DIY Jasmine Enfleurage
Jasmine flowers are in full bloom right now across the country, filling the air with sweet euphoria. The aroma is so heady, sensual, and diffusive that it stops me in my tracks and I just want to melt into it! Are you with me on this one? If so, now is the perfect time to make your own Jasmine enfleurage!
The traditional method of enfleurage has been used to extract the aroma from fresh flowers for thousands of years. Many flowers, such as Jasmine, do not tolerate steam distillation well, so they are typically solvent extracted, making an essence called an Absolute. It takes 1000 pounds of fresh Jasmine flowers, picked at dawn, to make one pound of Jasmine Absolute! However, in ancient times, people figured out that they could lay these delicate aromatic flowers down on a thin layer of fat and the aroma would slowly be absorbed. Then the aromatic fat was used as a scented balm for hair and body. Let me show you how it’s done!
1) Spread a ¼ to ½ inch thick layer of virgin coconut oil into a Pyrex or glass dish. If you don’t like the smell of coconut oil, you can try to find it in deodorized form. Tallow can be used as well (this was the traditional fat used), or shea butter, or make your own ‘fat’ by melting a bit of beeswax or candelilla wax (a vegan plant-based wax) in Jojoba oil to thicken it up a bit (5-10% wax to 95-90% Jojoba oil).
2) Pick jasmine flowers in the morning while the air is still cool and let them sit a short while to dry any dew and allow bugs to vacate. Pick off the flowers one by one and gently lay on the firm fat. Don’t press them in as the oil will draw out and absorb the aromatic volatiles from the flowers.
3) Cover the dish lightly but allow a small opening for a bit of air to get in to avoid mold. Keep in a cool dry place. Check daily until the flowers look spent, but not getting too old, mushy, or moldy – usually 2-3 days.
4) Pick out the flowers with clean hands, getting any stuck bits with tweezers. Then go get more fresh flowers and repeat, repeat, repeat! The aroma will intensify with each “charge” of fresh flowers. Try to do as many charges as you can, but at least 6 or more. The more the better!
5) When satisfied with the aroma, scoop out the oil and put it in a glass jar. Store in a cool place. Apply to the body as desired or use the aromatic oil to make an aromatic balm, lotion, body butter, solid perfume, or other topical product.
Try applying your oil or balm before bed to experience the many benefits of Jasmine! If you want to learn more about how to use Jasmine to support libido and sleep, see my public classes or private aromatic party offerings.
And just so you know… you can use many types of aromatic flowers for an enfleurage such as Orange, Lemon, or Lime blossom, Lilac, Lily, Rose, Magnolia, Linden Flower, Hyacinth, Carnation, and Honeysuckle. I have a Lilac enfleurage going right now and it is amazing.
For advanced directions and details on the enfleurage process and making other aromatic extracts from flowers and plants, I highly recommend this book:
Homemade Perfume by Anya McCoy, Page Street Publishing Co., 2018.
Enjoy your Jasmine enfleurage and let me know how it goes!