DIY Lavender Essential Oil

How to Make Lavender Essential Oil

PhotobucketThe mix of crisp morning air with an end note of the mid day heat to come makes morning my favorite time of day during the summer.

When I can, I grab a cup of coffee and sip it while I watch the bees enjoy the lavender in my flowerbeds.


It feels so decadent to start my Saturdays this way.
I wish I could enjoy my fresh lavender in the dead of winter too.

I can if I use my  fresh lavender to make lavender essential oil!
The technique is similar I the directions I use to make orange essential oil from orange peels.

Lavender Essential Oil Recipe

You will need
  • Grain alcohol or vodka (a cheap grocery store brand such as Popov vodka is perfect for this project because it tastes wretched if you drink it in a yummy Cosmo.)
  • Bowl and spoon or a mortar and pestle if you have one.
  • Coffee filters
  • Two jars, one should have a tight fitting lid
Make it
  1. You can use either fresh or dry lavender buds for this project. I didn’t remove my lavender buds from the stalk. The stalks have some of the same fragrant oils as the flowers/buds but not as much.
  1. Pour the lavender into the bowl or mortar and use the back of a spoon or pestle to crush the buds to release the oil. Do not over process the buds until they are mushy or you will lose the oil in the flower.
  1. Add the crushed lavender buds to the jar with the tight fitting lid and cover the peels in grain alcohol or vodka. Warning: Do not try to isopropyl/rubbing alcohol for this project. It has an extra odor that will not evaporate. Your essential oil will smell like rubbing alcohol instead of essential oil. Guess how I know? Blurgh! 

  1. Shake the jar to release the oil several times a day for several days. The longer you let the lavender flowers steep the more lavender oil you will extract. I let mine sit in a sunny spot on my kitchen counter for a weekend. 
  1. Use a coffee filter to strain the liquid from the lavender buds and into the second jar. Congratulations! You made lavender flavored vodka!
  1. Place a clean coffee filter or cloth on top of the jar of liquid and let it sit undisturbed to allow the alcohol to evaporate from the jar and make lavender essential oil. I let my jar sit for one week.
  1. Optional: I had sediment in the bottom of my jar of lavender essential oil after one week. I strained the lavender essential oil a second time with a clean coffee filter into my lidded storage jar. A dark colored jar such as a repurposed yeast jar will keep sunlight from degrading the essential oil.
  1. What you have left is a jar of lavender essential oil!
Enjoy!
http://www.condoblues.com/2011/07/how-to-make-lavender-essential-oil.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4 Ways Your Pumpkin Can Make You Prettier

Image
Pumpkins are more than a delicious flavor for lattes and baked goods. They're packed with vitamins and antioxidants that nourish your skin, body, and hair—making the seasonally appropriate squash just the ingredient your fall beauty DIY needs. Get your pumpkin fix, minus the calories, with these recipes. Click through to see four pumpkin-inspired DIYs for your hair, skin, and body. 1  of  4 1. It Can Give You Shinier Hair PHOTO:  Hello Natural Pumpkin is rich in potassium and vitamin A, making it especially great for restoring damaged, dry hair (especially when it’s combined with ultra-moisturizing honey). You'll need: 2 cups cooked pumpkin 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon unflavored yogurt  Puree the pumpkin and yogurt, then mix in the coconut oil and honey. Evenly cover your hair from roots to ends, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Rinse out the mixture, and then shampoo to ensure no residue is left.  ...
Read more

How Air Pollution Is Damaging Your Health

Image
Exposure to air pollution is associated with numerous effects on human health, including pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological impairments. The health effects vary greatly from person to person. High-risk groups such as the elderly, infants, pregnant women, and sufferers from chronic heart and lung diseases are more susceptible to air pollution. Children are at greater risk because they are generally more active outdoors and their lungs are still developing. Exposure to air pollution can cause both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) health effects. The health of our lungs and entire respiratory system is affected by the quality of the air we breathe. In addition to oxygen, this air contains other substances ...
Read more

Most Popular Anti-Aging Skin Care Ingredients

Image
Now I look for these ingredients in my skincare to test and review. They are very important for great skin. And I have learned so much about ingredients and what to look for in a great product. This is a list so you can understand the ingredients to look for. Watch for my reviews and you will see all these ingredients are in the products I test. Anti-aging skin care…it seems as though every magazine you read or every site you go to on the Internet is talking about it. After all, isn’t that why you came to my blog? Today, there are some “hot” product ingredients that you will hear mentioned, but what do they actually do? I have put together some of the more popular ingredients below so you can be a bit more informed as you read down the product labels of your favorite anti-aging skin care products. • Alpha Hydroxy Acid  – this ingredient is very popular in products offering exfoliation and/or chemical peels. These acids can be natural or synthetic and are very potent. In fa...
Read more