Herbal Oils: Creating Oil Infusions

Herbal infused oils are some of my favorite concoctions to create! Extremely customizable I find myself using them every single day in many ways. Whether you want to spice up your meals in the kitchen, add extra nourishment to your skin and hair care routine, or heal your body from the inside out, herbal oils can help you on your journey. To learn more about how to make these herbalism staples and what to use them for, keep reading!

What are Herbal Oil Infusions?

Herbal oils are exactly what they sound like, oils that have been infused with herbs! An infusion is a type of extraction in which plant material is suspended in a liquid and allowed to macerate (steep). As it macerates the active compounds within the plant are released into the liquid creating an infused solution.

Solubility: like dissolves like

If you have ever taken a chemistry class then I’m sure you have heard the saying like dissolves like. This principle is especially at play when making herbal extracts. When you use oil in an infusion you end up only extracting oil soluble compounds from the plants, just like the saying goes. Quite unlike water or vinegar which have a very hard time removing these compounds since they cannot be dissolved. When you make a water infusion or decoction (tea) you only end up dissolving the water soluble compounds, and a bit of the volatile oils if the water is hot. Alcohol is a bit better than water or vinegar at extracting oil soluble constituents but even then, only a small amount is able to be captured.

For that reason I love incorporating herbal oils into my herbalism practice due to the unique compounds within!

Ways to make Herbal Oils

There are a couple different ways you can make herbal oil infusions, some are slow and steady and others can be a bit faster. In general though, it takes time to extract into oil, so be patient! Even the fastest methods still take several hours. But I promise you it is worth the wait! For a step by step procedure for preparing oil infusion check out my formulation page on these delightful concoctions!

Pick your Oil

Oil itself can have many health benefits, choosing the right one for your oil infusion is just as important as choosing the herbs. They are commonly referred to as carrier oils since they “carrier” the medicinal compound from the plant!

Your intended application will help you choose what carrier oil will work best. For adding some flavor to your cooking I like to use olive oil or sesame oil, even sunflower seed oil is good for a more benign taste. For skincare application I prefer a lightweight, fast absorbing oil like sweet almond or apricot kernel oil. When making oils for your scalp or hair castor oil is always my go to because it stimulates hair growth.

Prep your Plants

Oil is thick in nature and thus takes time to fully saturate the plant material. I find that cutting your plants into small pieces or even grinding them down with a mortar and pestle helps immensely. As well, agitating the solution while it is infusing helps to saturate the plant material and aid extraction. Make sure to stir or shake frequently!

Another important thing to note is that your plant material must be dried! This is very important as the water in fresh plant matter will hinder the extraction.

Slow Maceration

Traditional room temperature macerations are a guaranteed way to create a divine herbal oil, but to make it potent you will need several weeks to months. This method is best when you want to preserve the aromatic oils of the plant, the essential oils! Because these oils are volatile, meaning they evaporate quickly, heat tends to release them into the air rather than into the solution. A sealed jar and plenty of time is the best solution for maintaining their presence.

Make sure to shake the jar daily to mix the solution and help break down the plant material. Once your extraction is complete just strain and it is ready to use!

Stovetop Infusions

Some plant parts, like roots, need a little persuasion to get all the medicinal compounds to extract so heat is helpful. Using a double boiler on a stovetop is perfect for just such an infusion. Simply add your plant parts and oil into the double boiler and set your stove temp to medium- low.

You do not want to boil the water but keep it just under a boil. A good thing to look for is steam. Once your water is steaming turn the temperature down and set the infusion into place. Slowly heat your infusion for several hours, replacing the water in the double boiler if needed.

As you heat make sure to stir frequently. I like to heat my oils this way for at least 4 hours. If you have chores to do at home, just set up an infusion and get to work around the house. You’ll get a nice treat at the end of your work! When your infusion is complete, just strain and enjoy!

Low Temperature Mixer: Magical Butter

This last method involves an extraction machine, such as a Magical Butter. This tabletop extractor heats and mixes your infusion all by itself! It has a blender blade that submerges into the solution and blends every couple of minutes. This actually pulverizes the plant material to ensure that it is fully broken down creating the most potent extract possible. It also has several different heat and time settings letting you customize your extractions based on what type of plant you are infusing!

This is slowly becoming one of my favorite ways to create oil infusions! It is so easy to use, all you do is add in your plant parts and oil, set the temperature and set the extraction time to 2-4 hours, that's all! I like to extract for 4 hours and use the lowest temperature setting in order to preserve as many of the essential oils of the plant as possible.

Ways to use Herbal Oil Infusions

There are many applications for herbal oils in many parts of your everyday life. Keep reading to learn just a few of the many uses…

In the Kitchen

The kitchen is one of my favorite places to incorporate herbal oil infusions, they can really enhance any dish! Many kinds are sold at the grocery store but there's something special about making them yourself.

Basil infused olive oil is perfect to top any dish. It adds not only a great taste but also the amazing benefits of the basil plant, namely its ability to soothe digestion.

Another infusion to try is chili infused sesame oil. This spicy concoction is perfect to clear your sinuses and stimulate blood flow! It's a staple in my winter routine whenever I feel congestion coming on. When working with chilis it's important to monitor your oil infusions as to not make it too spicy. Just take a taste every 30 minutes until it is at your preferred spiciness.

Topical Tonic

Sometimes when looking for an herbal remedy to support your health alcohol or vinegar tinctures are not what you are looking for. As I explained earlier there are unique compounds that are only able to be dissolved in oil. On top of having a different array of medicinal compounds from a tincture, oil itself has unique benefits. One major one is its ability to penetrate the skin. It's pretty hard to ease muscle pain with an alcohol based tincture, but is able to sink deep into your muscles! You cannot apply alcohol to the skin without risking further irritation, that's when oil infusions come in handy. Incorporating herbal oils into topicals is an amazing use for them, just substitute them in for any carrier oil you may need. My favorite topicals to use herbal oils in are serums, salves, face masks, and bath salts.

Skincare Staple

The use of herbal oils in skincare is an amazing application for these infusions. Whether you are looking to lock in moisture with a serum or ease eczema herbal oils can help you on your mission! Infused oil can be used directly on the skin. It is a great way to safely get the effects of essential oils without the risk of irritation. They are naturally diluted into the carrier oil at a safe level!

Hair Treatment

Whenever your locks need a little love try using an oil infusion to bring life back into your hair. Rosemary and lavender are amazing for the hair and scalp as they soothe and stimulate. Before shampooing I always like to give myself a head massage with some rosemary oil that I add a little tea tree essential oil to. It gets blood flowing to the scalp and breaks up any dirt or dandruff so you can shampoo it away easier. By doing this you also prevent drying out your scalp too much which can prevent itchiness and flaking.

Adding oil to the ends of your hair locks in moisture and smooths flyways, leaving your hair with an amazing shine. Start with only a few drops of oil when applying to your ends as too much can leave your hair looking greasy and actually dry your hair out further. Oil acts as a barrier on your hair. This means it can lock in moisture but can also keep it out if too much is used!

Thank you so much for reading this far! Stay tuned for more next week…