Olive oil infused with camomile?

[Ann Marie]

Hi,

I wanted to try infusing some olive oil with camomile tea and then using it to make %100 OO soap. Has anyone tried infusing camomile tea? How long does it take to infuse? Does it infuse well? Any other tea that would work better? Thanks for your help!!

 

[Lotus]

I've never tried it, but I do recommend steeping an ungodly amount (even more than you think you should) before you try it. Remember that your lye will react with the tea and likely give you a brownish color. Good luck with the scent. I do recommend putting extra tea leaves in your soap as well. I'm sure someone else more experienced will come by with more/better advice.

 

[dagmar88]

You'll never be able to infuse any kind of oil with tea.
The oil will just sit on top.

You can either infuse your oil with dried chamomile flowers (is that what you meant?) or take the easier way and use chamomile tea to make your lye solution.

 

[lsg]

Hi,

I wanted to try infusing some olive oil with camomile tea and then using it to make %100 OO soap. Has anyone tried infusing camomile tea? How long does it take to infuse? Does it infuse well? Any other tea that would work better? Thanks for your help!!

If you are referring to dry tea leaves, then the answer is yes. There are a couple of methods you can use. You can heat the oil and pour it over the dry tea leaves and let it set for several days. You can put tea leaves in a quart jar and pour oil over them, then put the jar in a pan of water hot water and let the water simmer for a few hours. The longest method is to put tea leaves in a jar, fill with oil and let set on a windowsill for a couple of weeks.

 

[hoegarden]

I infuse the chamomile flowers... Not the tea leaves... I suppose when chamomile is infuse into tea leaves, it don't really have the original property that it is originate to be used for. I am not sure. But that is how I feel about the difference about flowers and tea leaves.

 

[Candybee]

I do a tea infusion with my distilled water. I use both chamomile and calendula blossoms. Then I chill it and use as my lye water.

 

[BeingBumble]

I just made some soap with chamomile infused olive oil. I put loose chamomile (about 2 handfuls?) in a quart jar with olive oil. I put a brown paper bag over it and then placed in a sunny window sill for about a month, shaking every day or so. My bars are a lovely golden yellow color.