Every year about this time my gardenia bush is blooming and I think “if I could only do something with them”. This year I decided to do some research. There are many recipes on the internet for saving this fragrance in a bottle. I chose the two following recipes because I had the ingredients.
I had never heard of Monoi Oil before but it sounds so nice and I can use it to make soap if it turns out. This batch may not turn out as I didn’t let the petals dry all the way before putting them into the coconut oil. After doing some more research I found the petals need to be dry or they may mold, I need to be more diligent in doing research before making a product, lol. I will start another jar hopefully before my gardenias are gone. My coconut oil should be arriving Tuesday. I will have to wait a month before I know if this recipe works.
The second recipe is made with almond oil. I have recipes for soap using this oil but I am not sure if when the oil is cooked it will keep the scent. I did not have a mortar and pestle for bruising the petals and the rolling pin idea they suggested did not seem to bruise the petals so I used a meat tenderizer, maybe that was too much?
I will get the results of this oil quicker than the Monoi Oil recipe because the jar is heated daily for 7 days in water, changing the gradenias after 4 days. If I want a stronger smell I can change the gardenias again and heat every day for an additional 3 days.
I did run across a great video from Mountain Rose Herbs on making oils using dried herbs. If my oils don’t work I may try this. There are two camps in the essential oil world. One says it is not a true essential oil if you use dried flowers or herbs. I figure hey if it works. Mountain Rose sells lots of great herbs and other products.
I would love to hear from anyone that has had experience making scented oils and what they use them for.
