You may already be familiar with thyme for its culinary uses — this slow baked salmon with lemon & thyme recipe, for example? Yeah, it’s to die for! Beyond the kitchen though, thyme also has a long history as a purifying plant and medicinal herb. Believe it or not, thyme was used by the Egyptians for embalming, by the Greeks as incense and in Europe in the Middle Ages to ward off nightmares. You can read more about thyme on its Wikipedia page here.
In soapmaking, White Thyme Essential Oil is a soothing scent that works in soaps, lotions and creams.
Our White Thyme Essential Oil is first steam distilled from the flowers of the plant which creates a red thyme oil. The re-distillation produces the more gentle white thyme.
The soothing properties of thyme come from thymol, which is found in the herb in anywhere from 20% to 50% depending on the variety and where it was grown. Thymol is an antiseptic, and can also be used to help relieve symptoms of bronchitis and aid in cough relief when used as an aroma spray or in a bath. In fact, white thyme is even found in some types of Halls Cough Drops.
If you plan on making a summer bug repellent, white thyme is also used as a natural pesticide. However, it wears off quickly so if your bug repellent is solely based on thyme and isn’t in a blend, you’ll want to reapply frequently.
Like all essential oils, you should never apply this directly to your skin undiluted.
Whether you use it in the kitchen or in your soap, thyme is a fantastic, versatile herb that is quickly becoming one of my favorite essential oils. If you’d like to try using White Thyme in an easy recipe, this Awakening Massage Cream may be the ticket. As an added bonus, White Thyme Essential Oil is one of Bramble Berry’s Web Specials, which means it is 20% for the entire month of February.
Awakening Massage Cream
What You’ll Need:
14.4 oz Distilled Water
3.6 oz Coconut Oil
2.4 oz Avocado Oil
1.2 oz Glycerin
1.9 oz BTMS-50
.25 oz Optiphen
.25 Sodium Lactate
.25 oz Awake Blend (1 part Eucalyptus, 1/2 part White Thyme, 3 Parts Lime)
3 Short 8 oz. Bail Jars
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
EQUIPMENT PREP: Begin with clean tools and containers. Then sanitize your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach solution and wiping dry with a clean paper towel. Use one ounce of bleach per gallon of water to make the solution. Then dip each item and wipe dry with clean paper towels. This includes mixing containers, your stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come in contact with your lotion. The preservative inhibits additional growth of mold and bacteria but it doesn’t kill anything that’s already present. So be sure you start with the purest product you can and sanitize everything!
ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND: Prepare the essential oil blend before you begin. In a glass container, combine 4 milliliters Lime, 1.5 milliliters Eucalyptus and .5 milliliter White Thyme Essential Oil. Set aside until step four.
ONE: In a heat safe container, mix the Distilled Water, Glycerin and Sodium Lactate. Heat in the microwave until it reaches 140-160°F.
TWO: In a second, larger heat-safe container, combine the Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, and BTMS-50. Heat in the microwave on 30 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until the BTMS-50 has thoroughly melted and reaches 140-160°F.
THREE: Begin blending the oils and pouring the water mixture slowly into the oils. Stir the mixture, with the stick blender off, for a few rotations. With the head of the stick blender fully immersed in the liquid, turn on the stick blender and pulse until a steady emulsion is reached.
FOUR: Check the temperature of the mixture to ensure that the mixture is below 176°F. Optiphen loses its efficacy at temperatures above 176°F. Add the Optiphen and Awake Essential Oil blend. Pulse the stick blender until well incorporated.
FIVE: Pour the lotion into bail jars. Allow to sit overnight without a lid so that the lotion can fully cool without creating condensation inside the package. Enjoy!
