LAVENDER DAYS.

LAVENDER OIL.

What you'll need.                                                                

fresh lavender flowers - you can use leaves and young stems but not old woody stems.

carrier oil   ( I use sweet almond which is a good all-purpose oil. You can use most oils but make sure you use one that doesn't have an overpowering smell. Be aware of allergies if you decide to use peanut oil!)

a jar with a tight fitting lid

cheesecloth, muslin or a fine strainer

dark glass bottles for storage of lavender oil.

Method.

collect flower heads/leaves/stems. I'm not making too much so I collected 1.5 cups of mainly flower heads and some soft stems.

 

Pop lavender into a jar, fill with oil, making sure everything is completely covered and put on the lid. Sit in a warm place for at least a couple of days. Give it a shake occasionally to make sure it's mixed. Strain out the lavender,squeezing out all the oil you can. Collect fresh flowers etc, adding to the jar, and do the process over again until the required perfume is reached.

Strain and decant into dark glass bottles. Keep in a cool, dark place and it should last for up to a year.

I won't go into the 1001 uses for lavender oil; there are innumerable books and websites on the subject. Suffice to say it's incredibly easy to make and because I like a very strong lavender smell I'm able to make it how I want it.