Making oil is really easy, especially if you have a garden

You can use most oil as carrier oils, I usually use sunflower oil. Other good ones are almond oil, palm, sesame, soya, maiz, walnut, oive among others more difficult to find. If you are interested in others, drop me line.
I prefer not to use olive oil as its flavour is too strong. I don't usually use them on the body, but I burn them

Pick the flowers when they are fully open, put them in a glass jar and pour some oil on top of them. Leave the flowers in the oil for 2 weeks, changing them every 2-3 days and adding new ones. After 2 weeks drain the flowers and put the oil in a small glass bottle preferably woth a dropper.

Oils I made recently are: rosemary, honeysuckle, vainilla, cinnamon, cloves.

Obviously some oils are virtually impossible to make at home (sandalwood, ylang ylang, patchouli...), so buy them at a nature shop. They usually come in very small bottles, 1/3 OZ, or 10 or 5 ml bottles, often with a dropper, but these last long, as you usually use just a few drops at a time. Prices will vary according to quantity, purity and rarity of the oil.
So if you can, use your garden flowers: rose petals, mint, sage, most of the plants found in a house garden will do. It's a really cheap solution and loads of fun!

these oils are for burning such as in a potpori pot ? or massage oils

Where can one buy these oils? Ovioiusly I do not want to go into the grocery and buy vegetable oil ..and if one uses olive oil should it be of a certain type ?
what degree of pure?

Thanks
Deborah

If you want to use olive oil, use the one you would use at home for cooking. Any olive oil will do, you can use cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil (which is the best) or any other. The lowest the acidity, the better. I am not particularly a fan of olive oil because it has a very strong flavour of its own, and it takes a lot more flowers/herbs to impregnate the oil with the fragrance. So I usually use sunflower seeds oil. You can get both these oils in any food store.

If you want to get other essential oils than those you can make at home, you can find them at nature shop or holistic shops, they usually have quite a good range.

I usually burn them, but according to the herbs/substances you use you can use some for massage as well. Be careful to check out first because some are very irritant to the skin.

If you want to make massage oils, you can also buy carrier oil, for example I know The Body Shop sells plain, unfragranced carrier oil (at least here is Spain I noticed they do). If you want to use "irritant" oils just dilute a few drops in a lot more oil - but as I say, check it out first - better safe than sorry!

If you use them for a bath, it's no problem, because you use just a few drops in a full bath - and they are really delicious!

Don't make huge amounts - oil keeps well for about a year, so be sure to use it by then. Make more if don't have access to the flowers very often (like rosemary, or plants that flower only once a year), while you can make smaller amount out of cinnamon, vainilla, clovers, cloves,.... or anything you can easily obtain all-year round.

Deborah, which flowers have you available now? Which one do you consider doing?

I have a consultant that lives down the road from me ..well down the road turn at the bend ..take a left at the old tree ..lol ..just a few weeks she was at my home doing a spa retreat for the day ..was awsome ..

I have many of the products they offer... hmmm for those unfamiliar with this line it is a co- op program they give back to comunities ..
they buy wooden massager thingsy from India ..cocoa beans from somwehere else ...they put comunities back to work ..working for the best of all humanity. It is an awsome product line and a VERY wise company. I do support them!!

Deborah

Good for you! I also support them!