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Saponin Rich Plants for Soapmaking

Jeremy VanGelder

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Location: Proebstel, Washington, USDA Zone 6B

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posted 1 year ago

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While researching the saponins in English Ivy for the Laundry Soap thread, I came across a scientific article that looked at a number of other saponin rich plants. Saponins are natural surfactants, so they cause water to foam, get into crevices, and clean things. The article is called Plant-Derived Saponins: A Review of Their Surfactant Properties and Applications by Summi Ray, Eliza Acharya-Siwakoti, Ananda Kafle, Hari Prasad Devkota and Ajaya Bhattari. They made A list of plants that might act as natural surfactants:

Scientific Name	Common Name	Parts Used
Acorus gramineus	Grass-leaved Sweet Rush, Japanese Sweet Flag, Dwarf Sweet Flag	Leaves
Aesculus assamica	Horse chestnut	Leaves
Aesculus indica	Kanor, Indian horse chestnut, Barkhor	Fruits
Agave americana	Ran Ban, Kantala, Bara Kunwar, Agave	Leaves
Agave offoyana	Maguey	Flowers and Leave
Agave sislana	Sisal	Leaves
Allium nigrum	Ornamental onion	Roots and Leaves
Asparagus adscendens	Saunspali, Sansban	Fruits and roots
Asparagus racemosus	Shatavari	Roots
Balanites aegyptiaca	Heglig	Fruits, seeds and bark
Beaucarnea recurvata	Ponytail Palm	Leaves
Bupleurum chinense	Bei Chai Hu	Leaves
Camellia chekiangoleosa		Seed

Maybe you recognize a plant in that list. Are there any plants that you have used to make soap or degergent?

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John Weiland

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posted 1 year ago

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Chenopodium species seem to have good saponin content, but I don't know how they compare to those in the list that you provided. Chenopodium quinoa is known for nutritious seed that is typically washed to removed the saponin content before cooking. The publication abstract below is from the open-access link here:

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijfs/2022/7287487/

I hope this may be of use. Also note that the weed 'lambsquarters' is Chenopodium album and may provide and abundant source for your needs. Good luck!

QuinoaSaponins.JPG

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Ezra Byrne

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Location: Pennsylvania, USA

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posted 1 year ago

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I seem to recall Yucca's have high-saponin roots.

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Meli Mot

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posted 1 year ago

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I have used dried soapwort root as a cleanser and "shampoo". It stings if you get it in your eyes though! I have also used soapnuts, which also sting if you get it in your eyes.

M. Phelps

Posts: 311

posted 1 year ago

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yeah Ezra, i was going to mention yucca as well
the list in the link at the top of the page (table 2)
mentions the bark of yucca schidigera, i was thinking more the roots of yucca glauca

apparently bayberry is used in soap making... wasnt sure if it was a source of saponins so i googled myrica pensylvanica and got a result for myrica esculenta
seeds containing saponins

another one i came across in the richter's catalogue is atriplex canscens (saltbush) ... leaves soaked in water

thanks for the link to that extensive list

Alex Delashmit

Posts: 33

posted 5 months ago

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The native Common blue violet (Viola sororia) leaves, flowers are edible in moderation as they contain saponins. The roots are inedible but on the other hand make a pretty good washing soap. As they contain the most. And make a nice, rich, earthy smelling leather that washes away grease and grime very well. It also has anti-inflammatory benefits for skin conditions.

Today I dug up some roots that sprouted up as it's everywhere in my yard. It wasn't a lot of roots or leaves I used. I mashed them up and put them in a water bottle. At first I wasn't expecting it to lather up at all. But it surprisingly did very well and smelled nice and earthy. For a washing test. I put some oil and sticky syrup on my hands. First washed it with just plain water it didn't come off very well. Washed it with the violet root soap. It surprisingly got all of it off. Even with the small amount of plants I had harvested. I was pretty impressed.

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William Bronson

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posted 5 months ago

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Here's a Permies thread on using English Ivy for soap:
https://permies.com/t/211598/permaculture-home-care-cleaning/Laundry-Soap-English-Ivy#2618237

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Jill Dyer

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posted 5 months ago

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and from antiquity - Saponaria officinalis aka soapwort

Life's too short, eat desert first! [Source of quote unknown]
You have to be warped to weave [ditto!]

Jeremy VanGelder

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Location: Proebstel, Washington, USDA Zone 6B

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posted 5 months ago

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Alex Delashmit wrote:Today I dug up some roots that sprouted up as it's everywhere in my yard. It wasn't a lot of roots or leaves I used. I mashed them up and put them in a water bottle. At first I wasn't expecting it to lather up at all. But it surprisingly did very well and smelled nice and earthy. For a washing test. I put some oil and sticky syrup on my hands. First washed it with just plain water it didn't come off very well. Washed it with the violet root soap. It surprisingly got all of it off. Even with the small amount of plants I had harvested. I was pretty impressed.

That's interesting because violets like moist soil in partial sunlight. Kind of like ivy. Also, it was brave to test the soap with oil and syrup! It's impressive that it worked!

Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.

Alex Delashmit

Posts: 33

posted 5 months ago

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Got rather curious as I've heard that it was full of saponins. The roots especially. Online there was zero information about using it as soap besides putting it in soap bars for color. I've never liked eating it much because of that soapy taste. Now I have a good use for it. I plan to harvest more of them. And leave some for the pollinators. And dry the roots for for storage. It's very weedy in my yard. I've heard you can extract a pigment from the flowers. I'll put that together with the root soap for some color. When they show up.

M Ljin

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posted 5 months ago

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Soapwort thrives in the poorest of soils! They like a bit of moisture though. I find them growing wild by roadsides, river banks, and old gardens. They should be the easiest to grow, or at least they would be in my region.

Maple is another tree that's full of soap. Not quite as much as horse chestnut (their cousins) but boiling it should theoretically result in a gently soapy liquid.

Just to throw it out wood ash may also be used. Though it isn't on topic some people coming here might not know so I thought it was worth mentioning.

Jill Dyer

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posted 5 months ago

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Yuccas have saponin in their roots too (belong to the Agave family, so perhaps not a surprise).

Life's too short, eat desert first! [Source of quote unknown]
You have to be warped to weave [ditto!]

Alex Delashmit

Posts: 33

posted 5 months ago

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Yucca is my most favorite. It's not native to my area but I love it. It melts away grease like butter. I like to mix it with other soapy plants I can find to make it even better. Along with finding some plants with antibacterial properties and scents. My most common combination is Yucca mixed with Juniper. I think the oil from juniper cleans as well. Other ones are pine and spruce or any essential oils.

Judith Browning

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Location: Ozarks zone 7 alluvial, clay/loam with few rocks 50" yearly rain

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posted 5 months ago

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We're experimenting with yucca root now for washing clothes.
It seems to work as well as the soap nuts we usually use but has a definite acrid smell that lingers in the clothes until dry (clothesline in the sun).

We dug the yucca roots and sliced and dried them without peeling so next time might peel and see if that's the source of the smell.

We also have a small amount of soapwort growing here and a whole lot of english ivy.
I'm planning to try the ivy leaves as Jeremy did next.

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Alex Delashmit

Posts: 33

posted 5 months ago

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What do you guys think would be a good natural preservative for these soaps. To make them last longer after preparing them. Besides freezing and refrigeration? Most of the time I store them dry.

Jen Anderson

Posts: 53

Location: Alamo Lake Arizona

posted 5 months ago

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Coyote gourd! The tap root/tuber can reach up to 200 lbs. The tuber and leaves are both full of saponins. Great stuff. Totally drought hardy. Die back in winder in colder climates. Inedible squash like fruit. Can be very invasive and hard to get rid of. So you will never run out of detergent! You can find it growing along roads in the Southwest. webpage

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Alex Delashmit

Posts: 33

posted 5 months ago

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I learned that if you squeeze more of the juice from the violets. Mix it with equal amounts of water and let it sit for a day or two. It will turn thicker because of the thick mucilage. It's very nice as this makes it seem way more soapy than other plants I've used. It almost feels like a liquid hand soap from the store. This plant also contains salicylic acid which is good for fungal problems. I find it leaves my skin feeling nice and soft after washing and drying. I can see this being commercialized as a hand soap. If a preservative is added to prevent it from going rancid. The pigment from the flowers could used to add a nice color to it.

I've also learned that Grape Hyacinth with its onion like root can be used a soap. Along with Purple Dead Nettle. Now I know many soapy plants in my area

Yucca, soapwort, chenopodium, chickweed, violets, grape hyacinth and purple dead nettle.

Kaarina Kreus

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posted 5 months ago

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Maieshe Ljin wrote:
Maple is another tree that's full of soap. Not quite as much as horse chestnut (their cousins) but boiling it should theoretically result in a gently soapy liquid.
.

Which part of maple would you use? In horse chestnuts it's the nuts?

Whathever you are, be a good one.
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M Ljin

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posted 5 months ago

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I would guess that the seeds, or the bark, maybe the root bark would be good. I boiled some of the seeds last fall though only to eat them and not for soap. You might be able to boil the water more and concentrate it.

Alex Delashmit

Posts: 33

posted 5 months ago

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Super, super soapy added some yucca along with it since I have it growing. And some lemon for scent and antibacterial properties. I also like to dry and reuse the plants scraps as they can be reused. Instead of tossed out.

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Jill Dyer

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Posts: 376

Location: Oz; Centre South

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posted 4 months ago

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You know how you wake up in the middle of the night with that Ah-ha moment? Here's my latest. Soils here in Australia can develop a water repellent action over time, due to formation of a waxy coating and I've been using very dilute water/detergent solution (no odd chemicals that I'm aware of) but these plants would seem to be an attractive alternative if they are available.

Life's too short, eat desert first! [Source of quote unknown]
You have to be warped to weave [ditto!]

Alex Delashmit

Posts: 33

posted 4 months ago

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I learned that amaranth root can be used like lambs quarters root for soap. Both grow together abundantly in my yard. But the saponin content might be lower in amaranth. Not completely sure. I've tested some right now with a few small plants that I harvested. It's like a pink reddish soap with the red root amaranth. I'll have to get more another time to see.

Jen Anderson

Posts: 53

Location: Alamo Lake Arizona

posted 4 months ago

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Adding one more plant! Awapuhi, a member of the ginger family from Hawaii? I'm not sure about cleaning your dishes, but your body and hair, yes! the flowers are bursting with a watering substance great for hair and skin. I just ordered a bag of rhizomes and planted them in different spots to see where they are happiest

Gratefully off-the-grid
Alamo Lake, AZ
Zone 9b, 9 inches of rain if lucky!
Perm.Cert. Zaytuna College, Berkley

Alex Delashmit

Posts: 33

posted 2 months ago

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Be careful people with certain plants. Today I had a really weird reaction to the sap of a yucca plant I found growing elsewhere. My hands were super itching and burning. It stopped after I rinsed it off with water. But never have much of a reaction with the one plant growing by my home. I've been using it for months. My theory is that I was becoming allergic which I'm ruling out otherwise I wouldn't be using it, or the plants growing conditions were different and my skin had a reaction of some sort. Sensed it? Not quite sure just really weird.

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