Use pretty much what you like the smell of. Lavender would have to be my favourite, closely followed by rose and violet. Chamomile is nice, too. Rosemary, sage (a good one that most men like) are also good. Most men don't mind patchouli. You can use either the flowers, or the essential oil. If using leaves or flowers, be prepared for the plant material to turn black. You can also use spices like cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla essence. Take a trip to an aromatherapy-type place and sniff out the essential oils there, and select accordingly.

Thanks for your help Daisy

Lesley

There's an Australian native tree whose leaves contain saponin (the foaming ingredient in soap) and can be used - in small quantities - as such. (Apparently it can be toxic in larger doses). Naturally I've forgotten its name but I think it's something original like "soapleaf" :) Les Hiddens reports it was used to stun fish in waterholes for easier fishing :)

Alphitonia excelsa (Red Ash or Soap Tree)is the Australian native tree.

Another plant containing saponin, and also used as a 'soap', is Saponaria officinalis or Soapwort. The roots and stems which contain most of the saponins can be chopped and then simmered in a little water. Leave to cool. It was traditionally used to clean tapestries and brocades.

Soapwort, in my opinion, is one of the most rampant growers, almost as bad as mint. Definitely needs to be confined. Even after removing it from where it was growing it is still re-appearing and probably will keep on doing so.

Soapwort etc is not usually added to home-made soaps, however. They are used INSTEAD of soap. If you swish the leaves and roots around in water, you'll get a slight foaming effect which settles very quickly. You just use the water as your cleaning agent. Soapwort is very good for skin problems like eczema, and makes a good shampoo. No rinsing or conditioner needed. Not bad for washing delicate undies, either. Yucca roots can be used in the same way, as they also contain saponins.

hi there
how can i find out more about soap worts and yucca trees? how would i grow them and do they like cooler temperate climates?
cheers

Do some Googling! Search for something like 'grow soapwort' or 'uuse Yucca'. Or use their botanical names. Soapwort is Saponaria officinalis; there are many species of Yucca, but try for Yucca glauca to begin with. You will come up with many, many sites, some of which are more helpful than others, varying from lists of herbs with no information, to details of how to propagate, grow and use them, what conditions they like etc. Look mainly for their places of origin. If they come from, say, Mexico, you'll already have some broad indication of the climatic requirements (as in, 'not a lot of snow', 'not on top of high mountains', 'not a lot of rain' etc).