The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners: Do-It-Yourself Soaps Using All-Natural Herbs, Spices, and Essential Oils

by Kelly Cable

A Note on Nut Allergies Nut allergies are a serious concern. I make soaps for people in my family who cannot have nuts, so I’ve developed and included in this book some recipes with no-nut oils or nut butters. If you have a tree-nut allergy, watch out for coconut oil, sweet almond oil, hazelnut oil, and macadamia nut oil. Replacing coconut oil in soaps can be difficult, but ethically sourced palm oil or babassu oil makes a good substitute. Check the recipe labels to quickly identify nut-free recipes.

A safe dilution rate for topical application is 2 percent for daily use for adults (12 drops of essential oil to 1 ounce of carrier oil), 1 percent for elderly (6 drops per ounce), or 0.5 percent (3 drops per ounce) for children.

Plant essential oils like sassafras, wormwood, pennyroyal, mustard, and elecampane are generally understood to be poisonous.

Cinnamon bark can burn your skin even after being diluted so that you think you’re being stung repeatedly by wasps.