Seaweed Seawater Soap

While sitting on a Long Island beach, I saw some beautiful green seaweed. I thought it might be fun to try to make soap with it, and while I was at it, use seawater to do it. Brian had a bag to collect the seaweed, and I used empty water bottles for the seawater. Soon I had everything I need for my seaweed seawater soap.

The seawater was boiled and filtered twice.  I wanted to keep the salt content of the water, so as soon as it boiled, I turned the burner off and capped the pot. The seawater was filtered through coffee filters. The seaweed was washed and dried slowly on a low temperature in the oven. I wanted to keep that beautiful green color in the soap if possible.  So far, so good.

Crushing the seaweed into powder was therapeutic. I pretended I was an old medicine woman, crushing herbs to make into tea for my patients. The seaweed still had that ocean scent, so it would to be a pretty awful tasting tea.

Mixing the lye with the seawater, I was a little nervous. But I had no problems at all.

Now I ready to finally make soap! Pouring the lye-seawater into the melted oils, things are looking good.

Time for my trusty stick blender. The solution mixed like another other soap I’ve made. A few minuted to trace.

Finally it’s time to add the seaweed. If someone walked in and saw me now, they might think I was making cream of spinach soap.

My seaweed seawater soap is in the mold.

The finished product, cut and on the curing racks.

Yours in Gratitude,
Angela