Work With Me Wednesday: Lavender Infused Oil, Part 2

Work With Me Wednesday: Lavender Infused Oil, Part 2

Welcome back! Thank you for tagging along with me to work in the lab. Last Wednesday, I worked on a lavender infused oil. You can check it out here.
The last step I completed was hydrating the lavender with the grain alcohol. Did you think I was planning a party in the lab? Unfortunately, the only party was in the jar with the lavender and the alcohol.
Once the lavender/grain alcohol party is over, I add organic Mongongo oil. Mongongo oil is a cleanser, moisturizer, and emollient all rolled into one. It's a thin oil with a light texture that easily absorbs into skin.
Mongongo oil contains fatty acids like linoleic, oleic, palmitic, linolenic, and erucic acids, which help produce the skin's natural oil barrier, reduce inflammation, and play a role in healthy skin. It's rich in antioxidant vitamin E.
Now I mix everything up well. Do you notice anything unusual about my blending jar? I thought you'd never ask.
I replace the blending canister with a glass jar. This makes it easy for me blend small, test batches over the next couple of days. I don't want to lose oil transferring back and forth between the blending jar and the storage jar.
Now comes the moment of truth. Well, it's more like several moments as we pour the lavender infused oil into a glass storage container. The muslin keeps the lavender flower bits from getting into our oil.
Take note of this thick brown liquid. Don't take your eyes off of it. What you see is not what you get.
Through the funnel it goes. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. It's green. As with foods, rich colors signal an abundance of nutrients.
It takes a while before all of the oil drains out. I take this time to start tidying-up the lab. Don't worry, I won't put you to work.
Did I mention this job gets messy? Now I squeeze the remaining oil in the muslin. I'm careful not to get any of the herbs into the final oil product.
This is the end product of lavender infused oil. It came a long way from looking like the golden colored oil on the right to the green color on the left. Look at the droplets on the table.
 
This is how all formulations start in the lab--as small test batches. I will divvy this up into smaller bottles to give to family and friends to test.
Lavender oil is anti-inflammatory, it relaxes muscles, heals the skin, and elevates your mood.
Thanks, again, for joining me at Work With Me Wednesday.
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