By now, you guys know I am a sucker for natural remedies as well as making my own supplies. Isn’t that what being old fashioned is all about? With that being said, while lavender has a bunch of healing benefits, (click here to see why it’s my favorite essential oil for your starter pack) lavender flowers are easily incorporated into useful household supplies, too!
To continue on the path of natural remedies and DIY supplies, and as a follow up to 7 things you can be making with coconut oil, here are 5 things you can make with lavender flowers!
**Some of these instructions call for dried lavender flowers. It’s a simple process, you can either lay them out to air dry or hang them to speed the process along. Check out this article for more details on drying and preserving your herbs.
1) Infused Vinegar / Tincture
Making your own infused vinegar is super simple, and you can find the basic instructions here. You could use this lavender-vinegar infusion for a fabric softener, a flea spray for larger animals, or add a little to your bath to relax.
Alternatively, you can make a tincture with your lavender flowers by using vodka instead of vinegar. With this, you’ll keep about a 4:1 vodka / dried herb ratio. You’ll want to store it for somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks before it’s ready, but you’re able to rub it on your temples and the lavender will help cure headaches and treat insomnia.
2) Body Butter
- 1 cup shea butter or coconut oil
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup lavender infused oil (sunflower, almond, jojoba etc)
- Beeswax pellets (optional)
Making your own body butter is about as simple as can be. You’re welcome to simply mix a moisturizing agent (shae butter, coconut oil) with some infused oil, but if you’d like something a little thicker you can melt down beeswax pellets to add. The end result not only leaves you with smooth skin, it’ll help you feel relaxed too! Add chamomile to intensify the effects and make it a sleepy-time lotion 🙂
3) Face Cream
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup lavender infused oil (sunflower, jojoba)
- 2 tbsp shae butter
- Dried lavender flowers
- Beeswax pellets (optional)
Start by pouring the hot water over your dried lavender flowers so that they can sit while you work on everything else. Then, you’ll just need to add everything else together in separate container. Like with the body butter, you’re welcome to add beeswax pellets in order to thicken it up, but you shouldn’t need more than a couple tablespoons. If you do use the beeswax pellets, you’ll need to mix everything together over heat. At the end, strain your water that is now infused with lavender and add it to your mixture. It helps with dry skin and inflammation and is gentle enough for your face.
4) Bath Salt
We’ve already discussed how easy it is to make your own bath salts with essential oils, but it’s just as easy to make bath salts with dried lavender flowers. You just need about a cup of Epsom salt and 1/4 cup of dried lavender flowers. If you do want an extra boost, add a couple tablespoons of lavender infused vinegar! You’ll want to put these salts in something like a cheese cloth or tea bag so that the dried herbs don’t get everywhere, but it’ll turn your regular bath time into a spa like experience.
5) Salves
- 1/2 cup lavender infused oil
- 2 – 4 tbsp beeswax pellets
Making your own salves is super easy, but super beneficial. You can easily adjust the amount of beeswax you use to reach your desired consistency, and you can add some essential oils for a better smell.
All of these creations could be made using lavender essential oil, or even with added lavender oil for a boost, but today I really wanted to focus on things you could make with the actual lavender flowers. Do you have any special uses for lavender flowers around the house?! Share with me in the comments.
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