Summer time at the urban farm and garden always brings forth the heady fragrances of the blooms. Not only are the blooms so fragrant, the pops of color always bring a smile every time I meander through the grounds! One of my all-time faves is lavender -- we have French and English varieties, mostly purple hues and a few white varieties to add some contrast.
True to form, every year it is harvest time for lavender -- and this year is no exception. With their vibrant purple flowers, they are begging to be enjoyed either through culinary additions to recipes or with some homemade beauty products.
We have been experimenting with several uses for lavender -- and lavender infused oil is one of the simplest (and addicting!) ways to incorporate lavender throughout the year.
This infused oil smells just like the day you harvested the plant. Once the infused oil is ready we use it by itself after a refreshing summer shower to help moisturize and soothe sun drenched skin -- other beautiful skin care products such as body scrubs, salves, and lip balms will follow in future posts.
Helpful hint: Lavender infused oil is also great to use on bug bites, sunburnt skin, and other skin rashes, so it is great to have on hand in the summertime.
Let's get to some luxury, shall we?
Here is what you will need:
Base oil such as extra virgin olive oil, apricot kernel oil, or sweet almond oil
Fresh lavender flowers just about to open
How to make the lavender infused oil:
Pick lavender flowers just before they’re about to open and place them in a sterile, dry, clean jar.
Cover the flowers entirely with the base oil of your choice.
Make sure no flowers or stems are sticking above the oil (insuring the lavender is submerged under the oil prevents mold).
Cover the jar and leave in a sunny window for up to two weeks (use a dark colored bottle or place in a paper bag).
Decant by placing some cheesecloth into a funnel and pouring the infused oil into either a glass measuring cup or directly into a glass bottle, either amber, blue, or clear (these colored bottles help to keep the infused oil fresher longer as light does not degrade the oil). You can use a dropper as the cover because there’s less spilling as you use it.
Hope you enjoy this quick and simple DIY -- it is a treat for the senses!
Note:
You can also use lavender infused oil as a room diffuser -- simply add some reed sticks to your bottle and the wonderful scent will be absorbed into the reeds and provide a relaxing scent to enjoy!
Any extra stems or buds you have can also be placed in a bowl to enjoy the fragrance!
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