How to Make Oil from Lavender

Author: Louise Ward
Date Of Creation: 11 February 2021
Update Date: 1 July 2024
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How to make Lavender Oil from scratch without a Still DIY
Video: How to make Lavender Oil from scratch without a Still DIY

Content

Popular not only for its gentle and delicate aroma, lavender oil is also used to reduce inflammation in areas of skin that are damaged or bitten by insects, to help you sleep or as a massage essential oil. Lavender oils or waxes are the best option if you want to self-extract at home because they are so simple, can be used with an arbitrary amount of flowers and the finished product can be used immediately. You can also make pure lavender oil yourself, but keep in mind that the extraction process is quite complicated and the amount of finished product will be very small that will definitely have to be mixed with another oil. can be used.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Making Oil from Lavender

  1. Pick fresh lavender or buy dried flowers. First, cut off the stem of the flower about 15 cm or longer. You should remove the hard stem at the base of the leaves and the upper branches can still be kept to soak with the flowers. You can use both the buds and the flowers with a very distinctive scent.
    • You should prepare a little more lavender than necessary because if the finished product is not aromatic enough as you want, you do not have to wait until next time to dry.

  2. Let the flowers dry. If you are using fresh lavender, first dry the flowers in a shade place or wrap the flowers in a cloth to increase the fragrance of the flower and prevent the oil from staining. Tie the string to the stalk and hang the bouquet upside down in a warm, dry place. While the sun can dry the flower faster, it will damage the essential oils in the flower. Fresh lavender takes up to two weeks to fully dry. Some people just let the flowers dry for a few days to make them wilt, not crisp, this can significantly reduce, not completely eliminate the risk of flowers spoiling.

  3. Lightly rub the flowers and place them in the jar. Squeeze the flowers with clean hands or crush them with a heavy object to release essential oils. If you want to soak the whole flower bud, separate the buds with your hand or a sharp knife. Put all the flowers in a clean jar.
    • Wash hands and jars first and let them dry before coming into contact with flowers. Leaving water on the oil can interfere with the soaking of the flowers.

  4. Fill the flowers with oil. You can add any odorless or lightly fragrant oil solution to the jar, filling the flowers, but leave a 1.25-2.5cm space. The oils commonly used are almond oil, olive oil and safflower oil, these are the best options because their scent will not overwhelm lavender.
  5. Soak the flowers if you have time and it's sunny. Tie the top of the jar tightly and soak the mixture in the sun. Mixtures begin to have a strong smell after at least 48 hours and are usually soaked for three to six weeks. If there isn't enough sunlight or you don't have time to apply this method, go to the next step.
  6. Under insufficient sunlight and time, heat the mixture cautiously. A faster method of soaking in the sun is to heat the lavender oil mixture in a double boiler for 2-5 hours, setting the temperature constant between 38–49ºC. You should only use this method if you have a thermometer dedicated to cooking and ensure the temperature is always controllable low because too high temperatures will affect the aroma and shelf life of oil.
  7. Oil separation. Place a thin cloth on a bowl and pour the oil mixture over it.
  8. Repeat this process if you want to make the oil more fragrant. You can refill the jar with a new round of lavender oil. Follow the instructions above, soak the solution in the sun or heat at a low temperature to create a more aromatic oil soak solution. This process can be repeated up to eight times to produce a solution of lavender oil with a wonderful fragrance.
  9. Add a few drops of vitamin E (optional). You can add a few drops of vitamin E to prolong the shelf life of the solution. This is especially important if you cannot store the oil in a dark, dry place or if the oil you have been using is too old and is about to expire. Put a few drops of vitamin E or cut a vitamin E capsule and drop it into the mixture and shake gently to dissolve.
  10. Store the oil in a dark bottle or bottle. Drain the oil from the filter cloth into the oil bowl. Pour the solution into colored glass or plastic bottles to avoid losing the scent when exposed to sunlight. The shelf life of a lavender oil bath will largely depend on the type and freshness of the oil used, but usually lasts several months if stored in low light and dry conditions. advertisement

Method 2 of 2: Making a Conditioner or High Pain Relief from Lavender Oil

  1. First, follow the steps above to create lavender oil soaked. This method will teach you how to make a pain-relieving anti-inflammatory wax from lavender oil. First of all, you need to make lavender oil or buy it from a pharmacy.
  2. Grate the beeswax with a knife or a cheese grater. Use an inexpensive planer because beeswax is difficult to wash off. Estimate the required amount of wax before grating. You need about 1 part beeswax for 8 parts oil. You can use more beeswax if you want the final wax to be harder and less beeswax if you want the wax to be softer.
    • If you buy beeswax sold by weight, you can use these mass-to-volume formulas: 1 ounce of beeswax = 1 ounce of solution = 1/8 cup = 28 grams.
  3. Heat beeswax and oil on a low heat. Put the finely shredded beeswax in the pan, pour in the lavender oil. Heat on low until the mixture dissolves. It takes about 15 minutes for the beeswax to dissolve. Stir well with a wooden spoon or other heat-resistant tool, it's best to use something you no longer need because the beeswax will stick to it very difficult to remove.
  4. Pour the mixture into the container. Pour the molten wax mixture into a clean dry glass or tin container and close the lid.
  5. Leave the mixture in a cool place to solidify. After leaving for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in a cool dry place, check to see if the wax has hardened. If the wax is still loose or too hard to get the wax by hand, you will need to heat it all over again. Add more beeswax to make the wax harder, or add oil to make the wax softer.
  6. Clean pots and utensils. Heat the pot with dishwashing liquid until the beeswax is gone, then turn off the heat for a few minutes to cool. Put on rubber gloves to scrub the inside of the pot clean while the soapy water is warm. You should wash your stirrer with warm water after you turn off the heat. You can wash pots and utensils with a hard sponge or brush. advertisement

Advice

  • You can mix lavender with other herbs such as hazelnut, mint or orange or lemon peel.
  • Pure lavender essential oil (containing only aromatic oils and not mixed with other oil solutions) is usually extracted by steam.
  • You should place a layer of wax paper between the jar and the lid to prevent the rubber or other substances on the lid from affecting the scent of the oil.

Warning

  • Do not leave beeswax or oil near the stove because they can easily burn or catch fire when the temperature is too high.

What you need

Making lavender oil:

  • Lavender bud, flower or leaf (or all three)
  • The jar has a wide mouth and a tight lid
  • Any oil that does not have a strong odor (enough to fill the flowers)
  • Sun or double boiler
  • Bowl contains
  • Filter cloth
  • Dark glass bottle with tight stopper

Make a balm from lavender:

  • Lavender oil
  • Beeswax
  • Pot or pan
  • Agitator
  • Jars or tins with tight lids