Spring has officially started and dandelion season is just around the corner.
Often dandelion is looked upon like an unwanted weed, but actually it is a very precious plant with many beneficial properties for our health and skin care. The root of the dandelion plant has been used for centuries as a natural remedy against digestion problems, fighting infections and many other illnesses. The plant leaves are edible and are full of vitamins in early spring. Use young, fresh leaves to garnish your spring salad. The plant flowers are the perfect ingredient for oil macerate, as they boost it with vitamins and antioxidants, which our skin just loves!
In this post I would like to share a very simple cream/salve recipe you can make at home with very basic ingredients.
But first you need to prepare your dandelion flower oil:
- Collect some dandelion flowers far away from busy roads or other potentially polluted places. Pick the flowers just where you can find plenty and do not take all, as pollinators really love and need dandelions as well!
- Let them dry overnight. Not longer, because dandelions will just turn into white fluff, as we all know, when dried completely. I do not wash the flowers, because I do not want to wash away beneficial pollen.
- Put the flowers into your favorite carrier oil: it can be olive, sunflower, rapeseed, sweet almond oil...You choose. For this recipe I will use olive oil, but you can substitute with your favorite one.
- Place your jar with oil and flowers in a dark cupboard and leave it there for 4-6 weeks, shake it from time to time.
When your oil is infused you can strain it using a muslin cloth and start making the cream.
Ingredients for around 155 ml:
- 100g of dandelion infused oil (I use olive)
- 15g of carnauba wax (you can use 30g of beeswax instead, if it does not go against your ethical beliefs)
- 25g of shea butter
- 10g of coconut oil
- 15 drops of essential oil (I use lavender and orange) (optional)
Step by step instructions:
- Add dandelion oil, wax, shea butter and coconut oil into heat proof bowl
- Heat it gently using bain marie method
- Stir it until it is completely melted. Be careful not to overheat it, so you do not lose all the beneficial properties of the oils.
- Add your choice of essential oils (optional)
- Pour into one or more lidded jars and wait till it sets
It can be used as an everyday hand or face moisturising cream, soothing cream for aching joints and muscles, calming salve for irritated skin.
*Of course always do the patch test to make sure that the product is suitable to you and your skin and that it does not cause you an allergic reaction
I really hope this recipe will inspire you to go out there in nature, to mindfully forage the gems of nature to create something truly magical, but also practical to meet your everyday needs.