Herbal
Oil Infusions:
Homemade herbal oil infusions are a quicker and more cost-effective alternative to making true essential oils, which require a great deal of effort and expensive equipment.
- The strength of the herbal oil infusions will not be as great as that of true essential oils, but the infused oils are strongly scented enough to use as a substitute in most cases.
- They are especially useful when true essential oils are impossible to find or the cost of essential oils is prohibitive.
- Any vegetable oil may be used to create an herbal oil infusion. Some of the most popular kinds to use are: safflower, almond, apricot kernel, jojoba, and grapeseed. I have also used canola oil in a pinch and it works just as well as any of the more expensive oils.
- With the exception of jojoba oil, which is actually more of a liquid wax than a true oil, any of the oils listed above will turn rancid. To prevent this, a few drops of tincture of benzoin may be added to the finished herbal oil infusion.
- I always use dried herbs when making infusions, since the lack of water makes it easier for oil to absorb into the material, cutting the steeping time in half in most cases.
- The parts of the plant that I recommend for the production of infusions are the leaves and flowers only. Stems, roots, and barks do not work well due to their density.
- The herbs should be ground as fine as possible for the best results.
- White vinegar added to the oil will produce a heavier, more stable scent.
- The ratio should be ¼ tsp vinegar : 2 T. herbs : ½ C. oil
- The mixture should be stored in an airtight, glass container while it steeps.
- The mixture should be shaken periodically to allow full saturation of the oil into the herbs.
- The container should be kept in a sunny, warm place for 2 weeks before straining the herbs from the oil. An alternative is a heated infusion; if you want to know how to do this, ask me later.
- If the oil isn’t strongly scented at the end of the 2 weeks, strain the spent herbs from the oil and add new material. Allow to steep another 2 weeks before straining. With some herbs, you may have to repeat this several times before you get a strongly scented oil.
- The finished infusion may be used full strength (or diluted) as an anointing oil (beware of possible allergic reactions), blended with other oils and used as a massage oil, or heated in an oil diffuser to disperse the scent within a closed area.
- The infusion should be placed in an amber or cobalt glass bottle and stored in a cool, dark place.
- "Shelf life" of herbal oil infusions is considerably shorter than that of tinctures. I would not keep them for longer than 9 months. Make sure to note the date the infusion was finished.