection - where you’ll find every colour and texture under the sun. Shop from the very best the earth has to offer, get fast, free delivery, and get creative with your crafts today!

Learn More About Botanicals

Our carefully curated range of plant-based ingredients is sure to give your soaps and cosmetics that extra special touch.

Whether mixing into your trace, hand-decorating a finished bar, or adding the perfect natural exfoliant to your next scrub, botanicals are the underrated star of the show. Bringing a whole host of natural textures, patterns, and colours - whether silky smooth or speckled - this hand-picked selection of cosmetics-grade plant ingredients is sure to have just what you’re looking for. 

What are Botanical Ingredients?

Get creative with plant power.

Botanicals are plant-based ingredients used in everything from personal care products to handmade soap and beyond. Derived from various parts of our world’s vast array of natural flora including leaves, flowers, roots, and stems, they’re prized for both their inner and outer beauty. You heard us right! Not only are these gorgeous ingredients pretty - they’re pretty functional too. 

Whether you’re after hand-dried rose petals, kelp powder, nettle powder, jasmine flowers, or something more, botanicals are the perfect, all-natural way to add both colour and texture to your products - alongside some brilliant bath and body benefits.

So why wait? Start exploring our selection of botanical ingredients today and discover the natural solutions your crafts have been missing.

How to Use Botanicals for Cosmetics?

Let’s start making! 

From nourishing and moisturising properties to delightful scents and natural colourants, botanicals offer endless possibilities for creation, customization, and beyond!

When it comes to soap making, start by deciding on the plants or extracts you want to incorporate. Some popular options include nettle, kelp, rose, chamomile, jasmine, and calendula. You can add the botanicals directly to your soap mixture, infuse oils with them, or even create a botanical tea to add to your soap. Remember - some botanicals are more suited to formulas than others, so be sure to double-check your recipe and research! 

The fun doesn’t stop at suds - botanicals can be used in cosmetics, candles, and other crafts too! Why not try mixing a handful of dried herbs into a clay mask?

Keep in mind that some botanicals can cause discolouration or fading, so it's a good idea to do some testing before using them in a large batch of any product. 

The Benefits of Botanicals for Cosmetics

With a long list of botanical ingredients to choose from, the benefits are almost endless! Whether packed with antioxidants, pigment or skin-saving natural textures, these customer favourites can do anything from brightening your soap to protecting your skin. All you’ve got to do is choose the right one for you! Remember - no two botanicals are the same. 

For example, whilst our best-selling nettle powder can create a subdued green hue with natural flecks, our whole dried rose petals make for a stunning decorative centrepiece. 

By using botanicals in your crafting, you can create natural, nourishing products gentle on both skin, and the environment. For more information on our products, please view their individual descriptions!

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We’re committed to offering a vast range of all-natural, organic products certified by The Soil Association, and we take pride in doing our part for the world around us.

Like most ingredients, the oils, butters, powders, and decorations in your handmade products are farmed or extracted from the natural world. Those certified as organic by the Soil Association were grown, produced, and harvested in line with strict regulations designed to protect and sustain the environment, including soils, ecosystems, animals, and people.

Buying Botanicals: FAQs

Can’t find the answers you’re looking for? Be sure to reach out to our friendly team using our contact form, or over social media. We’ll be happy to help.

How to add texture to soap?

Adding texture to soap is an enjoyable way to enhance its look and feel. Botanicals like seeds, leaves, flowers, roots, and stems, are excellent for this. You can mix them directly into the soap base or sprinkle them on top for decoration. They not only create a visually appealing texture but also offer gentle exfoliation.

When using these ingredients, it's important to consider skin sensitivity. We provide a variety of botanicals and exfoliants, perfect for creating beautifully textured soaps that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

How do you store botanicals?

Best practices for storing botanicals are much like their natural ‘sibling’, essential oils. In order to improve your ingredients’ shelf lives and retain their quality, our experts highly recommend the following:

Be sure to keep your botanicals in an airtight container, whether this is the one they arrived in or one of your own. After use, be sure to seal them up as soon as possible to prevent exposure to oxygen and moisture. Keep this container in a cool, dry, dark place to prevent deterioration and mould where possible. Prevention is key!

If you have large amounts of botanicals, consider dividing them into smaller batches and storing them in separate containers. This will help to reduce the risk of spoilage if one batch goes bad. In addition to this, if working with a large inventory, be sure to label your batches with dates of storage - helping you use older supplies first.

How do you choose the right botanicals for your soap and cosmetics recipes?

Choosing the right botanicals for your soap and cosmetics can be an exciting process! But how do you make sure you’ve made the right selection? Our experts weigh in:

Consider the properties of the botanical: What benefits do you want your soap or cosmetics to have? For example, if you want an exfoliating soap, you might choose seeds or botanicals with some natural texture.

Think about the colour and appearance: Do you want your soap to have a certain colour or visual appeal? Some botanicals can add natural colour to your soap, like alkanet root for a pinkish hue.

Experiment with different combinations: Don't be afraid to try out different mixes of botanicals to see what works best for your recipes.

Can you use botanicals in soap?

Botanicals are a classic addition to all kinds of soap bars. Their unique properties are used to add everything from fragrance and texture to natural colour. From rose petals to kelp powder, nettle powder, jasmine flowers, and beyond, botanicals can contribute greatly to the texture and visual appeal of your final soap, and, in some cases, add benefits to the skin.

You can also sprinkle dried or fresh botanicals on top of your soap as a finishing touch. This adds a lovely pop of colour, and may result in an exfoliating texture where ingredients such as seeds are used!

Our experts recommend using the following techniques for the best results, but be sure to double-check your recipe!

Keep in mind that some fresh botanicals may discolour or fade over time, so it's a good idea to test a small batch before committing to a larger one.

How do you prepare botanicals for use in soap?

Preparation steps for soap making depend on the type of botanicals you’re looking to use! Whilst most dried botanicals are already in their best form for use - whether powder, petal, slice, or beyond, some, alongside fresh botanicals, can require a little more preparation depending on your desired end result.

Common steps in botanical prep include washing and drying, peeling or chopping into smaller pieces, blending, steeping (whether in water or oil), and mixing for even distribution (where multiple botanicals are being used).

For more advice on how to use your botanicals, recipes, tips, and tricks, be sure to check out our blog!

How to add colour to soap?

Every soap needs a little bit of colour - but what’s the best way to get that perfect hue? Our experts have the perfect advice: 

Soap colourants are one of the most popular ways to achieve vibrant and unusual hues. Available as pigments such as mica powder, these easy-to-use ingredients give great results. Most of the time, all you’ll need to do is mix your chosen shade into your soap base before pouring. Some even work well when combined for unique colours! 

For the all-natural enthusiasts out there, botanicals are the way to go, offering a range of beautiful hues derived from plant material, alongside everything from anti-inflammatory to exfoliating properties. For example, why not use ground turmeric to add a beautiful golden yellow colour to your soap, mix in some ground cinnamon to give it a warm, spicy shade, or blend some nettle or seaweed for a green-flecked look?

Is chamomile good for the skin?

Chamomile is one of our most popular botanical options – and for good reason. Having been used for centuries for its skin and body loving properties, it’s the perfect choice for anyone looking to whip up a skincare creation boasting calming, anti-inflammatory properties. 

When formulated correctly, this add-in can be used to help soothe irritated skin, reduce redness, and combat inflammation. It’s available in a number of forms, including dried chamomile flowers (which make a wonderful infusion, mix-in, or topping), and chamomile powder (the perfect way to add a natural yellow hue).

What are the best botanicals for colouring?

Botanicals are an all-natural soap maker’s secret weapon when it comes to colouring! From deep dark shades to the brightest florals, there’s something out there for everyone. Some of our favourite options include:

Indigo: Provides a deep blue/purplish tone as its name suggests!

Nettle: The perfect add-in for a natural green hue. 

Seaweed: Bring the beautiful green tones of the sea floor to your creations.

Turmeric: Produces a bright yellow colour!

Chamomile: Produces a pale yellow colour as calming as its scent.

Calendula Flowers: A brilliant choice for a natural yellow hue.

Annatto seeds: Another option for an orangish yellow!

Alkanet root: Alkanet root can be used to create a pink or red colour.

How to make botanical tea for soap?

Botanical infusion is one of the most creative ways to add some natural elements of scent and colour to your soap! The recommended process for creating and adding it is much like making a regular cup of loose-leaf tea:

Start by selecting your botanicals, whether for colour, scent, or benefits. Some of our most popular tea infusions include chamomile, lavender, and green tea. After you’ve got your ingredients ready, place them in a strainer or teabag, bring your water to a boil, and pour it over your botanicals into a bowl or cup.

Allow the botanicals to steep for at least 15 minutes - or longer if you want more strength - before allowing your tea to cool. Once at room temperature, you’re free to add it to your soap mixture in place of some of the water called for in the recipe.

How to make an infusion using botanicals?

Making a botanical infusion is simple. In order to start the process, you'll need some essential equipment. We recommend including a clip top jar to store the infusion, a filter cloth or a cheesecloth, measuring jugs, and digital scales. You’ll also need to have your ingredients at the ready, including a botanical of your choice; for instance, dried calendula, and a carrier oil, such as olive oil.

After weighing out the desired amounts of your botanical and oil (see our blog post on calendula soap for a full sample recipe), combine them in the clip top jar, ensuring the botanicals are submerged entirely. Seal the jar and offer it a gentle shake. Over approximately three weeks, the carrier oil will draw out the botanical's properties, creating an infusion. During this time, a gentle shake of the jar every few days ensures even distribution.

After you’re satisfied that your infusion is complete, separate the solid botanicals from the now-infused oil using your filter cloth or cheesecloth as a strainer. The final infusion is best stored in a cool, dark place.