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Soap Plants
Commercially soaps are made by mixing an alkali (wood ashes or the
ashes of other plants can be used) with an oil (usually palm oil) and
then often adding substances such as herbal extracts or essential oils
to give it a scent. Whilst this process can be done successfully on a
small scale, we will look at another type of soap that can be produced
much more easily.
Many plants contain substances called saponins - these are toxic
glycosides and can be found, usually in low concentrations, in many of
our foods, especially in beans and some leaves. Fortunately saponins
are destroyed by prolonged heat and are also very poorly absorbed by
the body, so most of what we ingest passes straight through us. These
saponins, however, are not without their uses and one of their
properties is to form a lather in water that is a gentle but effective
cleaner. A number of plants contain quite high concentrations of
saponins and have been used as an alternative soap. One of the best
known examples of this, at least in Europe, is our native wild flower
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis). This is a perennial plant usually
found in damper soils in woods, hedgerows, by streams, etc. It is
still used nowadays particularly for cleaning delicate fabrics,
including the Bayeaux Tapestry! The saponins are extracted by boiling
for a short time and then infusing the whole plant. It can also be
used as a hair and body wash. Closely related to Soapwort are a number
of other native plants that contain useful quantities of saponins,
including Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) and many of the Campions
(Silene spp).
Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is another native plant that has a report
of being rich in saponins, the rhizome is used. This is just one of a
number of uses for this ubiquitous weed; a glue can be made from the
rootstock, the fronds are used as a packing material - it is excellent
for lining fruit baskets where it repels insects and helps prevent
rotting, a compost made from the fronds is excellent for tree
seedlings. The root and young fronds have been eaten but there is some
evidence to suggest that they are carcinogenic.
The Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is a native of S. Europe
but has been grown in Britain for so long that you would be forgiven
for thinking it was native. Its seeds are rich in saponins and will
lather well in cold, preferably soft, water when rubbed between the
hands like a bar of soap. A fairly effective cleanser though it does
leave its smell behind! The seed is a good source of edible starch if
the saponins are first removed by leeching in water and then by
thorough cooking. Since this process also removes most of the vitamins
and minerals (and the starch is less than exquisite), we'll leave this
to more dedicated wild food enthusiasts. Other members of the genus
have similar uses.
North America provides quite a number of 'soap plants'. One very
interesting plant is the Soap Lily (Chlorogalum pomeridianum) - a
bulbous plant from California where it grows on dry, open hills and
plains and occasionally in woods. Although not often seen in Britain
it grows quite well here if given a reasonably rich, well drained
soil. The bulb, stripped of its outer covering, is very rich in
saponins and can as be dried and grated up as required to be used as
soap flakes. This bulb, if given a long slow baking, can be eaten and
is said to be very nice - we've not tried it yet and have some
reservations, particularly having read that a fibre from the bulb is
used as a stuffing for mattresses and to make small brushes. The sap
that exudes from a baking bulb can be used as a glue and the young
spring growth can be eaten - it is said to be sweet when baked.
Altogether a very useful plant.
Ceanothus cuneatus is another Californian growing on dry slopes. An
evergreen shrub, it requires a sunny position in a light soil - it does
not like chalk nor does it like being transplanted - so should be pot
grown prior to being put in its final position. Probably not hardy
away from southern Britain. The flowers are used and these impart a
pleasant aroma. Indeed the N. American Indians often used them when
bathing and a bride would traditionally use them on her wedding night.
Most other members of the genus could be similarly used.
There are many species of Yucca growing in the more arid areas of
southern N. America and a surprising number of them are hardy in most
areas of Britain if given a free draining soil and a sunny position.
These plants were a vital part of the local economy, providing food
(fruits, flowers, and flowering stems), fibres for ropes etc, leaves
for basketry and as brooms, plus a soap from the root. This soap is
said to be a particularly good hair wash. Species to try include Y.
baccata, Y. filamentosa, Y. glauca, Y. gloriosa and Y. whipplei.
Philadelphus lewisii comes from western N. America where it grows in
gullies, along water courses and on rocky cliffs and hillsides. In
Britain it prefers a loamy soil, and full sun or partial shade. The
leaves and flowers lather well in cold water, an infusion of the bark
can also be used.
You might also be intrested in the following sites:
Soap Making Past and present soap making.
Files about soap making Including an FAQ.
Note for UK readers
I think Lye is made from wood ash.
Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments,
use at your own risk. In particular
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants.
You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.
Soap Plants
Anita Olson & Mary Boyer
Sun Mar 19 22:31:25 2000
Please inform us on anything dealing with the Soapweed Plant grown in
the Nebraska Sandhills area of Nebraska. (Yucca Glauca) We also would
like any information on transplanting, growing from seed, harvesting
(time, etc.), rules, laws and regulations. We appreciate any
information that you can provide for us. Thank you, soapweed@aol.com
or BoyerEnt1@aol.com
Soap Plants
lisa mercardo
Wed Apr 12 21:26:12 2000
Its very good.
But we like to know the pollution related to soil and how can soap
affects the plants?
Thank you
Soap Plants
Michelle
Tue Apr 24 02:34:39 2001
Great site! Do you have information on an asian soap plant that has a green nut which, when opened, has a liquid inside that is used as soap/shampoo?
Soap Plants
Marie
Sun Feb 9 15:02:46 2003
Hi,
Yes, lye can be made from wood ash, but it is much easier to use caustic soda, available in supermarkets. Nasty stuff in itself, but essential to the soap-making process and fine once you've used it!
Soap Plants
bob
Wed Jan 14 03:37:47 2004
hi i am bob i had a plant called soap root and it actualy made soap so i coud clean my hands with it it was one of the best disscovery i have ever made i infact did not even now that it was possible for a plant to produce soap from its root so from that day on i liked to use the soap root plant for my soap
Soap Plants
alexis
Tue Jun 15 22:50:13 2004
Thanks Marie for the info on making lye from caustic soda......but does anyone know how caustic soda is made...and how environmentally friendly is it/its manfuacturing process?
Soap plants
Bruno Tardat
Thu Oct 27 2005
Nice info about the horse chestnut,
i knew about the soapnut from the Sapindus Mukorossi
wich i am selling in Sweden as detergent but i totally
ignored the properties of the chestnut...
It seems one could use sliced chestnut in a cotton
bag for the laundry, then there is the smell.
Something to check up on.
But what about letting out saponins amongst frogs
or other water living animals?
bruno@lavano.se
Soap plants
Bup Oyesiku
Mon Dec 19 2005
Nice site to visit for information on secondary metabolites
Soap plants
Thu Jan 19 2006
this site is pretty rubbish it has no amount of educational value
Soap plants
joseph seery
Thu Mar 30 2006
its the first time that i have this site.most informative. iam a serious student on the use of plants for medicinal purposes.
Soap plants
T.Paxworth
Tue Jun 20 2006
I have been doing some workk in africa and discoverd a plant in a temple that maybe help with skin cancer
Soap plants
Paulo Bessa
Mon Feb 5 2007
I assume natural soaps, i.e. made from caustic soda, an oil and a natural plant scent are rather environmental friendly if not used in excess. As all things in nature everything can be metabolized sooner or later, some things more easily than other. The proble, is when humans use damp large ammounts of some things which make things rather difficult to be assimilated in the enviromental and then creates what we know as pollution. There is no soap that does not create pollution, but natural ones create much less than conventional ones which include rather toxic things such as sodium lauryl sulfate and other chemicals. These are use to create lots of foaming.
Saponins I dont know how much they will affect the enviromental. Probably I assume it will be a rather enviromental-friendly soap.
Soap plants
Pamela
Tue Feb 13 2007
Don't forget about soapwort (Saponaria officinalis). It's terrific for making soap!
Soap plants
Cleon Alexander
Mon Mar 5 2007
I want to know where I can buy Amole root, soap plant root,soaproot bulb,guaiac leaves,quiillai bark,
red campion root, saltbush root,soapberry fruit,soap pod fruit,soap tree, soapwort root,soap lilly and wild gourd fruit. Thanks so much for whoever can help me
buy these hearbs. Are there herbs I can use to harden my homemade soap?
I
Soap plants
Sun Jun 24 2007
Your site is very informative, thanks for all the information you have provided. I want to
make bath soap but would prefer to use the natural plant. I notice that you stated that soap plant
t is toxic. If these are toxic, are they safe to use in bath products. If so, I would like to know of a reputable supplier in New York where I can purchase soapnut, soapberry fruit soap pod fruit guaiac leaves soaproot bulb, acacia concinna soapwort root, amole,and magave karatu.
Thanks
Joyce
Soap plants
James Bailey
Sat Aug 11 2007
I want to know where I can buy amole root, soap plant root or any other type of suddening plant that I can add to shampoo in order wash out deposits from the surfactant in order to create a shampoo that will allow hair follicals to breathe.
Are there any places in central or northern California where I can purchase these items. I can be cantacted at the E-mail address below.
Soap plants
Charles
Tue Sep 18 2007
I am with a Engineers Without Borders team interested in developing natural soap in Haiti's Bayonaise Valley.
Can you give me an idea of what plants may be there that we can use?
Soap plants
Stewart
Sun Nov 4 2007
In reference to Marie's comment-Lye and caustic soda are the same thing. Next, you do not need lye to make soap. Our ancestors did it, because they made it from animal fat. All you need is a source of saponins, water, some kind of scent and a caking agent, such as oatmeal or starch. You heat the water, steep with the plants that produce your saponins, careful not to heat too long or boil, since the saponins will break down. You take the resultant water, mix with your scent, which could be vanilla, lemon, lemongrass, or some other scent you like. Then take the resulting fluid and mix into forms with your caking agent, let dry or bake on very low temp or in the sun until dry-that should function like soap. Basically, all soap is saponin and scent.
Soap plants
C
Mon Jan 28 2008
Soaps made from saponins and soaps made from lye and fat are made by entirely different processes.
Nearly all soaps sound in the store are made from lye and fat. You cannot make soap from fat without using a strong alkaline like lye or wood ash. In soap, the fat is chemically changed. Without the alkaline, it's only fat. Lye that comes from wood ash is milder than that made from soda, because it's impure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap
Saponin based soaps are very mild. I've never heard of saponin plants being added to conventional soap. I would imagine the mild saponin would be hardly noticeable in the comparatively strong soap. Saponin plants are toxic if ingested, not when applied to the skin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponin
Detergents are yet another substance, they are neither soaps nor saponins. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detergent
Soap plants
meenu kaushik
Sun Feb 3 2008
I Want to know about researchses related to ritha water as natural soap
Soap plants
m murray
Thu Feb 7 2008
just as a note caustic soda is in fact electrocuted salt and does occur naturally by the seaside after lightning storms ! It is made commercially by the same process of electrocuting salt. As for the comment about the poison osf saponin, yes it is but it is not easy to absorb into human body which is why children who take it upon themselves to eat a bar of soap may not feel too good but they dont die! Fish are very sensitive to saponins and easily absorb it and that is why it kills them! Also no one here seems to mention the soapnut tree from India look it up on internet many suppliers are offering this and it really does make suds and can be used in washing machine, i've done it it works. The amole root lily plant can be grown easily from seed look on the internet but it will be several years before you can start harvesting, mine are about four years old now and may soon be usable.
Soap plants
ROMANUS NWOSU
Sat Mar 1 2008
IAM TECHNICIAN IN ONE OF THE SOAP COMPANY IN NIGERIA,I WANT FULL KNOWLEDGE OF SOAP PLANT MACHINE
Soap plants
Ellie
Fri Mar 7 2008
So surely if plant saponins are harmful to fish should we really start using them (e.g. soapnuts) in our washing, as they will filter out into rivers and the sea, killing fish? Perhaps lye/fat soap is itself detrimental to fish?
Soap plants
Tue Mar 11 2008
hi,pls kindly give me the following information about saop plant machines.
thanks
Romanus.
Soap plants
linaigrette
Sat Apr 12 2008
Hello, could anybody confirm that bracken root is rich in saponins ?
I may be wrong, but it seems that this is the only place on the internet where it is said so, and I am curious to know more about that ...
Thanks !
Soap plants
Marian
Sun Apr 20 2008
Another soap bearing plant is gumdigger's soap, Pomaderris kumaraho and other Pomaderris species, native to New Zealand. The yellow flowers lather up when rubbed in water. I am told Camellia flowers will do the same.
Soap plants
Joyce
Sun May 18 2008
Thank you Stewart and C for clearing things up! and to this nice page, I am greatful!
I had to look this up because I had to know, but also because most handmade soap bars
seem to be leaving some residue in my hair and- if handmade by me, potentially dries skin if
I add too much alkali. I am totally uneducated on the subject of whether or not saponins from
plants would be better in that respect, but I am sure there are benefits of finding it in a plant where it grows
naturally. While trying to be eco-friendly like many of the above comments though, is there
any information and consideration towards how little or much these plants grow and whether they are weeds (means
there is probably less from being weeded) or crowding out other plants or being
crowded out by themselves etc. and relation to animals and whether they are native.
preserving plants or animals species is part of being eco-friendly!
Charles spark my interest in engineers without borders
and very interesting info from m murray.
cheers!
Soap plants
Joyce
Mon May 19 2008
So after more reading it seems saponins clean things without removing oils (no problem with dry
skin from too much alkali, they do not contain alkali either)So if you wanted to rinse off gas oil
or your body's natural oils, you would have to use one of those lye-fat soaps. And the "toxicity"
is not severe, eating a bit may cause a rash or whatnot but since it is nature made, it's not toxic
like the chemical toxic you might have in your head in terms of environment. COLD BLOODED
animals take the biggest beating out of this and can die from saponins, which brings me to maybe
you shouldn't try washing near a lake or stream too much to prevent from killing all the fish
but as with instructions with how to use these plants it looks like most need to be infused in
water... not sure yet haha
Soap plants
Wed Jul 30 2008
tnx....for having this soap
Soap plants
maddie thunderclap
Mon Oct 13 2008
surely as saponins are naturaly occuring they will be broken down and dealt with in the soil in a natural way as when the plant decomposes the saponins are taken into the earth and dealt with in nature.i would imagine that if this was not the case then there would be no aquatic life left on earth a long time ago.i hope this is of some help
Soap plants
francoise
Sat Dec 27 2008
hi, love this site. just found it. i'm hoping someone can tell me if there is a soap plant native to massachusetts, particularly southern ma. thanks, francoise
Soap plants
marian
Fri Jan 2 2009
Hallo, I have been using the roots of Typha latifolia as a soapplant. Just break it in pieces en rub in the water. It makes bubbles and you can cean with it.
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