Making Botanical Extracts

Learn to make your own selection of natural botanical extracts in this exciting class!

Using fresh and dried plant materials, including berries, fruit, herbs and flowers, you’ll learn how to extract the beneficial compounds into different natural solvents – vegetable glycerin, carrier oil, ethanol, water and propanediol – to create extracts ready to add to your skincare and haircare formulations.

Depending on the plant used and the extraction process, the extracts can have many different skin benefits, eg soothing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, skin-brightening, etc.

Discover the science of identifying which active compounds to extract into which solvents to make a wide range of effective botanical extracts.

Follow our video demonstrations and step-by-step photos to gain confidence in the extract-making process.

This detailed class covers:

• The benefits of using botanical extracts over using actual botanical material, including higher concentration, greater stability, more consistent levels of active compounds, easier absorption and improved safety.
• The composition of botanical materials including flavonoids, tannin, terpenoids, phenolic acids and carotenoids, and their benefits in skincare.
• A detailed guide to extracting solvents including factors to consider when choosing a solvent, solvents used commercially and at home, and how to select which solvent to use.
• Using fresh material (eg fruit) vs. dried material (eg herbs) – how to choose which to use.
• Key considerations for ensuring the microbiological safety of different types of botanical extracts.
• Step-by-step extract-making process and the equipment you will need.
• A detailed look at homemade extract types, their benefits and how to make them: glycerin-based extracts, oil-based extracts, ethanol-based extracts, water-based extracts and propanediol-based extracts.
• Extract recipes to practice making including kiwi, raspberry, blueberry, green tea, marshmallow root, hibiscus, ginger, licorice, lavender, calendula and carrot.
• Understanding and writing the INCI names of botanical extracts.
• A plant index of 26 plants with at a glance information on their properties, active compounds, method of extraction and which part to use.

This class includes a beautiful textbook to download and three demonstration videos showing which equipment to use, how to make extracts with fresh plant materials and how to make extracts with dried plant materials, which you can follow along with step by step.

Not a member of the Club? Join now and use your first month's credits towards the Making Botanical Extracts class.

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Making Botanical Extracts is a 100-credit class. Your membership includes 50 credits each month, giving you the choice to top up 50 credits ($57) for immediate access, or simply wait until next month and unlock it then.