Lilac Infused Beauty: A Springtime Treat

I have never encountered real lilacs before this Spring. I moved to a new area, and they grow everywhere here. During the short, sweet blooming phase the smell is divine. I would enjoy smelling them every day and I figured I should dry some for some of my beauty concoctions. After some research, I learned they only bloomed for about 2 weeks, so I had to get in gear. I like flower water, so with the fresh lilacs I made some lilac water.

How to make lilac water

I filled a large mason jar halfway full of fresh lilacs then poured filtered water over it. I let it set for a couple of days, but from what I read you can just soak them overnight. I strained the lilac water and put it in a glass pop top bottle. I ended up with two bottles of lilac water. My main idea was to use the water for facial toner and refresher. I also learned you can drink it; it is quite good with a bit of stevia. The smell did not permeate the water like I hoped, but at least I received the benefits from the flowers. It should not really smell like anything. Beware the shelf life for the water is short. It only lasted about a month before it started to smell funny.

Drying Lilacs

I decided I wanted to infuse some oils with the lilacs, so I set about picking as many as I could and hung them upside down in a cool, dark area. After they dried for about a month, pluck the flowers off. I knew I wanted to make lilac oil, but unfortunately, the smell does not stay after drying. Also, from what I have read there is not a true lilac essential oil, so I compromised and got a lilac fragrance oil from (Amazon link) to bump up the scent.

To make lilac oil

Get a big jar and fill it about halfway up with flowers and the rest with the carrier oil of your choice. I used a blend of almond, jojoba, and grapeseed oil. There are two ways to infuse the oil, a slow way, and a fast way. The slow way is to let the jar sit in a cool, dry place for 2 weeks. The other method is to do the slow cooker method here

What to do with the oil?

I had a plan to do two things with the lilac oil, a limited-edition Lilac Vanilla Body Scrub and Butter combo. While I was thinking of this combination, I realized I could make an infused sugar with the lilac buds as well. You could use it in any facial oil, body oil, the sky is the limit.

Lilac Infused Sugar

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dried lilac blossoms

Instructions:

1. Place the lilac blossoms in a clean jar.
2. Pour the granulated sugar over the lilac blossoms.
3. Close the jar tightly and shake it vigorously to coat the lilac blossoms in sugar.
4. Store the jar in a cool, dark place for 2-4 weeks.
5. After 2-4 weeks, the sugar will be infused with the flavor of the lilacs. You can strain the sugar and store it in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

I also have been doing a lot of chakra and crystal work. Fortuitously, I came upon a blue chalcedony stone a few weeks prior. I saw the stone on my shelf and the lilacs drifted into my head. I had read about crystal infused water, so why couldn’t I infuse sugar.

Blue chalcedony is renowned for its mystical properties that inspire calmness and harmony. The stone is believed to possess a soothing energy that helps dispel negative emotions and anxiety, promoting a sense of tranquility and inner peace. It is often associated with enhancing communication skills, encouraging self-expression, and fostering a deep connection with one’s inner voice.

I placed the crystal in the sugar and there it sat for two weeks as I shook it every day. I like the idea that my body scrub sugar is infused with the healing properties of the stone.

The finished products work great and smell divine! It does give me a calm feeling when I smell it.