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Can you tincture with isopropyl alcohol?
I want to make a tincture of spearmint to be used in soap.
1 Answer
- science teacherLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
The basic definition of tincture is a solution using ethanol.
One reference said any alcohol and then went on to talk about vodka, which is ethanol.
Another reference talked about using different liquids such as vinegar, glycerol, ether and propylene glycol.
To answer your question, since you are not consuming the tincture, an alcohol that is poisonous would not be a problem. Anything that would dissolve the spearmint would be okay. The process of maing soap will evaporate the alcohol. Using glycerin would be good since soap is made from fats an lye [NaOH] or KOH, potassium hydroxide, making a softer soap. The first reaction is the splitting of the fat into glycerin and fatty acids. It is the fatty acids that combine with the lye. Using an oil would be good also. Many plant essences will dissolve in oil.
