How to Make Violet Flower Breast Serum
Violet’s heart shaped leaves and delicate purple blooms are thought to be well suited to breast health applications. The nourishing herbal infusion (a kind of long-steeped herbal tea) made with violet leaves and / or flowers has long been a traditional herbal remedy taken internally to help support the health of the breasts and the lymphatic system. Violet is also an herb that has traditionally been applied directly to the breasts as a poultice, particularly when there are signs of excess heat present (redness, rashes, etc.).
For those of us who may not have time to lounge about with violet leaves on our breasts, though, this serum is a happy medium and its application also lends the benefits of massage. Keep a pretty dropper bottle of it on your bathroom counter or at your makeup vanity to remind you to work with it each day after you bathe.
Ingredients
Violet flowers and leaves
organic unrefined olive oil
organic jojoba or sunflower seed oil, unrefined
organic essential oil of rose (optional, but if you do use it, make sure you choose the steam distilled essential oil, not the absolute or concrete; if you want a more affordable option, you can choose to work with rose geranium essential oil instead)
Instructions
Gently harvest your violet flowers and leaves on a dry spring morning when the flowers are blooming. Take care not to harvest more than 1/3 of the plant at any one time (if it is a plant in your garden; if it is a wild plant, be even more sparing) to ensure the health of the plant. Keep the flowers and leaves covered in your gathering basket to protect them from the sun. A tea towel draped over the basket works well.
Once you have gathered enough to fill your jar, bring the harvest indoors and spread the plant material out in a single layer on a clean towel or drying rack. Make sure the leaves and flowers are clean, dry and critter-free before infusing them. It is a good idea to let the moisture in the plant material evaporate a bit before infusing. Consider leaving the plant material out overnight to begin air drying.
Fill your jar with the leaves and flowers, then pour your carrier oils of choice over the plant material. Olive oil on its own is a bit too heavy and greasy for me for this kind of recipe, so I like to combine it with an oil like sunflower seed oil or jojoba to improve its texture a bit. For this recipe, I used equal parts of each carrier.
Secure the jar’s lid, then leave the oil to macerate (infuse) for 4-6 weeks. Check it occasionally to ensure that all of the plant material is covered by your carrier oils. At the end of the infusion period, strain out the leaves and flowers. Transfer the infused oil to your dropper bottle and add the essential oil at a 1-2% dilution (very little is needed; rose is a strong-smelling essential oil).
To use the serum, spray the breasts with lavender hydrosol, rose hydrosol or just a bit of pure water after showering, then seal in the moisture of the hydrosol by massaging a few drops of the violet serum into the breasts, underarms and other nearby lymph nodes. Allow the serum to soak in while you brush your teeth or hair before dressing to avoid transferring any oil to your undergarments. The serum soaks into the skin pretty quickly when applied this way and should not leave behind any greasy residue.
About the Author
Hi there, I’m Erin! I am the main instructor here at Floranella. I am a clinical herbalist, aromatherapist, artisan distiller and organic gardener based in the Pacific Northwest. Here at Floranella, I teach people how to work with plants safely and effectively from the garden to the apothecary. Thanks for being here! I’m glad you stopped by.