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ESSENTIAL OIL DISTILLATION &
HANDCRAFTED SOAPS

Image by Aurélia Dubois

Join me for this Essential Oil Distillation and Soap Making Workshop. Let’s play with botanical ingredients and capture the essence of Sao Miguel island by making your own organic soap with essential oils we produce through steam distillation right in my farm workshop.

 

My hope is that this course will give you the knowledge and confidence to make your own natural soaps that you can share with others. 

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You will produce two lovely blocks of soap and recipe cards that will help you recreate you own soap experience in your own home. 

 

We will take breaks for hot or cold beverages and snack time. Herbal teas fresh from the garden or organic lavender lemonade.

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Your skin and the environment will thank you every time you bathe! 

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PRE WORKSHOP REQUIREMENT: Prior to attending a workshop, please send me any known allergies or ingredient aversions. Each recipe will be adapted to suit your personal mind, body, and soul needs. We will also formulate your products according to your skin type and the environment in which you live., and pre-test all ingredients for allergens prior to making a product.

1 

To begin our time together... ðŸŒ±

We will start by harvesting the aromatic plant materials for our oils and get them into the distiller to process while we make our soap. 

 

 Depending upon the season, below is a list of available aromatics:

  • French lavender - three varieties 

  • Lemongrass

  • Penny Royal mint

  • Incenso 

  • Cotton lavender 

  • Rosemary 

  • Golden Ginger

  • Thyme 

  • Chamomile 

  • Orange blossom 

  • Lemon balm

 

All the aromatic used for essential oils are either grown organically or wild sustainably harvested. 

2

Next, we create bubbles! ðŸŒ±

​While we make the base for our soaps you learn:

  • History of soap making which dates back to around 2800 BC.

  • Basic chemistry and explanation of the saponification process

  • Different methods of making soap hot process vs. cold process

  • Benefits of making your own soap

  • Materials and equipment needed

  • Safety measures and procedures when working with lye

3

Hands-on mixing the magic  ðŸŒ±

As we work the soap magic, and let our essential oil distill, we will: 

  • Discuss essential oils used for aromatherapy and why

  • Explore botanicals and earth elements used in soap, including the use of dried flower petals, herbs, oats, clays, and natural exfoliates.

 Then we get into the fun hands on mixing, measuring, and let the saponification begin!

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We use all organic oils, fats, and butters that support fair trade and our sourced straight from the growers to better support their communities. 

4

Cut, Cure, Store

We will end our time time together cutting our beautifully handcrafted soap blocks, discussing curing and storage, and look over our recipe cards and discuss ways in which you can find necessary ingredients where ever you are. 

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