Aloe Vera in Soap

by Laura
(Milford, MI)

I have an Aloe Vera plant and was wondering if I can add the pulp to my soap.

If so, at what stage do I add it and how much for a 1 lb batch.

What about adding it in place of water? Would the lye destroy the benefits of aloe?

Should the Aloe Vera pulp be blended first or just plunked in the water?

Thanks for your insight.

Answer:

You certainly can add Aloe Vera pulp to your soap.

Begin by blending the Aloe pulp until it is liquefied and has become juice.

There are a couple of ways to incorporate the Aloe into your soap. Both involve replacing a portion of the water in your recipe.

If you want to replace a large portion of the water with Aloe juice, you can add the lye beads directly to the Aloe/water mixture. It is a good idea to chill the Aloe juice if you will be adding the lye directly to it.

You can also replace a portion of the water with the Aloe but instead of adding it to the water, you can hold it back until the soap has reached a thin trace and then add it to the soap base.

You asked if the lye will destroy the benefits of the Aloe Vera. Since lye is caustic, it is likely that a portion of the 'good stuff' is damaged by the lye.

When I add delicate ingredients to soap, I prefer to add them later in the process rather than directly to the lye. Whether this actually saves any of the goodness, I cannot say for certain but I think it has a better chance of survival that way.

Cathy