DIY LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL
I haven't been able to find any essential oils without plastic lids, and this poses a real problem for my plans to make homemade bathroom products without plastic.
I mean, the whole reason why I would ever want to make my own deodorant/toothpaste/moisturiser is to avoid plastic. And all the recipes I've found are just like "ok so now add your essential oils" and I'm like ER, HOW?!
So I'm taking matters into my own hands and am making lavender oil!
There are a few ways of doing this, the best way involves some special copper coils and distilling equipment. But luckily I have a nice simple recipe right here, that's almost as effective and I can accurately say it's about a billion times easier.
You will need
Lavender buds (about a jam jar full, depending on how much oil you need)
Cheap vodka or grain alcohol
A jam jar with a tight lid
Some coffee filters or fine clean cloth
Mortar and pestle or spoon and bowl
Method
Using either a mortar and pestle or a bowl and spoon, lightly squish your lavender heads, just enough to release the oils. I only did this very slightly, just enough so all the lovely aromas were released into the kitchen.
Transfer your lavender heads into your jar and cover completely with alcohol.
Screw the lid on tight and shake vigorously
Shake the jar a few times daily for about a week. You can also leave it on a sunny windowsill for a few days instead to speed up the process, but do still shake it when you can.
I've let mine sit for about 2 weeks now and the alcoholic smell has evaporated nicely. It doesn't quite have the same lovely quality of pure essential oils, but I do think it will be nice to add to future DIY cosmetic products.
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