I want to strain herbs, can I use something other than a cheesecloth?!
Question:
I want to strain herbs, can I use something other than a cheesecloth?
I am trying to make lotions and esstential oils.
Answers: Hi, there. You can use almost any soft cloth/tissue that is strong enough to not tear when it get wet and that is sanitary. I often pour infusions through a coffee filter using one of those "one cup brew" plastic filter holders that fits over a coffee cup. When desperate, I've also laid a papertowel over a strainer and slowly poured the infusion through. It worked really well! One thing I'd recommend is pouring the infusion through a fine-meshed strainer before trying to filter out the tiny particles. The strainer will catch the big particles, which will make it easier to pour the infusion through a filter of some sort.
If you have any available, you can also pour the infusion into a muslin bag or the toe of one knee-high hose. (Obviously, both need to be santized before using this way.) These methods aren't perfect, but they work well.
For what it's worth, infused herbal waters are awesome when used as the liquid in a lotion. They will not retain their scent, but the herbal properties in the water will remain. Infusing herbs that are good for the skin (chamomile, calendula, comfrey, etc.) will give an added boost to lotions. It is impossible to make an essential oil without using a still to distill the oil out of the plant products. However, you CAN infuse oils with herbs so that the oil contains the beneficial properties of the herbs. These will not retain their scent, but will add great benefit to a lotion. One of my most popular lotions uses aloe vera gel, and water & oil infused with Calendula, Chamomile and Comfrey herbs. I scent this lotion with Bulgarian Lavender essential oil, which smells great and also adds healing properties to the lotion. I share that just to demonstrate how many possibilities there are!
Have fun with it!! Feel free to contact me directly if you have questions. Good luck! Source(s):
Herbalist who makes all-natural, organic body and skin care products Try the plastic re-usable coffee filters. They are also good for straining yogurt.