• While wearing safety goggles and rubber gloves, weigh the lye on a paper plate.
• Add lye to cooled tea in a glass measuring cup. The lye will heat up the tea and release caustic fumes. Do not breathe in the fumes.
• Stir the lye in the cup of tea with a wooden spoon to completely dissolve all lye crystals. Allow the lye solution to reduce in temperature to 100°F to 105°F.

Meanwhile,

• Measure the oils in an 8 cup glass measuring cup. Place the glass measuring cup in a warm place or in the microwave to fully melt the oils.
• Remove the oils from the heat when some of the oils remain solid and are floating on the top of the oil.
• Stir the oils to melt the remaining oils using the residual heat. Allow the oils to cool to 100°F to 105°F.
• When both the oil and the lye are cooled to 100°F to 105°F, pour the lye solution into the liquid oils.
• Use a stick blender to blend the lye solution and the oils together.  Continue stirring your calendula soap until the mixture reaches a thin trace.

At this point,

• stir in the essential oils that you are using.
• Continue blending with a stick blender until the soap is well blended and a trail of soap dripped on the surface of the soap, remains on the surface.  Just a few more minutes after trace.
• Pour the soap recipe into a prepared mold. Scrape the sides of the bowl to get as much of the soap as possible into the mold.
• Cover the soap with plastic wrap or a lid, and allow it to set completely, typically overnight.
• Keep the soap warm by wrapping the mold in a towel.