Making infused oil for hand cream

If you follow Tales from Toriello you will probably know that we have started to make our own soaps and hand-cream. One of the most important ingredients we use is oil infused with aromatic and healing herbs and plants which we grow in our garden. We make our own using almond oil or olive oil, calendula, lavender and comfrey.

We are due to make more hand/skin cream in the near future (original post here). This time we are making calendula with almond oil and comfrey with olive oil. The petals of the calendula and the dry comfrey leaves are added to the oil and left to infuse in a sunny position for about 3 weeks.

This time we might go for a double infusion by replacing the petals and leaves with a second batch and infuse once more in the same oil.

The cream (lavender and calendula) is really useful and healing. It is great for dry skin such as dry hands after gardening or for elbows and heels etc. It can be applied before dirty jobs such as gardening or mechanics, helping to protect the skin; making hand and nail washing easier. Recently we got some great feedback from a friend who has been applying the cream to inflamed eczema. For the first time in many months, the skin is hydrated, less inflamed and much less itchy.

Comfrey

From personal experience, last month I accidentally rested the palm of my hand on the hot ceramic hob. After cooling the burn I dressed my hand with the cream and a bandage, and kept renewing this every six hours. It didn't blister and healed completely after growing new skin under the burn. It hurt like hell though for two days...

Lavender - still to flower

This time we will make calendula and comfrey both of which are renowned for their healing and restorative properties. 

Making natural soaps and creams.

There are many weekly markets across Asturias throughout the year in the towns and cities. Some, at times, present us with surprises as was the case of a market we visited in the town of Llanes this summer.  On this particular occasion we came across a stall selling home made creams and soaps. Two ladies, Maria Antonia and her daughter, were not only selling their produce but also advertising a course they were organizing for later on the year. After chatting with them and discovering we shared an interest in the use of herbs, natural oils and essential oils as a base to make soap, shampoo, creams and body lotions I decided to put my name down for one of the courses taking place in the Autumn.

Home made soap and creams is a topic that fascinates me and those familiar with our blog may recall that we have been making hand cream for several years and recently we made our first batch of home made soap. There are several books and Internet based sites with lots of information on the subject but the opportunity to participate in a course was something I was looking forward to as I wanted to learn how to formulate facial and body creams as well as soaps and shampoos using natural oils, essential oils and some of the aromatic plants we already cultivate in our garden. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary, chamomile, thyme, lemon balm, lemon verbena, mint, oregano, salvia (sage) and calendula (marigold) as well as using our orange and jasmine blossom.

The course took place in the nearby town of Llanes in an early 20th century building that used to be the casino and that unfortunately needs some repairs. The course ran over a 6 days and was taught by a lady called Maria Antonia who used to work for the cosmetic industry and whose passion for the use of herbs and their essential oils to make naturals cosmetics and aromatherapy products are contagious.

The course content included a brief outline on growing and harvesting herbs, formulation of creams, soap making and the formulation of natural soaps, bath salts and creams for personal hygiene and aromatherapy.

One of the the main things I learnt from the course was how to formulate creams in a way that ensures the integrity of the formula regardless of the combination of oils used and how create additional creams to those we are already making. I cannot wait to start applying the knowledge I gained through the course and start experimenting with different scents and even colours. All of them natural of course and whenever possible using the herbs we grow organically at La Pasera.

The other participants came from a variety of backgrounds with a range of reasons why they wanted to submerge themselves in the world of natural products; some wanted to explore the possibility of starting a new life making natural cosmetics for a living, someone wanted to formulate her own creams to use in her practice as a masseur while a few just wanted to learn more and be able to make home-made natural products.

It was nice to meet such an interesting and varied group of people and after talking about Ian's famous Moroccan cuisine that is very fragrant and uses citrus and spices, they were very glad to accept an invitation for lunch at La Pasera, now to tell Ian he is cooking for 10......or maybe more Oops.

Vinegar and other natural cleaning products

There is something quite off-putting about using commercial cleaning products that glow. Their pungent added aromas are usually over-powering and nauseating, they are full of chemicals and have the ability to strip your hands of any natural oils and eventually dissolve your fingers (well almost), consequently they do not come high up the list of products we want to use.

We have always worked towards developing and using more natural products to keep our home clean and bug free...and it seems to be working. Well we haven't come down with the plague yet. The main ingredients we use as cleaning products are: Distilled white vinegar; Bicarbonate of soda; Lemons; Essential oils; Natural soap; Water. Lemons grow plentiful around here and our favoured supermarket now stocks white vinegar for cleaning.

Basic kit of cleaning products

In our basic cleaning kit we have: the anti-bacterial qualities of vinegar, lemon juice, salts and oils; degreasers in the form of soap, lemon and vinegar; abrasives in salt and bicarbonate of soda; dirt removal in soap and salts; antiseptics in essential oils and lemon juice.

All of our floors are tiled or wooden floors here at La Pasera and we have three bathroom areas and a kitchen that is also fully tiled. Hot water, vinegar, soap and lemon in a weak solution takes care of most of the floor and tile cleaning. Bathrooms are cleaned with much the same solution but in a stronger mix. Vinegar is great for removing lime-scale and as we are in a hard-water area, we soon get a build up if we don't clean it off regularly. Bicarbonate of soda or salt help remove stubborn stains that need mild abrasion. A weak, dryish polish of water and vinegar will shine and degrease chrome work and stainless steel. Windows are cleaned with a spray made of water, natural soap and vinegar - polished with newspapers like my Great Grandma used to do, they sparkle in no time.

Vinegar has been used throughout history as a health promoting product. Used for over 10,000 years, it is is well known for its healing, cleansing and medicinal qualities. I bought this book on the ship on the way back to Spain and it is a really interesting read with many tips for using a range of different vinegars. If it isn't already, then vinegar should be trending #vinegarrocks...

Using these ingredients in a variety of mixes and ways enables us to do most of the cleaning. With the
addition of 100% alcohol, fragrant herbs, regular aeration of the house and The Towers (the garage, storeroom and studio), we only occaisionally have the need for bleach and/or a commercial cleaner. You might be curios as to why we have named the Towers as such. Those of you who have visited us will know that is isn't a small space and it towers over the garden from its rear aspect - hence The Towers.

We are still using commercial detergent for the washing but we have cut down the amount by making a 50/50 mix of commercial powder and grated home-made simple soap (by Rita, Luis' Sister). Tackling and thinking about what we use in the dishwasher is the next job in hand. There are a few recipes out there on the web for home-made dishwasher liquid, I'll investigate unless you know of one that works?

We would love to hear about your home-made cleaning products and hear about any cleaning tips - whatever makes life simpler... Get in touch or leave a comment.