Whether you see dandelions as lawn encroacher or wildflowers , I ’m certain that by now you ’ve get wind they are a alimentary superfood . What you may not know is how good they are for your tegument . I always let in dandelions as one ofmy favorite garden plant to develop for skin care . And what ’s even better ? you’re able to line up them just about anywhere !
I have a long history of changing my intellect about dandelions . When I was a child , I get it on pluck them and blowing the seeds into the wind . As a young householder , I frowned upon the neighbor with yards full of those same bursting seed heads that I just knew we ’re going to come over to my yard uninvited . But when I started studying the medicative welfare of flora , I started to appreciate these happy yellow flower with the serrated leaves that are compact with a nutritive puncher and medicative property .
Identifying Dandelions
First off get ’s identify a dandelion knowing that there are a few tone - alikes out there . A dandelion will have a rosette of leaves then have pointy tooth edges the point downwards , almost like a series of arrowheads , or perhaps even lions tooth ( which , by the way , is how the name blowball is derived from the French , “ Dent de lion . ” ) . If the plant you ’re look at has rounded leaves and it ’s not a blowball .
The next thing you ’re look for is one single flower strain rising above the leafage . Multiple flower angry walk ? That ’s a look alike .
And to be triple sure , snap the stem and look for the white , whitish sap . The muggins is a natural latex paint , so be cognizant if you have a latex paint allergic reaction not to allude the sap . If you do n’t have a rubber-base paint allergic reaction then the sap is used as a intervention to dissolve warts .
Dandelion Herbal Benefits
The young leaves are pleasant-tasting in salads and quite nutritive . The root make a keen anti - inflammatory tea or a rich roasted dandelion root coffee . And the heyday are edible in salad , fritters , or tea leaf . you may read more about the different ways to eat blowball as a superfood in this post :
The Surprising Superfood From Your Backyard: Dandelions
But today we ’re going to talk a minuscule second more about the flowers for infuse herbal oil to employ in skin care projects . The flush are full of antioxidant and element that sooth and benefit the skin . They also help to touch on teetotal skin and act as an anti - inflammatory .
In most cases I prefer toinfuse herbs in oil over a gentle heat to extract the constituents . And you could certainly useany of these methodsto make a fast version of this dandelion flower oil . For today I ’ll show you the cold extract method acting .
Dandelion Flower Herbal Oil Cold Infusion Instructions
Harvesting Dandelion Flowers
You do n’t want the entire plant , just the prime . bolt down off their head in the former morning at a time of class when they are plentiful and in full blooming . glean them from a swear location that you make out has not been sprayed , is dependent to vehicle pollution , irregularly visit by dogs . You do n’t want any of those things infuse into your crude oil as well ! Yuck .
Drying Dandelion Flowers
circulate the blossoms out on a cookie sail or drying rack out of the direct sunlight . Leave them for at least 3 - 5 days to give them a fortune to dry out ( and also give the ants a prospect to relocate ! ) . you’re able to also utilise a dehydrator or oven on low to speed up up the process . The heyday will shrink quite a scrap , so compile at least three times what you conceive you might want , but also being sure to not harvest more than 30 % of the flowers in the spot , unless they are from your own garden .
Cold Infusion
When the flowers have dried compact them into a glass jounce . Use a spoonful to squeeze them down in the jar to and lightly compress them . Keep fill the jar and pressing down the flowers until the shock is filled all the direction to the top .
For this cold-blooded extract you may utilise olive rock oil , grapeseed crude , sweet almond rock oil , or really any skin care oil that you need to use in your products . teem the oil colour into the jar over the flowers . Use the spoonful to campaign the flowers down and relinquish some of the air bubbles allowing the oil to saturate into all the interruption . Fill the jounce to the top ascertain that all the blossom flower are covered in rock oil .
Set the rock oil in a sinister plaza for 4 - 6 weeks to infuse , after which you’re able to strain out the dandelion bloom and expend the oil in your natural skin care recipe like thisHoney Dandelion Lip Scrub .
Skin Care Recipes from your Home Apothecary
Once you have some yummy blowball flower herbal oil quick , you will demand some formula ! Here are two of my late books fill up with ideas for how to use your garden - grow goodness to make your skin course beautiful .
Make & Give Home Apothecary: Easy Ideas for Making & Packaging Bath Bombs, Salts, Scrubs, & More
The Natural Beauty Recipe Book45 Easy-to-Make Herbal Skincare Recipes for the Whole Family
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