Soap Flower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     There’s an open area from the creek to the steep bank that goes up to the neighbor’s.  In this open area is where a lot of the soapwort flowers grow, though some lines the hill on the other side of the creek.  This wild plant was evidently used by people years ago to use as an ingredient for their soap. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     We like it for a bouquet on the table.  It is very hardy and lasts for quite a while during the summer months.  It would be interesting to try and see how good it is for soap.

 

 

 

 

 




 Soap Wort Flower


The common name of this member of the carnation family indicates it's traditional use in washing; the roots produce a lather on contact with water. It has an ancient reputation for treating skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, boils, and acne. Taken internally these saponins are a mild irritant to the respiratory and digestive systems making soapwort an expectorant and laxative in small doses (see caution). Soapwort's use for gout and rheumatism is probably effective because of the anti-inflammatory and depurative properties of it's saponin content.


Soapwort Side Effects: Soapwort is a strong purgative and mildly poisonous in large doses.


Preparation Methods & Dosage:You can use soapwort root as a simple bath additive by crushing some dried root and putting a few tablespoons in a muslin bag. If you boil the root first to extract the juice, the results will be even better. Soapwort doesn't produce much noticeable lather, but gives the bath water a slippery feel, and leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. Soapwort is a great herb to use for skin and hair care and forms the basis of conditioning shampoos and body washes. 




 Annie’s Remedy



 

 


 "The products are principally bread fruit, taro, sweet potatoes, yams, guavas, mangoes, oranges, and other tropical fruits of less importance. The principal exports of the island are cotton, coffee, coconuts, and copra. The climate of Tahiti is very mild and agreeable. Though it is so near to the equator, yet the constant trade winds and the large amount of rain which falls yearly keep the atmosphere comparatively cool. According to the last record, it was estimated that the highest that the thermometer had reached during the year was ninety-one degrees Fahrenheit, and the lowest was fifty-nine degrees Fahrenheit. During the past year there has been a rain fall of about thirty-nine inches. There are two seasons recognized in Tahiti, the wet season and the dry season, although, properly speaking, there is no dry season. The mountains catch the clouds that are wafted down by the trade winds, and keep the island well supplied with rain and water throughout the year. The island has over one hundred and twenty-five streams large and small. Some of these streams are very broad, and flow with such force that in time of flood it is utterly impossible to ford them."




 February 17, 1895 N/A, GCB 178