Making Rose Petal Oil

I use natural, organic rose petal oil in salves and bath salts. Stay tuned for those details in a future post. To make rose petal oil...

Materials Needed:
8 C. rose petals and hips
12"x12" muslin cloth
Rubber band
1 gallon glass jar
- 16oz organic carrier oil
- Potato masher

Directions:

1. Spread rose petals and hips out on muslin cloth. Be sure to select the most healthy and fragrant botanical materials for this project. Do not use rose petals that are bruised or wilted.
2. Wrap the muslin cloth up around the rose hips and petals, and tie it securely with the rubber band so that the petals and hips don't come out of the bag. Drop it into your jar.
3. Add carrier oil to the jar.
4. Use the potato masher to apply firm pressure to the bag of rose petals and hips while it's in the jar. Do this to bruise the contents of the muslin sack to help the carrier oil draw the essential oils. Secure the lid on the jar and place it in a cool, dark place for a minimum of 2 weeks.
5. After 2 weeks have passed, smash the bag again with the potato masher.
6. Remove the bag from the jar and squeeze it repeatedly to remove as much oil as you can.
7. Replace the contents of the muslin sack with your second 4 cups of rose petals and hips.
8. Repeat steps 4 through 6 four more times. Note: the more times you replace the materials, the more potent the essential oil will become.
9. Discard the used petals and hips. You should now have sweet scented rose petal oil.