12 Plants You Can Use As Soap In Case Of A Shortage Or Natural Disaster Emergency

The three things you should prioritize when in a survival emergency are food, water, and shelter. But after those requirements are satisfied, cleanliness also becomes crucial. Our greatest line of defense against illness is cleanliness. Thus, it can be helpful to know which plants can remove dirt and bacteria from your skin and hair. The 12 plants listed below can be purchased as seeds, seedlings, grown at home, or foraged in the wild.

Soap from plantsPhoto byRichelleg

Soapwort

The soapwort plant's leaves, blooms, and roots can all be used to make soap. Rubbing the plant's leaves and roots between your palms and adding a little water will produce a green lather.

Shampoo Ginger

Shampoo ginger, also known as pine cone lily or pine cone ginger, is a useful shower additive that gives the landscape a touch of the tropics. Its leaf resembles that of other gingers, but the intriguing part is the inflorescence. The flowers are enclosed in bracts that resemble red pine cones and arrive in the fall. These cones discharge a clear liquid that can be bottled and used as shampoo when squeezed, as the name suggests.

Shampoo gingerPhoto byRichelleg

Shepherdia canadensis and Shepherdia rotundifolia, or buffaloberries

The buffaloberry plant, often known as soapberry, has a lot of saponin. This plant was also used medicinally and to create tea by the Native Americans. The berries and stems can be boiled in water to make a mild, natural soap, or you can massage a little water on them to make a mild, soapy solution.

Yucca Soapweed (Yucca glauca)

The United States is home to numerous species of yucca plants, most of which are found in the West and the Plains. All you actually need to do is chop off one leaf at a time, even though the yucca plant's root can be used to make a thicker soap if needed. Take a leaf, cut like you would an aloe. Rub the insides with your hands and a little water.

Yucca soapweedPhoto byRichelleg

Chlorogalum pomeridianum soaproot plant

This plant, which is usually found in California and Oregon, is also known by the names amole, soap root, and wavyleaf soap plant. It features star-shaped flowers on a long stem and long wavy-edged leaves. But the flowers blossom only at night and once a year. Once the bulb has been dug up, the brown threads that surround it must be removed. What's left will resemble a white onion in appearance. To make a rich lather, peel off a few layers of the white bulb and rub it between your hands with a little water.

Soap rootPhoto byRichelleg

The Clematis plant

Yes, this popular climbing plant for home flower gardens is included on our list as well. Because of their high saponin content, clematis leaves and blooms can be used to make soap. To create a soapy solution, simply crush and boil the leaves or petals. Alternatively, you can mix some water and rub them together in your palms.

Ceanothus (Americanus Ceanothus)

Ceanothus, commonly known as soap bush or mountain lilac, is an evergreen plant with springtime blossoms that is excellent for soapmaking.

The Aesculus hippocastanum horse chestnut

The horse chestnut tree, which belongs to the soapberry family, yields dark, glossy seeds that are rich in saponins. Remove the seed's green husk and soak it overnight to soften it before making soap. Next, use a spoon to cut or crush the seed. Just like with the other plants, you can rub water on the exposed seed to quickly form a lather.

Pteridium aquilinum, or Bracken

Often called Eagle Fern, its underground rhizomes, which have black root hairs, are rich in saponin. Dig up a portion of the rhizome and chop it into small pieces. Boil in water to make suds. To use as a natural soap, ten, filter, and chill the suds.

Eagle FernPhoto byRichelleg

Baby's breath

Baby's breath is a common sight in floral arrangements, a bush plant that produces tiny white flowers in the summer. Baby's breath has roots that can be used to create a soapy solution. Stir until foam appears.

Wild mock orange

Wild mock orange has saponin found in the bark, leaves, and flowers. Gathering plant parts and putting them in a jar of water is a simple technique to use this plant to manufacture soap. Shake the jar with a cover on to create foam.

Buffalo gourd

Its name suggests that this plant is related to squash and pumpkins. In the Southwestern United States, it is also known as calabazilla or coyote melon on occasion.

Buffalo gourdPhoto byRichelleg

The plant features vines that bear tiny gourds and leaves covered with tiny spines. Pinch off the leaves to produce soap, being careful not to snag on the small, pointed hairs. Make a green, frothy lather with your hands by rubbing the leaves together with some water. Use the younger leaves if you can.

Keep in mind that plants such as lavender, chamomile, rosemary, peppermint, rose, and English ivy you can also use. A lot of these plants, however, have lookalikes that could be poisonous, so please use caution.

Citations:

Anderson, T. (2024, July 2). List of Natural Soap Plants High in Saponins. Lovely Greens. https://lovelygreens.com/9-natural-soap-plants-for-making-lye-free-soap/

Sheehan, L. (2021, November 30). Grow Soap: 8 Saponin Rich Plants That Can Be Made Into Soap. Rural Sprout. https://www.ruralsprout.com/grow-soap/

Garms, G. (2016, January 2). How to make your own plant based soaps — Raven’s Roots Naturalist School. Raven’s Roots Naturalist School. https://ravensroots.org/blog/how-to-make-your-own-plant-based-soaps