Chickweed Melt & Pour Soap

Chickweed (and optional violet leaves) combine to create a soft natural green color in this skin soothing melt and pour soap.

square soaps on log surrounded by chickweed and violets

This soap is a fun and useful way to use two abundant springtime weeds!

Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a nourishing plant that’s used to promote lymph flow, and as a skin-soothing agent for itchy skin.

Violets (Viola odorata, V. sororia) are known for their cooling, moistening, and soothing properties. They’re often used in skin care products for eczema, like this Violet Leaf Balm Recipe.

Both of these plants also contribute a beautiful soft green color when infused into soap base, but if you don’t have one or the other, you can use just one of the herbs alone.

chickweed soap being strained into soap mold

Ingredients & Equipment

Directions to Make

Step 1

Place the chickweed and violet leaves in the bottom of the wide-mouth pint canning jar or similar heatproof container. Place the soap base on top of the plants.

Step 2

Optional: Jump start the infusing process by microwaving the jar for about 30 to 45 seconds, until the soap starts melting.

Step 3

Cover the jar with its lid or a heatproof saucer and place in a small saucepan filled with several inches of water. Heat over medium-low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes, until the soap has turned a pretty shade of green from the plants.

Step 4

Remove the soap from the pan and uncover. Stir in the lavender essential oil, if using.

Step 5

Spritz the bottom of the mold lightly with rubbing alcohol, to make sure the soap gets a clean impression. Working quickly, pour the soap into the mold through a mesh sieve to strain out the plant material, and then spritz the top with rubbing alcohol to eliminate air bubbles.

Step 6

Let cool for several hours or overnight, until completely hardened. Remove from the mold and wrap in airtight packaging. Store out of direct sunlight or indoor light to preserve the natural green color.

Yield: This recipe will make 5 of the square soaps shown, when using the same mold as listed in the ingredients and equipment list.

cover of Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps print book

Looking for more creative melt and pour soap recipes? Check out my print book, Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps!

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author, herbalist, soapmaker

Jan Berry is a writer, herbalist, soapmaker, and bestselling author of The Big Book of Homemade Products, Simple & Natural Soapmaking, and Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family and a menagerie of animals, where she enjoys brainstorming creative things to make with the flowers and weeds that grow around her. You can also find her writing about gardening and foraging over at her family's website: UnrulyGardening.com!