Everyone needs some education on Carrots and some of their benefits.Carrots have a bevy of benefits to offer your skin and hair; applied topically, antioxidants may help protect you from age-accelerating sun damage while vitamins A, C and E encourage the growth of skin cells. Before you can include this wonder veggie in your homemade dry-skin treatment or leave-in conditioner, you'll have to capture its essence in the form of an oil, which takes just a bit of slicing, drying and storing.
If you are familiar with cold extraction,this woUldale be a walk in the park for you.
Ingredients include
- Two lidded glass jars (tinted)
- Pot
- Organic carrots
- Produce brush
- Vegetable peeler
- Ice
- Hair dryer
- Natural oil (sunflower, coconut, etc.)
- Muslin cloth or serve with tiny pores.
Procedure
Step1
Fill a large pot with clean water and bring it a gentle boil. Boil a tinted glass jar and its lid for about five minutes to disinfect the container, then allow it to cool and air-dry completely.
Step 2
Run your carrots under warm water and scrub them thoroughly for about a minute. Stick with organic carrots if possible to avoid chemicals in your DIY cosmetics.
Step 3
Slice the carrots into very thin strips by carefully running a vegetable peeler vertically down the length of each veggie. Slice about 3 medium carrots, then plunge the slices into ice-cold water.
Step 4
Remove the slices from the ice water and spread them out over clean paper towels. Use a hair dryer to blow-dry the carrots or place them near a sunny window to air-dry until they are completely free of excess moisture. In either case, you'll have to flip the slices as needed -- typically about halfway through the drying process -- to dry them thoroughly.
Step 5
Place the carrot slices in your disinfected jar and cover them with a natural fruit- or vegetable-derived oil of your choice. Coconut, rosehip, safflower, almond or sunflower oil all do the trick here, for example. Seal the jar tightly and place it in a shaded, cool area free from direct sunlight or constant temperature changes -- a dark, temperate cupboard does the trick.
Step 6
Allow the jar to rest for about two to three weeks, gently shaking its contents daily. After a few weeks, open the jar and cover it with a coffee filter. Strain the carrot oil through the filter into another disinfected tinted glass jar -- it's now ready to add to your favorite homemade face mask, lotion or hair treatment.
Tips
- There's no need to peel the carrots before slicing them, as the veggie's peel contains plenty of skin- and hair-friendly vitamins and nutrients.
- Store in a cool, dark place without major variations in temperature, carrot oil can last for up to 12 months. An unpleasant, rubbery smell and a bitter aftertaste indicate rancid oil; dispose of any carrot oil that has become rancid.
