What would I need? And can I make essential oils by myself? What kind of herbs would I grow that I’d actually use, not only for cooking but for home remedies and making shampoos and soaps and all, or would I even need them?
Thank you(:
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Yes, herbs can successfully be grown indoors. But they need a lot of daylight though, so you might try it in a kitchen window.
Start out with herbs you will actually use for cooking. You can always buy or borrow a book from the library on herbal home remedies to see what other uses you can find for them.
Hi Abby,
That sounds a big, exciting project.
I always grow my herbs on the window sill just for ease when I am cooking really (well actually I am too lazy to go and cut them in the garden is the truth of it!)
I have listed a site that I always use for buying my herbs in England but they have great ideas on it too. (Jekka)
Have a look at what we have used in our soaps to help you although I would say flowers work better for those.
Rosemary in a vinegar wash really makes dark hair shiny and chamomile makes blonde hair brighter. I don’t really know much more about shampoos!
With regard to making essential oils, it is possible but to be honest a bit of a trial! Most of the herbs are done by what is called fractional distillation. In plain terms this is pushing steam through then and collecting the steam with the oil in it, so you would have to use a still or similar. Since the boiling points and the viscosity of the oil and water are different you are left with the oil floating on top of the cool water ( which also has traces in it which we call floral water).
You could make whats called a maceration which is basically putting lots of one herb or flower into a jar of vegetable oil on the windowsill for a few weeks until it collects the plants fragrance and dilute properties.
In terms of what to use. Coriander is digestive, basil is good for headache, rosemary is invigorating… we could go on for ever, most of them have some properties,