Infusing oil with nettle

[maiseycat]

I got my hands on some nettle leaves, and I have read that nettle is supposed to have some really good properties for hair so I wanted to incorporate them into a shampoo bar. I decided to try infusing them in some olive oil, but I have a few questions.

I know that when infusing oils when using natural colourants, you can speed up the process by using a gentle heat bath. Would that also work for this, or is it best to let it infuse over time? I know saponification is likely to eat up much of the benificial properties, so I would like the infusion to be as effective as possible. If I do leave it to infuse over time, how long should I leave it for?

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

The longer you infuse, the stronger color you will get. It's not unheard of to infuse for 6 weeks or longer, but at least 2 weeks. If you do a heat infusion, I would make sure it is kept on very low heat, as in under 150 degrees F, for a few hours. You don't want to heat it so much as to burn the oil, which would cause a break down like oxidation does, and could result in DOS. I would either use a crockpot or a water bath like you do when canning (but at a lower temperature, of course).

 

[maiseycat]

I'm not too fussed about the colour, I am more concerned with trying to get the beneficial properties of nettle. I have read that Nettle supposedly will make hair look glossier and healthier, which seems to be pretty widely accepted. I have also read that some believe nettle will stimulate hair growth, which is not as widely accepted. Regardless, I thought it couldn't hurt to try incorporating some in a shampoo bar somehow

I was thinking of leaving it for around a month, but if I'd still get a lot of the beneficial properties by using a heat bath, then I may try that, as I am a little impatient.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

I was thinking of leaving it for around a month, but if I'd still get a lot of the beneficial properties by using a heat bath, then I may try that, as I am a little impatient.

The less heat that is involved, the better...so leaving it in a dark cool place in an airtight jar for a month is a good idea. Though I'm sure with gentle heat you can still preserve some of the beneficial properties, so if you just can't wait, try the water bath method.

 

[maiseycat]

If it would be better to not use heat, then I will wait, as hard as that is to do, lol

Thanks for the help!

 

[Hausfrau007]

If time is not a factor, I wouldn't heat it.

 

[Birdie Wife]

You could also try using powdered nettle leaf and adding it to your soap at trace.

 

[maiseycat]

I thought about that, and grinding the dried up leaves I have into powder to try it, but most of the powdered additives I have tried add a bit of an exfoliating aspect, and since I intend to use this for a shampoo bar, I decided I didn't really want that aspect of it. I think I have pretty much decided on my final recipe now, so I am just waiting for it to finish infusing to try it. The only thing I am still stuck on deciding is whether to use beer or carrot juice as my liquid I may just have to try a batch of each

 

[Birdie Wife]

I'd be really interested to hear about your results I haven't tried a shampoo bar yet but I may well do one at some point.

I use a coffee grinder to get fine powder from dehydrated leaf and then a fine sieve to get the powder as fine as possible. Whatever doesn't go through the sieve goes back in the coffee grinder for another buzz.

 

[maiseycat]

I'll definitely post when I try it. I actually already use shampoo bars, they are just not ones I have made yet. I started buying them when I was looking for something without SLS, as I was having some trouble with breakage and hair loss, and I suspected that SLS was not helping. As my hair as improved since I stopped using products containing SLS, I assume that I am right. It's not going to be the same for everyone, of course. There are many people with very nice hair that use commercial shampoo/conditioner, but it was just too harsh for my mine. I am actually very excited about making my own, and formuating a bar with properties that I want.

 

[serenaglynn]

unfortunately if you infuse nettle for even a few days the stench will make you gag...you can buy nettle juice pre bottled and it doesnt smell as bad, and is concentrated, could you use that?

 

[maiseycat]

It's in a sealed jar, so I cannot smell it. I likely will when I open the jar, but I am not very smell ensitive, and I assume saponification, etc. will pretty much kill any smell.

I'm curious though, I have seen others post about using nettle, and this is the first time anyone has mentioned an unpleasant smell. Is this something many have noticed with this?

 

[serenaglynn]

well my experience is from infusing nettles with water for gardening purposes, it makes a very powerful organic fertilizer, but maybe doing it on a smaller scale with less leaves will give you a solution with none or little smell.

 

[maiseycat]

That's possible. Maybe it's a combination of that and being infused with oil instead of water? I guess I'll find out when I open the jar :grin:

 

[Birdie Wife]

If it hasn't been infused very long, it stays green, but I suspect the colour won't last through the saponification process. I infused nettles and cleavers together to make a soap and left it a few days, by which time it reeked, but the smell disappeared during the curing process.

Two ways to try keeping the green colour (I'm going to try these myself too) - add nettle powder to the lye and let it steep for a few hours before straining out the bits. Or use an oil infusion (I've done this successfully with more woody herbs and it worked really well).