Infused Oil

I'm a firm believer in if you can't eat something then you shouldn't be putting it on your skin, so rather than wasting my money and health on expensive creams and lotions, after my evening shower I cover myself in virgin coconut oil. Following Ayurveda I have found that slathering my body in oil helps to keep my vata in check and it has the added bonus of making me smell delicious and feeding my skin with lots of nutrients.

I tend to go through a lot of coconut oil and I'm always raiding the pantry to fill up my little amber jar, this time though I wanted to have a play with infused oil to boost the nutrients and healing properties of my moisturiser and to make the ritual of self massage after my shower just that little bit more special.

Having a reasonably well stocked herb supply I grabbed what I had on hand and set up a double boiler. I chose calendula for its healing properties, it is particularly good for promoting wound healing and reducing inflammation. It is used to treat and heal a number of skin conditions including eczema, nappy rash and sunburn, and provides some antiseptic properties. I also chose horsetail for its high silica content which benefits the skin and aids in the absorption of calcium. Horsetail is a diuretic which helps to relieve fluid retention and is also recommended for anemia.
I guessed the amount of herb to oil ratio making sure the herbs were well covered in the melted coconut oil and then I left it for 30 minutes or so to slowly infuse over a gentle heat.

After the herbs had finished infusing I strained them through some cheesecloth and added some clove, lavender and grapefruit oils to the infused coconut oil and left it to set over night.

As an added special treat I took the herbs in the cheese cloth and bound them to make a giant tea bag and put them in a foot bath. Dave and I soaked our feet together whilst we relived the early 2000s and watched Angel.