Make Your Own Vicks Type VapoRub

My husband has terrible allergies and upper respiratory problems, which only seem to get worse when the pollution is bad here. This week, I knew he was in for another round of coughing fits as he woke up with his familiar hacking cough, which is loud enough to make your ears ring for days. I've been wanting to try and make my own version of Vicks VapoRub for awhile now, and I thought this would be the perfect time! Vicks VapoRub consists mainly of petrolatum, menthol, eucalyptus oil, and camphor.  These ingredients work in synergy with one another to help thin out the mucous secretions in your lung, and decrease airway inflammation to help you breath easier.  Plus I like the smell, and it seems somehow comforting to rub this on your chest when your sick.

I'm also going to include some additional ingredients in my recipe, such as clove bud oil, peppermint oil and spearmint oil which will add some extra goodness to this rub, and will make it double as a topical Tiger Balm type rub to relieve minor aches and pains. Let's take a closer look at what these ingredients will add to this rub.

Menthol: Menthol is extracted from peppermint oil (mentha arvensis) by freezing the oil to a temperature of -7.6 degrees F.  This causes the menthol within to crystallize, at which point the crystals are removed. Menthol is the constituent of peppermint oil that gives it it's trademark tingly, cold feeling. When inhaled menthol has a decongestant effect, which is why we are using this here, but it also has an analgesic effect when applied topically, which will make this rub double as a tiger balm

Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus essential oil can be extracted from many varieties of Eucalyptus plants, but the most commonly used is Eucalyptus Globulus. It is used for it's expectorant and decongestant abilities, as well as it's minor antispasmodic abilities.

Camphor: Camphor is used to treat coughs, colds, and bronchitis.  You might recognize it as one of the main ingredients in Carmex.

Clove Bud: Clove bud essential oil is an expectorant, which makes it useful for coughs and colds. It is also a topical anesthetic, which is why it's used for toothaches, and it means I could use this rub for aches and pains as well, kind of like tiger balm.

Peppermint: Peppermint does many of the same things as menthol, after all menthol is extracted from peppermint oil.  It does have a pleasant minty aroma that I think enhances my blend.

Spearmint: Spearmint essential oil expectorant and decongestant properties as well as topical anesthetic properties.  It is also said to be a mood uplifter and to help relieve fatigue and depression, which sounds perfect for a rub that you are supposed to use when your sick and feeling down in the dumps.

Now on to the recipe...

Vicks VapoRub Dupe

175g castor oil

16g beeswax

22g camphor

10g menthol crystals

10g clove bud

4g eucalyptus

6g peppermint
6g spearmint

 Directions
1. Weigh our 10g of menthol crystals into a microwave safe container. To this, add 16g of beeswax and microwave for a minute or two, until the beeswax and menthol are melted.
2. Add 175g of castor oil to the beeswax menthol mixture.  At this point you may need to reheat the mixture in the microwave again to ensure everything is fully melted.
3. Add 22g camphor, 10g clove bud, 4g eucalyptus, 6g peppermint, and 6g spearmint to the melted mixture, and stir well.
4. Pour this mixture into your storage container.



I used 2 small tins that I had on hand, but you could simply store this in a food storage container with a lid.

I found that cooling the mixture in the fridge seems to achieve smoother results. The tin on the left was cooled in the fridge and the tin on the right was cooled on the counter.

Now, simply rub the mixture on your chest, or on achy muscles, as this mixture main help relieve minor aches and pains. Enjoy!


Disclaimer:For educational purposes only This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Challah Bread

Our family has a tradition of making a big breakfast on Sundays with sausage or bacon, scrambled eggs, and pancakes, waffles, or the favorite... french toast.  And in my opinion, the best french toast ever is made with Challah bread. Challah bread is an egg based bread that is rich and buttery, slightly sweet, and is traditionally used for the Jewish Sabbath.

Since I am lucky enough to be at various farmers markets every week to sell candles, I can usually find Challah bread being sold by one of the artisan bread makers there, but when I don't find it, I make it!

Here is the recipe I use, which I have taken from one of my favorite cookbooks, "The New Best Recipe" from America's Test Kitchen.  I have many cookbooks, and I use this one by far the most of all of them.  Anyway, here is the recipe...

Challah
Makes 1 Large Loaf

3-3 1/4 cups (15 to 16 1/4 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
1 envelope (about 2 1/4 tsp)  instant yeast
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, plus one egg separated (white will be used for the egg wash)
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp room temperature water

Directions
1. Whisk together 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then set aside.  In the bowl of a standing mixer, or a separate bowl if you will be hand kneading the dough, mix together 2 eggs + 1 yolk, melted butter, and 1/2 cup water.  Add the flour mixture to the liquids, then knead with a dough hook, or knead by hand.  You want to knead the dough until it comes together to form and smooth ball. At this point you can add more flour (up to 1/4 cup) if needed. Take the egg white from the egg you separated earlier and whisk it together with the remaining 1 Tbsp of water. Put this in the fridge and save it for later (this will be your egg wash)

2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat with oil.  Then cover it with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Deflate the dough, cover with plastic wrap again and let rise until doubled in size again, another 40 to 60 minutes. 

3.  Next comes the fun part, dividing and braiding the dough.  Divide the dough into 2 pieces, one roughly about half the size of the other.  Divide the larger piece into 3 pieces then roll each piece until it is 16 inches long.  Line up the dough ropes and braid them together, pinching the ends of the braid to seal. Repeat this process with the smaller ball of dough.  Place the larger braid on a lightly greased baking sheet, and use a pastry brush to coat it with egg wash. Then place the smaller braid on top of the larger braid.  Loosely cover the loaf in plastic wrap, and allow to rise for another 30-45 minutes or until the loaf increases in size by 1/3.

4. Finally, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until it is golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the side of the loaf registers 190 degrees F. Cool the baking sheet on a wire rack and wait until the loaf is completely cool before slicing.



Next week I'll show you how to make this Challah bread into the most delicious french toast you have ever eaten!

Recipe Taken From:

The Editors of Cook's Illustrated. (2004). The New Best Recipe. Brookline, Massachusetts: America's Test Kitchen.

St. Patricks Day Manicure

For anybody who doesn't know, I love nail polish! I have many different shades, too many to count, and I especially love doing special holiday manicures.  So of course for St Patrick's Day I must have green nails!

I used Essie's "Pretty Edgy" as my base color, and for a glittery top coat I used Orly's "Here Comes Trouble".  Oh and try to ignore my cuticles, I'm really rough on my hands...

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the results, and now no one can pinch me on the 17th!

Single Oil Lotions

I'm currently in the process of formulating lotion for my company, and although I have tried many different recipes with excellent results, I felt that it was important to get a better feel for the individual carrier oils and their properties.  The best way to do this in my opinion was to make one lotion for each carrier oil that I’m interested in.  So for testing purposes I made six different lotions with only one oil as the main moisturizing ingredient.  I'm hoping this will allow me to differentiate between the different moisturizing properties of the carrier oils being used and to decide which oils I want to use in my lotions in the future. Here is the recipe that I came up with for testing...
Single Oil Tester Lotion
Water 70 grams
Oil 20 grams
Emulsifying Wax 5 grams
Cetyl Alcohol 3 grams
Liquid Germall Plus .5 grams


Directions
Making lotion is a fairly simple process; you take your oil, emulsifying wax, and cetyl alcohol and place them in a heat proof container, then take your water and place that into a separate heat proof container. I always heat up extra water in this step because some will evaporate in the heat and hold process.  Place both of these containers into a double boiler then heat them up to 160F. Once they reach 160F, you hold them at that temperature for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes has passed, place the oil container on a scale and tare it out, then pour in the water required for your recipe from the heated water container.  This can then be mixed together using a stick blender or hand mixer, or if your me, I like to use my kitchen aid mixer.  You want to mix for a couple of minutes then let the lotion cool for a couple of minutes, then mix, cool, mix, cool, you get the idea.  Do this until the lotion reaches 110F, then add your preservative and mix some more.  At this point you want to let the lotion cool to room temperature and then you can bottle it into a clean dry container.

The oils that I chose to test are Sunflower, Apricot Kernel, Sweet Almond, Olive, Avocado, and Virgin Coconut. They each have different skin soothing properties; some are lighter and more easily absorbed while some are heavier.  I did some research on the properties of each of these oils, and here is what I came up with.

Sunflower Oil: Sunflower oil is composed of linoleic acid 48-74%, oleic acid 14-40%, stearic acid 1-7%, and palmitic acid 4-9% [1].  Oils high in linoleic acid have been shown in some studies to improve the barrier function of our skin and decrease transepidermal water loss [2]. Sunflower oil is also a light, fast absorbing, non comedogenic oil that is high in Vitamin E, which has wonderful skin softening and anti-oxidant properties. Unfortunately it also has a short shelf life of only 3-6 months [3]. 

Sweet Almond Oil: Sweet almond oil is composed of oleic acid 60-78%, linoleic acid 10-30%, palmitic acid 3-9%, stearic acid 3%, and palmitoleic acid 2%. The high oleic acid content of sweet almond oil offers anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, and regenerative properties, while the linoleic acid content aids in barrier repair. It is also said to contain a phytosterol called B-sitosterol, which may help reduce inflammation, itchiness, and redness in skin. It is a light oil that has a shelf life of around 12 months which makes it a more stable oil to use in formulations, and it can be used as a substitute for olive oil in many recipes due to the similar oleic acid/linoleic acid content [3].

Apricot Kernel Oil: Apricot kernel oil is composed of oleic acid 58-74%, linoleic acid 20-34%, palmitic acid 4-7%, and stearic acid 1%.  This means that this oil is very similar to sweet almond oil, and subsequently means that the two can be subbed for one another in recipes. Apricot kernel oil contains B-sitosterol like sweet almond oil which gives it anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains more vitamin E then sweet almond oil to give it added skin softening properties.  It is a light to medium weight oil that is easily absorbed by skin, and it has a shelf life of around 12 months [4]. 

Olive Oil: Olive oil is composed of oleic acid 55-83%, linoleic acid 4-21%, palmitic acid 10.5%, stearic acid 2.6%, and linolenic acid 1%.  This oil, like sweet almond oil has a high oleic acid content, which has excellent anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, and regenerative properties.  This oil also has linoleic acid which offers barrier repair.  Olive oil does have some extra goodies in it such as vitamin E, phytosterols, polyphenols, and squalene.  The phytosterols and polyphenols have been shown to help repair skin after sun exposure, making this an excellent oil to apply after a long day outside.  Squalene is a substance that mimics the sebum in our skin and for this reason absorbs very quickly and helps to soften skin.  Olive oil is a heavier oil with a shelf life of around 1 year.  The only thing that you need to be aware of is that the scent and taste of extra virgin olive oil can show up in your products, so you may want to use regular olive oil in a lip balm or a product where you don’t want the fragrance to be affected [3].

Avocado Oil: Avocado oil is composed of oleic acid 75-80%, linoleic acid 7-10%, palmitic acid 10% and stearic acid 1-4%. The high oleic acid content of avocado oil makes this oil good for sunburned or wind chapped skin.  It has vitamin E which helps with skin softening, and it also contains vitamin A, D, and phytosterols to sooth itchy and inflamed skin.  It is easily absorbed by our hair and scalp which makes it great for hair care products.  Avocado oil is a medium weight oil that tends to feel oily on the skin, and it has a shelf life of about a year [4].

Virgin Coconut Oil: Coconut oil contains lauric acid 47.5%, myristic acid 18.1%, palmitic acid 8.8%, and small amounts of stearic, oleic, linoleic, and arachidic acids. Virgin coconut oil contains around 5-7 times the amount of polyphenols then regular coconut oil, in the form of ferulic and p-coumaric acids. Ferulic acid is an anti-oxidant which can help to repair damaged and wrinkled skin, and P-coumaric acid is also an anti-oxidant which has anti-inflammatory properties. Coconut oil is a light oil that has a very long shelf life of 18-24 months [3].

Works Cited

[1]	"Sunflower Oil," Wikipedia, 02 March 2012 . [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_oil.
[2]	"Impact of topical oils on the skin barrier: possible implications for neonatal health in developing countries," PubMed, 2002. [Online]. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12113324.
[3]	"Carrier Oil Profiles - Macamdamia nut to wheat germ oil," [Online]. Available: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1020026/carrieroilprofilesmacadamiatowheatgerm.pdf.
[4]	"Carrier Oil Profiles - Avocado to jojoba oils," [Online]. Available: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1020026/carrieroilprofilesavocadotojojoba.pdf.

CP Soap Pic

I just wanted to post a quick picture of a soap I made yesterday using an in the pot swirl technique that I saw on YouTube.  This is scented with a blend of Lavender, Peppermint and Spearmint essential oils and it smells divine.  I want to post a cold process soap making tutorial at some point... I'm thinking goats milk soap? Only time will tell.

Glycolic Acid Toner

For my next foray into the world of handmade beauty products, I decided that I wanted to make a facial toner.  Now I realize that this may sound a bit boring, especially since most facial toners are made quite simply with witch hazel and alcohol, but I had something more complex in mind.  I really wanted to formulate a toner that would include glycolic acid as its active ingredient.

Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that penetrates our skin easily, and loosens the glue like bonds between skin cells in the top layers of the skin. This allows dead and dying skin cells to be sloughed off more easily, and helps to prevent dead skin cells from clumping together and blocking pores.  It also makes the surface of your skin feel smoother and softer, and can help overcome a dull or lifeless appearance. Several studies have shown that daily use of 5-10% glycolic acid solution over time can help with acne, photo-damage, melasma, and possibly even wrinkles [1]. In one study done on mice, the use of a 15% glycolic acid solution for 10 weeks decreased wrinkles, increased dermal thickness, and increased collagen synthesis [2], and in a second study glycolic acid actually had a somewhat protective effect against the development of skin tumors caused by UV radiation [3] Of course I’m not claiming that my toner will do these things, but one can hope.

If you do a search for glycolic acid on google, one of the first companies to come up is Peter Thomas Roth.  They make many products with glycolic acid, but the one that appealed to me the most was the Max Complexion Correction Pads which you see here.  The active ingredients in this product are glycolic acid 10%, and salicylic acid 2% which is what I am going to aim for in my toner.  I didn't duplicate this product exactly, but I did use some of the same inactive ingredients such as green tea extract, allantoin, aloe vera juice, and witch hazel extract.  To my version I also added Rose Hydrosol, and Tea Tree Oil.  Let's take a closer look at what each of these ingredients do.


Salicylic Acid is a beta hydroxy acid that is approved by the FDA as an acne treatment, antifungal, corn/callus remover, dandruff treatment, analgesic/skin protectant for poison ivy/oak/sumac, and a wart remover [4]  Salicylic acid has been used for thousands of years in the form of willow bark which was used as far back as 460B.C. in the time of Hippocrates to treat headaches, pains and fevers [5]. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is actually a derivative of salicylic acid which explains why the bark had the effects that it did. Salicylic acid works on skin as a comedolytic, keratolytic, and mild antiseptic. This means that it helped to open up clogged pores, and penetrates deeper into the skin to help kill bacteria within pores.  It also has a similar effect to glycolic acid by helping to loosen the glue like bonds of the uppermost cell layers and promoting cell turnover [6].

Green Tea Extract is loaded with polyphenols, antioxidants that help to eliminate free radicals that could damage your skin, and may help to maintain collagen and elastin production in your skin.  There have also been studies done that show green tea extract may promote wound healing, and reduce inflammation [7].  These are all excellent reasons to want to add this to my toner.

Allantoin is a fairly common additive in skin care products. It helps to protect our skin’s natural water barrier by increasing the capacity of corneocytes to retain water. It is also a keratolytic, helping to loosen the bonds of skin cells on the upper skin surface. Most importantly, it is an anti-irritant and helps to counteract irritation caused by other ingredients it is formulated with [8].  This is why I’m adding this to my toner, to help buffer the skin against the irritating action of the glycolic and salicylic actions.

Aloe Vera has been used for hundreds of years to treat wounds such as burns. It has compounds in it that may stimulate skin growth and repair while decreasing pain and inflammation, and several studies have shown it to increase wound healing time [9]. This can be used in place of water in most recipes, and I like the idea that I can add another healing ingredient like aloe to my toner to help counteract the harshness of the glycolic and salicylic acids.

Witch Hazel Extract is an astringent and anti-inflammatory extract that is commonly used in facial toners. It is approved by the FDA for use as a skin protectant and for anorectal purposes (think hemorrhoid wipes). Witch Hazel extract is also an anti-oxidant that could possibly help with wound and bruise healing, and to increase circulation [10]. It’s a good all-around toner component, which is why it is often used as a toner by itself.
Now, on to the toner recipe…

Glycolic Acid Toner

Oil
Polysorbate 20- 5 grams
Wheat Protein- 3 grams
Tea Tree Oil- 2 grams
(You want to use equal parts oil and polysorbate 20)

Water
Rose Hydrosol- 30 grams
Aloe Vera Juice- 20 grams
Witch Hazel Extract- 18 grams

Green Tea Extract- 5 grams
Glycolic Acid 70%- 14 grams

Dry Ingredients
Allantoin- 1 gram
Salicylic Acid- 2 grams

Directions
Because I’m making such a small amount at a time, I did not add preservative to this, nor did I use the “heat & hold” method.  I simply heated the Rose Hydrosol, Aloe Vera Juice, and Witch Hazel Extract in a microwave safe container for 1 minute.  To this, you add the dry ingredients and mix well.  Mix the polysorbate 20 with the wheat protein and tea tree oil in a separate container.  Then once the witch hazel/rose hydrosol/aloe vera mixture is cool to the touch, add the polysorbate 20 mixture, along with the green tea extract and the glycolic acid. Mix this all together well, then package in your container of choice.  I used a squeeze tube as you can see here. 

I have been using this toner for a little more than a week now, and I really like it.  It does sting a little bit because of the glycolic acid, but you get used to it. Enjoy!

Works Cited

[1]	"Alpha hydroxy acid," 07 March 2012. [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_hydroxy_acid.
[2]	D. Surg, "The effect of glycolic acid on photoaged albino hairless mouse skin.," 25 March 1999. [Online]. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10193963.
[3]	M. Carcinog, "Inhibitory effect of glycolic acid on ultraviolet-induced skin tumorigenesis in SKH-1 hairless mice and its mechanism of action.," 31 July 2001. [Online]. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11479924.
[4]	"OTC Active Ingredients," 07 April 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/CDER/UCM135691.pdf.
[5]	M. Bellis, "About.com Inventors," 2012. [Online]. Available: http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blaspirin.htm.
[6]	"Salicylic Acid," 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.kaviskin.com/info/salicylicacid.html.
[7]	"Green tea extract: Proanthocyanidins and procyanidins," Point of Interest!, 24 January 2010. [Online]. Available: http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=green+tea+extract&updated-max=2011-11-29T06:57:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=20&by-date=false.
[8]	"Allantoin An Impressive History...," DSM Nutritional Products, 2005. [Online]. Available: http://www.dsm.com/en_US/downloads/dnpsa/Allantoin_Brochure.pdf.
[9]	"Aloe," University of Maryland Medical Center, 31 12 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/aloe-000221.htm.
[10]	"Witch Hazel," Point of Interest!, 07 March 2010. [Online]. Available: http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=witch+hazel.

Coffee Lip Balm

With my new coffee oil that I made in my previous post, I wanted to make coffee flavored lip balm.  Majestic Mountain Sage has a great base recipe for lip balm formulation that I really like. I used this as the basis for formulating my coffee lip balm recipe which follows...

 
Coffee Lip Balm

20% Beeswax

25% Coffee Butter

15% Cocoa Butter

28% Coffee Infused Olive Oil

12% Castor Oil



Each tube of lip balm is .15 oz, and I wanted to make four so I could give the extras away as testers, so I needed a total of .60oz or 17grams.  This comes to...

3.4g Beeswax
4.25g Coffee Butter
2.55g Cocoa Butter
5.2g Coffee Infused Olive Oil
1.6 g Castor Oil

Simply melt all of the ingredients in a double boiler, than mix and pour into lip balm tubes.  I usually use a glass pyrex measuring cup for this because it has a pouring spout which makes things easier.

I have been testing this lip balm all week, and I have to say that this is my favorite so far of the recipes I've tried! I'm definitely going to be adding this to my Candeo Candle lip care line.

Ingredients
Now you may be asking yourself why I would choose these ingredients in my lip balm?  Well, lets take a closer look shall we.

Beeswax
We need beeswax in a lip balm recipe because when it's added in the right amounts, it causes the mixture of oils and butters to set up to the proper consistency.  It's my favorite base for lip balms because of it's high melting point, and firm yet pliable texture.  I hear that you can also use candelilla wax to formulate vegan lip balms, but I haven't tried that yet.

Coffee Butter
The coffee butter that I'm using is actually an infusion of coffee beans in hydrogenated vegetable oil.  Vegetable oil is usually soybean oil or a blend of soybean oil with other oils such as corn or cottonseed oil so I will just talk about the properties of soybean oil.  Soybean oil is easily absorbed into the skin, and leaves a dry feeling behind when applied at full strength.  It is a natural source of lecithin which can help to repair our skins barrier mechanisms, and vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant.  I mainly chose this butter because I want the smell of coffee in my balm, but it does add some positive qualities to my lip balm.

Cocoa Butter
Natural cocoa butter has a wonderful chocolate aroma which will be the perfect backdrop for our coffee scent.  It has natural anti-inflammatory and healing properties, and it one of only 3 ingredients approved by the FDA as an occlusive barrier ingredient.  This means that it forms a protective layer on the skin, keeping moisture in and harsh elements such as wind and cold, out.  It also has a good amount of vitamin E which is great for skin softening and its antioxidant abilities.

Olive Oil
I love olive oil in lip balm! It is one of the heavier oils, but it absorbs well, and leaves your lips feeling soft and moisturized.  Olive oil is high in oleic acid which has anti inflammatory and healing properties, and it is also high in a substance called squalene which is a sebum like substance that is very similar to our skins own sebum.  It is also a natural humectant which means it holds moisture next to your skin, not allowing it to escape.

Castor Oil
Castor oil is the last ingredient, and a very valuable one at that.  Castor oil is added to many lip care products including lipsticks, because of its ability to make a lip balm more like a lip gloss.  It gives lip gloss a nice shiny finish that is just so irresistible.

Coffee Oil

I have been working on a natural coffee lip balm recipe for about a month, and I have yet to achieve the fantastically strong coffee scent that I would like in the balm although the consistency is perfect. I have been using coffee butter for the scent, which is an infusion of coffee beans in hydrolyzed vegetable oil, but it just wasn't strong enough for me, and coffee essential oil is a little expensive for this purpose, so I searched the web for alternative solutions.  I ran across a link awhile back about making your own coffee oil and decided that I had to try it to see if I could boost the coffee scent in my lip balm.  Coffee oil is basically an infusion of coffee beans in olive oil.  I have seen two ways of creating the infusion.  The first way involves adding ground coffee to olive oil and then heating the oil in a crock pot for 10-12 hours.  The second way, which is what I tried, involved adding ground coffee to olive oil and then allowing it to steep for 4-6 weeks.

As you can see by the picture, I started steeping my coffee ground olive oil mixture on January 26th.  I decided to let it infuse for 4 weeks, and ended up straining the oil on the 27th.

Coffee Oil Recipe

1/3 cup ground coffee
1 3/4 cup olive oil

Simply grind your coffee to a medium grind and pour into a clean, dry sealed container, then pour the oil over the coffee and seal.  I gave mine a good shake before putting it back in the pantry to steep. I used a canning jar because I prefer glass for this, and it has a nice tight seal.

After 4 weeks, most of the coffee grounds will have sunk to the bottom of the oil in your container.  To strain out any remaining coffee particles, place a coffee filter in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, and pour your oil mixture slowly into the coffee filter. It took about 10 minutes for the oil to drip through the coffee filter completely.

You can then pour the filtered coffee oil into a new clean dry jar or other seal able container, and voila! You have coffee oil.  My oil smelled just like freshly ground coffee beans, which I'm hoping will add that extra punch of coffee aroma to my lip balm recipe.  I can't wait to try it out!