Are Herbal Extracts Good For Your Skin? and How To Make And Use Herbal Extracts?

Numerous herbs and flowers carry multiple skin benefits. Whether used as hydrosols, powders, extracts, teas, or essential oils, they remain a strong pillar in cosmetics. Some of the recipes included in this book call for specific flower waters, also known as hydrosols, herbal teas, or herbal extracts, most of which are available at local grocery stores, specialty shops, or online. But for the enthusiasts who would like to start their product from as close to scratch as possible, and possibly grow their own organic herbs and flowers, the methodology of making your own hydrosols and herbal extracts follows, beginning with a few points about harvesting:

• Make sure you identify and collect the right part of the plant, for example, petals versus buds.
• Pick your flowers and herbs on sunny days after the morning dew has evaporated, to keep humidity at its lowest and help preserve your plants.
• If you are after essential oils, pick your flowers early in the morning when the concentration is at its peak and before the warm sun triggers evaporation.
• Avoid older plants because of potential insect and parasite exposure.
• While flower buds are best picked in the spring, leaves are at their best prior to blooming.

DRYING HERBS AND FLOWERS

You can dry delicate, fragile, and small leaves and plants as they are. Chop larger herbs into smaller pieces for easier and faster drying. Do not wash herbs or flowers prior to drying them, because excess humidity will encourage mold and other parasitic growth.

The simplest way to dry your herbs is to spread them on a paper towel and place it in a ventilated cool area away from direct sunlight, heat, and humidity. As days go by, the herbs will start to lose their moisture and wilt. Avoiding excess heat and direct sunlight is of crucial importance, especially if the herbs contain essential oils that could be lost in such conditions. You can tell that your herbs are dry enough when you can easily turn them into powder by rubbing a small quantity between the palms of your hands. If you need powdered herbs, use a mortar and pestle to pulverize your plant. A coffee grinder is a time saver for bigger quantities.

Another way to dry your herbs is to spread a thin layer on a porous foil sheet and place it on a wire rack in the oven. Simply puncture the surface of the foil with a fork or toothpick to let air circulate and allow more uniform drying of the herbs. Keep oven temperature at the lowest setting possible. Overheating your plants might alter the nature of the botanicals you are after. This method is more suitable for heat-tolerant parts of plants such as roots.

When your herbs are dry, store them, up to two years, in amber glass jars away from heat, humidity, and sunlight. Do not forget the labels: Write down the name of the plant and the date it was harvested.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN INFUSIONS, DECOCTIONS, AND HYDROSOLS

Making an infusion, or herbal infusion, is comparable to making tea: Just pour boiling water over the loose herbs or herbal tea bag and cover with a lid. Steeping time might vary, but 15 minutes is usually enough. Wait until the infusion has reached room temperature before filtering or removing the herbal tea bag to ensure maximum benefit. Using powdered plants is not recommended for infusions, because filtering might become difficult, resulting in a cloudy suspension.

Decoction is different and is a more powerful extraction since water and plant boil simultaneously. While it can be aggressive toward essential oils and flower petals, it is the best extraction method for roots. The average recommended boiling time is 30 minutes, and, of course, cooling time is essential prior to an application.

In general, infusion is the method of choice for flowers, leaves, and other fragrant parts of the plant; decoction is more suitable for thicker parts, such as tree bark and roots.

Hydrosols are sometimes referred to as flower waters and are usually a commercially obtained by-product of steam distillation yielding essential oils. An example is rose water.

Flower waters can be obtained through the infusion technique explained above. The usual ratio is 1 part flower to 10 parts water unless otherwise indicated. It is important not to boil flowers or petals because of the fragile nature of their components; stirring occasionally can be beneficial to promote substance transfer. When the hydrosol reaches room temperature, it can be filtered and transferred to a bottle with a lid. If it will be stored for later use, labeling it with the name of the flower and the preparation date will prevent confusion and using it after it has expired.

MAKING YOUR OWN HERBAL EXTRACTS AND TINCTURES

Herbal extracts are important ingredients that enrich many skin product formulations and offer valuable benefits such as anti-aging and skin-brightening effects. They are much more concentrated than hydrosols and bring much less water content to the formula; extracts have the advantage of offering their benefits via a dropper.

Obtaining herbal extracts has become part of modern industrial science. Different solvents and various techniques are employed to extract concentrated goodness from plants. New extracts are introduced regularly, and even if they might be a little expensive, they do take beauty products to a different level. Some examples follow:

• Anti-aging extracts, including edelweiss, watermelon, blueberry, alfalfa, and algae.
• Skin-brightening extracts, such as licorice, lemon, grapefruit, and other vitamin C containing extracts.
• Extracts with sun protection properties, such as rice bran and cranberry seed.

Many herbal extracts need to be refrigerated, and all of them need to be diluted; generally, 1“5 percent is the recommended level, depending on the nature of the extract. Follow your supplier's recommendations.

Even though most extracts are commercially available, it is possible to extract small quantities at home with very little equipment. The process is often less expensive than buying commercially and allows you to choose your own preferred solvent.

Rubbing alcohol is widely used as a solvent because it is a powerful extracting agent and stores well; tinctures are extractions made with rubbing alcohol as a solvent. Because herbal extracts are diluted with the remaining ingredients of an earlier preparation, the residual amount of alcohol is insignificant.

It is best to start with fresh and organic herbs. Fresh herbs have not had time to lose precious substances and are, therefore, capable of yielding a better-quality extract; organically grown herbs are preferred if you want to avoid pesticides. Wait for your herbs to start to wilt before proceeding with extraction; lay the harvested plant on paper towels and leave it in a cool area, away from direct sunlight. The purpose is not to dry the plant but just to get rid of excess moisture, which is achievable within a day or two, depending on the plant. If fresh herbs are not available, dried herbs might be used instead; just avoid powdered ones, because filtration will be harder and the resulting extract might be cloudy.

Start by chopping the herbs and putting them in a glass container with a tight lid. Pour high-proof alcohol or vodka over the herbs. Use 3 parts alcohol to 1 part herbs. If you are using dried herbs, add more alcohol (up to 5 parts total), because dried herbs will absorb some of the alcohol. Put on the lid and put the jar away from sunlight and heat. Shake two to three times daily. After three to five days, use a coffee filter or a cheesecloth to filter and strain the solution. Squeeze the herbs to get the last drop (this is the most concentrated part, which you definitely want). Filter again if needed.

Further concentration of the extract can be achieved by repeating the same process with another batch of herbs using the same alcohol. Usually, the darker the extracted color, the more concentrated it is. Pour the extract into an amber bottle and store it in a cool place. Make sure you label the bottle with the herbal extract name and the date you made it. Because this is an alcoholic preparation, tinctures should remain good to use for up to three years. Make sure to shake the extract prior to using it to disperse suspended particles.