How I prepare fresh citrus rinds for making herbal skincare

Citrus is often added to skincare products —for the benefits of vitamin C.
But, not only is Vitamin C famously unstable (degrades quickly when exposed to oxygen)… it’s also a water-soluble vitamin, which we can’t access in anhydrous skincare.
So, when I use citrus in a skincare recipe —it’s mostly for the benefits of the essential oils.
Citrus rinds infuse into oil really well —it captures the sweet aroma, and therapeutic benefits of the essential oils. And some oil-soluble antioxidants too!
Gathering fresh citrus rinds
You can collect and dry citrus rinds every time you eat an orange, or make lemon honey tea…
…but what works really well for me is to buy a bag of organic citrus, and process it all at once. You’ll get a pitcher of fresh juice out of it and enough rinds to make a beautiful batch of citrus-infused oil!
The reason I say organic, is because citrus fruit is treated with a wax and fungicide coating that we don’t want.
If you’re at the supermarket and see organic citrus on sale —buy it!
Blood orange and pink grapefruit are my favorites. Blood orange has an unusual citrus scent.
And grapefruit is so energizing for the body, it clears stagnation, breaks up sluggish conditions —it moves circulation, and lymph.
What’s also so good —is the combination of lime and frankincense. You can infuse dried lime rinds and frankincense tears into oil, creating the perfect morning body oil to start the day with. It’s uplifting, protective, which feels really good.
Drying citrus rinds
If you plan to use the rinds both for making skincare and food —then you’ll want to remove the white pith, for better flavor.
If you’re only using it to make skincare —you can leave it on. Our skin won’t taste the difference, and the pith contains skin-beneficial flavonoids, some of which are oil-soluble as well…
Peel off all of the rinds, and cut them to lay as flat and even as possible on a dehydrator tray and set it to 100° F for about 2-4 hours (depends on how thin you sliced it)
Store dried citrus rinds in a mason jar, it should keep for 1 year if stored properly, away from light, and moisture. Or, in a freezer bag —the freezer is a great place to store dehydrated/dry goods!
Do I need a dehydrator? Drying fresh ingredients at a low temperature (95-150° F) will produce a higher quality ingredient. Ovens can’t go this low, and so I don’t recommend it.
With a dehydrator, you’ll get brighter, more aromatic, more potent ingredients for your herbal skincare recipes.
If you’re looking to purchase one —I recommend a box dehydrator, because you can remove the trays to fit larger items inside, like a jar, and use it to make oil infusions as well!