Making lavender oil in bulk

[EvilTOJ]

I now have in my possession a lot of lavender flowers. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT! I have maybe five or six paper grocery bags's worth stuffed full of flowers and stems. I'd like to turn it into some kind of aromatic for soap, but I'm not sure the best way to proceed. So far the best technique I've found has been to crush the stems and flowers up and let them steep in warm olive oil for a few weeks. Is this the best way to do it? If it is, what's the best way to use the tincture in soap?

 

[maya]

If you infused the lavender buds in oil, that is an infusion, not a tincture. But it will impart scent into the oil, I cannot speak to if that scent will remain through the saponification process.

 

[EvilTOJ]

I knew no matter what term I used someone would correct me. Tincture, infusion, suspended precipitate, colloidal solution, lavender sludge, or whatever it's called I just want lavender smell in my soap.

 

[maya]

If you want lavender scented soap, you might consider using lavender fragrance oil or lavender essential oil.

 

[EvilTOJ]

Okay, did you see the part where I have about 15 lbs of actual lavender flowers and stems? I don't want to buy lavender fragrance oil or lavender essential oil, I want to make it. I think it's ridiculous to buy something I could easily make on my own. I could just as easily buy my own soap too, right?

I just noticed I posted this thread in Fragrance Reviews, I'm going to repost in another forum.

 

[Neve]

Don't they use steam or something to do it? My hubby thinks they used to cool it in ethanol and distill it. He worked in a lab. Kind of a PIA really. I hope someone here has an easier way... Whether oil infused or something else. It would be nice to use all that lovely lavender.

 

[pamielynn]

The scent of a lavender infused oil will not survive the lye monster, no matter how many bags of buds you have. If anything does survive, it's doubtful it will for long, unfortunately.

That said, you maybe could try to double up and make a tea AND an infused oil to use in the soap.

 

[maya]

Okay, did you see the part where I have about 15 lbs of actual lavender flowers and stems? I don't want to buy lavender fragrance oil or lavender essential oil, I want to make it. I think it's ridiculous to buy something I could easily make on my own. I could just as easily buy my own soap too, right?

I just noticed I posted this thread in Fragrance Reviews, I'm going to repost in another forum.

So glad you want to make it. From 15 pounds of lavender buds you with a steam distiller made for non commercial use, might get 1/4 ounce of essential oil from your 15 pounds.

I too think it is ridiculous to purchase something one can make, however sometimes I can purchase organic chickens for less cost then obtaining a permit, purchasing or building a coop, purchasing the freshly hatched chickens and their special feed, the fencing they will need, more special feed, then killing them, dunking them in water to remove the feathers, you get the idea. I can much easier and less expensively go to the store and buy a chicken. :lolno: