Camomile Blue Herbal Body Products

Calendula infused almond oil is a primary ingredient for Soothe! and, along with Comfrey infused olive oil, is also an ingredient in Smooch Lip Balm as well. Calendula is well known for its soothing and healing properties for the skin. Comfrey has a long standing reputation for healing and repairing the skin. The oils themselves each share personal qualities. (More on oils in a future newsletter.) Infusing herbs in oils is just one method to retrieve all the healthful and healing benefits of the herbs. The recipe below provides basic directions for infusing oils. Oils can, and should, also be infused with herbs for cooking as well!

Recipe: Herb Infused Oils

PLACE **HERBS OF CHOICE IN GLASS CONTAINER AND COVER WITH OIL OF CHOICE. Start with 1 part herb to 4 parts oil. Add more oils as necessary to be certain herb is completely submerged to prevent bacteria and mold growth.

Olive oil is the oil of choice for cooking oil but is also used in salves and creams with fabulous success. Almond, apricot, jojoba, grapeseed and others oils are commonly used for massage and bath oils. While it is possible, and preferable in some cases, to use fresh herbs to make your herbal infused oil, the moisture in the fresh herbs increases the possibility of spoilage so for starting off, use quality dried herbs. Cover. Let jar sit for 3-4 weeks or longer. AGITATE OR SHAKE JAR DAILY TO HELP DISPERSE THE QUALITIES OF THE HERBS TO THE OIL.

Place on your counter or in the sun for 4-6 weeks.. Oils for Soothe! and other Camomile Blue products are sun- infused for 6 weeks. The sunshine infuses the herbal energy and qualities into the oil to create an oil as pure and potent as possible.

After the infusion period, STRAIN HERBS FROM OIL USING A WIRE MESH LINE WITH CHEESE CLOTH. Let oils drip through and then squeeze the remainder from the cheese cloth. If little bits of herb sneak through the strainer, strain a second time.

STORE HERBAL INFUSED OILS IN THE FRIDGE OR OTHER COOL AREA WHEN NOT IN USE. Oils can go rancid; your nose is the best way to determine if your oils are rancid. If racid, they must be discarded. If you discover some mold while steeping herbs, this can be removed and oils can be used providing the oils don't indicate rancidity.

Stove top or oven infusions provide quicker results but I prefer the quality of the product which results for taking the time to allow the herbs to release their goodness over a long period. If you would like more information on the stove top method please do not hesitate to contact me.

ADD ESSENTIAL OILS if you like, for added therapeutic and aromatic benefits to your bath and body oil. Many essential oils should not be injested so let's stay away from that here. About 12 drops per oz of oil. These oils are for external use only.

APPLY BATH OILS LIBERALLY ALL OVER YOUR BODY after a bath or shower while skin is still moist. Or add about 1 TBS to your tub- a little less if you have added essential oils. Use herbal infused cooking oils liberally and often whereever you would have used olive oils in your meal preparation.

**Calendula, roses, camomile, comfrey are all excellent herbs, used together or individually, to use for creating your herbal infused oils.

Rosemary and garlic in olive oil go together like cookies and milk. Other herbs to add to olive oil might be tarragon, oregano, onions, thyme or a combination.

Options: Lavender, Thyme, Rose Geranium, Euclyptus, Tea Tree, Camomile and Ylang Ylang are some common essential oils used in bath and body products.with a variety of benefits. Please use only pure essential oils and not fragrance oils.