You can save and reuse the glycerine. My druggist ordered a quart for me over 10 years ago and it's discolored a little but still works. It sometimes will get a little mold in it or leafy bits...just pour thru sieve. Keep in labeled bottle well capped. Also, it's important to use very warm water and stir well before adding your material. I'm not sure why, but most books mention this...it must aid in the plant taking up the solution more quickly. If I submerge Ivy or individual leaves, I rinse well with warm water after I remove them. Otherwise I just rinse the stems which were in the solution. One caution: don't store the plants preserved with glycerine in airtight container. A cardboard box with airholes is okay. I use wax paper or tinfoil between each layer. It's also a good idea not to store in same container as your material dried without glycerine. jo

Christie - Thank you so much for sharing. We did this years ago with beautiful results. I had forgotten the proportions - this time I will save them! (Off topic PS here - I see on your member page you live in Missouri - we used to have a farm between Salem & Viburnum in Dent county)

Are you using Melt & Pour soap base? If so, check around for very clear bases. Some are formulated for it. Another thing that may affect the color is the essential oils that are used for scent. Some (e.g. sweet orange) have a color of their own.

We've been doing that for years with regular bar body soaps (for example Dial). Wait until your soap is fairly thin, then the next shower put the new soap in the soap dish and at the end of the shower squish them together.