• relatively neutral vegetable oil (no strong smell, like jojoba, sunflower, fractionated coconut, argan, grapeseed, sweet almond, etc)
• 4 to 5 vanilla beans (ideally organic and fair trade!)*

* You can find vanilla beans in some grocery stores and small specialty food shops.

On top of smelling delicious, vanilla has really interesting properties for the skin since it's anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants. Okay, it's probably not the fountain of youth, but it's still pretty cool!

1. Slice the vanilla beans open lengthwise and remove the seeds by scraping the inside with a knife. Put the seeds in a clean, dry standard Mason jar.

2. Cut the emptied vanilla pods into small pieces; add to the Mason jar.

3. Put about 1 cup of oil in the Mason jar.

4. Close tightly.

5. Let macerate for 4 to 6 weeks away from light, shaking the jar regularly since the pods will settle at the bottom.

6. Once the maceration is complete, strain with cheesecloth, a thin cloth, or a metal tea strainer.

You may end up with tiny vanilla grains in the oil despite straining. No big deal! They'll settle to the bottom and you can use the oil without a problem.

Once they've settled at the bottom of your jar, don't throw out those residues! You can make yourself a gentle, delicious body scrub by mixing the leftover oil and vanilla seeds with sugar. Yum!

Use this maceration just like an oil in the recipes of your choice!