Thanks Sara... I made this today and used tangerine eo. It smells great and not to thick, although SWMBO would like it a tad thicker. I made an 8oz jar for around $6. compare that to AoS (who i WAS using) $16 for 1 0z., in their defense they do have a prettier label and bottle compared to my mason jar.
Speaking of a tad thicker... I do like the viscosity of the AoS PSO. Using just olive oil and castor oil resulted in a PSO that works well, but is very thin. What might be added to thicken it up?
Thank you for posting this easy and inexpensive recipe! I'm about 2/3rds finished with my current bottle of PSO (Floid),—and so am looking to make a similar concoction using your recipe of olive oil, castor oil and some type of fragrance. I'm contemplating using cloves as a fragrance source (similar to the current Floid I'm using) so I may simply let several cloves steep in the olive oil for a sufficient time, prior to incorporating the castor oil into the final elixir. I have also some bottles (from Specialty Bottle, by the way), which may work out fine for this purpose... A 2 0z bottle with cap.... A 4 0z bottle with pump. We'll see how effectively the oil will actually 'pump.'
I went to my local health food store (aroma therapy section), they had a descent selection of essential oils there. i went there because i could smell them in person before i bought it.
Indeed. We've a cosmetologist in our congregation with whom I've had discussions recently regarding balms, lotions and oil-based skin treatments. She sent me a link to this page, which outlines a number of the nasties to avoid when looking for oils. Most are pretty unusual, but some I've seen on the shelves. http://eethomp.com/AT/dangerous_oils.html
Going to a local store, you can smell stuff &n that is a good idea...at first. The problem is that most shops only sell essential oils in very small bottles and that becomes rather expensive. Once you find scents you like, it is more cost-effective to order larger amounts. I order from; www.brambleberry.com www.camden-grey.com www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com
Okay, so I managed to gather all the necessary ingredients for my oil: olive oil (had it), cloves (had it), castor oil (picked some up). I had the cloves steeping in the olive oil now for about 4-5 days. The oil gave off a subtle hint of clove, nothing overpowering. I decided to add some essential oil (Bergamot) which seems to play nice with the clove. I mixed up a batch, enough to fill a 4 oz bottle (1/2 olive; 1/2 castor) and enough of the bergamot to balance the aroma. Quite viscous! But the good news is I can pump out a dab at a time into my hand—which is easier than unscrewing a cap, pouring, etc. with wet hands. Tomorrow morning, the test flight...
I'll be out of my AoS PSO by week's end. Time to pick up some castor oil and maybe a fragrance and mix up my own batch. I do like the pump idea. hmmm... have to see what I can find.
PSO Trial Run Last night, my wife took her usual evening hot bath and wanted to try my new oil for leg-shaving. So I obliged and informed her a 'little goes a long way.' She still refuses to use a DE razor (still prefers her multiblade scraper), as she is intimidated by it, as many are until they actually use a DE razor. She loved the feel of the oil, so it looks like I'll need to make more for her. My morning shave: I applied a nickel-sized pool of the oil to my face post-shower & pre-lather. I highly recommend the pump bottle, by the way. It makes the application of the oil so much easier than a pour or squeeze bottle. The oil coats thoroughly, and gives the face a smooth, slick sheen. As I rub my fingers across my oiled cheeks & chin, they just glide smoothly, almost tempting me to shave sans lather. The aroma is subtle, but pleasing—gently masking the grassiness of the EV olive oil. The next batch I may use lavender oil, as my wife is fond of it. All in all, I'm very pleased. I used a 50/50 blend of olive oil and castor oil. For those who wish a less viscous PSO, a 1/4 blend castor/olive would achieve that end. Thanks, Sara, for posting this idea. I'm a happy camper...er....shaver!
I have some castor, olive, and grapeseed oils. I'm trying to decide what I want to use for essential oil (probably bergamot and eucalyptus). I'll post the results when I mix it.