Naturally beautiful, the lilac oil

Between April and May lilac, scientific name syringa vulgaris, blooms. Lilac is a lovely plant, characterized by violet or pink flowers with an intense and fascinating scent, it decorates gates, balconies or walls. But lilac flowers can also become the main ingredient of a very interesting herbal and cosmetic remedy, lilac infused oil. This remedy is given by a plant based oil, generally olive or sunflower oil, in which plants are macerated to extract their properties. But now let's see in more detail how to prepare lilac oil and its applications.

Collect the blooming lilac panicles. Separate the flowers from the leaves and stems by gently passing your closed hand from the bottom to the top of the panicle. Collect the flowers and place them in a glass jar. Cover the flowers with a vegetable oil. Sunflower oil is very good, especially for massages. Cover the jar with a gauze and close the gauze with an elastic band. Heat the jar very slowly, on a low heat and in a double boiler for 3-4 hours. At the end, remove the jar from the double boiler and let it rest overnight in a cool and dry place. Then filter using a gauze in another glass jar, close with a lid and the oil is ready.

The famous herbalist Messèguè speaks of the lilac oil in his book My herbarium. In particular, Messèguè recommends using the oil to make slow and circular massages on the stomach and belly in case of slow digestion and cramps or on the painful parts in case of rheumatism. This remedy is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial and cicatrizing thanks to the substances contained in it, especially monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes (Su et al, Chem Cent J, 2015). Therefore, you can use lilac oil for massages in the evening on swollen legs and feet, in case of muscle pain, but you can also apply it on areas of skin affected by erythema. Finally, after bathing or showering, when the skin is still damp, you can massage a small amount of oil to soften the skin and let yourself be enveloped by the scent of lilac, which also brings good mood.