dandilion moisterizer

Once you’ve picked your flowers, leave them in a sheltered spot outdoors for an hour or two to let any little ants and such crawl away. Bring them inside and let them finish drying, spread out in a single layer over a clean dishcloth or paper towel. Let your dandelions air dry for several days or even up to a week or two before using

Measure out:

• 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• 1/4 cup of dried dandelion flowers

and add them to a heat proof glass jar. Set this jar down into a saucepan that contains a few inches of water in the bottom. This will create a make-shift double boiler of sorts.

Set the pan over a medium-low burner for about two hours. This indirect heat melts the coconut oil and helps infuse the goodness of the dandelions into it. Keep a close eye on everything to make sure the water doesn’t all evaporate out.

Remove from heat and strain into a small mixing bowl or pitcher while still warm. Tuck the strained oil into the refrigerator until firm.

Using a hand mixer, beat the chilled coconut oil for about five minutes or until it’s light and fluffy. I like to leave this moisturizer unscented, but you could add a few drops of skin safe essential oil such as lavender or peppermint, if you’d like.

Spoon into jars and store in a cool place. The amounts given should perfectly fill one four-ounce jelly jar. It will melt easily, so if you have a warm house, store it in the refrigerator. It will harden from the cold, but just let it sit out at room temperature a while before use.