Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
By Nicole Morgan (Investigative Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

How to Make Your Own Herb Infused Oils & 3 Recipes to Try (Video)

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


 

by N.Morgan

Making your own herb-infused oils at home is relatively easy – and a fun project to start out with if you are new to making natural care products. Even if you only have a few herb pots on your kitchen window sill, you’ll probably have enough material to get started in making your first herb-infused oil.

Here’s a quick look at how to make herb-infused oils – and some suggestions on what you can do with your finished oil!

INFUSING HERBS INTO OIL

You need just a few basic materials to get started infusing oils. You will need:

  • A clean, sterile jar (such as a Mason jar).
  • Carrier oil of choice. I suggest sunflower (Helianthus annuus), olive (Olea europaea), or sweet almond (Prunis Dulcis) oil as your base oil. See the recipes below for suggestions.
  • An herb of choice. There are many plants (not just herbs) that you can choose to infuse but I suggest starting out with some of the more popular (and readily available) herbs suggested in the recipes below.
  • Sunshine or a heat source. See below for the two main methods for making herb-infused oils.

HOW TO DRY FRESH PLANT MATERIAL TO MAKE AN HERB-INFUSED OIL

If you are using fresh plant material, vs. store-bought plant material which is already dry, you need to make sure that your plant material is dried out first. Failure to dry your plant material will result in a moldy, unusable oil, due to water retained within the plant material.

How To Dry Out Fresh Plant Material:

  • Lay flat your fresh plant material on tissue paper in a warm, humid-free space and leave to dry for one to two days (depending on your climate and space available) OR
  • Tie a few stems of the fresh plants together with a piece of string and hang upside down from the rafters of the roof. Some people also cover a bunch of herbs with a paper bag. Make sure that the area is warm but moisture-free. 

Packing A Jar For An Herb Solar Infusion

Once you have dried plant material, break it down into manageable parts that will fit inside of the Mason jar; for example, leaves, stems, flowers. Pack the jar as tightly as you can. Leave enough space to pour in your chosen carrier oil. You may need to add more plant material when you’ve added the oil, and over subsequent days, as the material moves around.

When the jar is full of both plant material and oil, cap tightly and shake gently a few times.

Herb-Infused Oils With Solar Infusion

If you choose to use the solar infusion method, you’ll need to make sure that you have a warm, sunny window sill available for two to four weeks or a place to put the jar outside for long days of sunshine. Simply place the jar in the chosen sunny spot and leave for two to four weeks. Check on it every few days, shake gently, and add more plant material if necessary.

After two to four weeks, strain the plant material from the herbs, and pour the oil into another Mason jar.

Infusing Herbs By The Double Boiler Method

The double-boiler method is quicker but less traditional than the solar infusion method to make herb-infused oils. Once the herbs are dried, place the herbs in the top pan of the double boiler. Cover with your chosen carrier oil.

You can make a simple double boiler by placing two pans inside of each other.

The bottom pan should contain about two inches of water. Heat up this water on the stove. When it is boiling, turn down to simmer, and then place the top pan inside of the first pan and cover. The bottom of the top pan should sit just above the water in the first pan (not touching). Leave to simmer for several hours. However, you need to constantly check the water level in the bottom pan and check on how the oil and plant material is interacting. Once the oil changes color and/or takes on the aroma of the herbs, switch off the heat.

Strain the herbs from the oil by using a strainer. Pour the oil into a suitable container (such as a Mason jar).

SIMPLE RECIPES USING HERB-INFUSED OILS

Whichever method you used to make your herb-infused oil, you should now have an herb-infused oil. The following are three suggestions for making herb-infused oils and what you can do with your oil once you have made it.

CALENDULA INFUSED OIL

Calendula infused oil is a favorite herb-infused oil to make as it can be used for many things. It is an excellent skincare oil and is gentle enough to use on babies’ bottoms!

  • Calendula Infused Oil for Baby Bottoms

    • 1-oz. calendula infused sunflower (Helianthus annuus) oil

Combine the calendula-infused oil with the essential oil. Apply to baby bottoms to soothe mild diaper/nappy rash or skin issues.

Cautions: Use only on babies age 6 months and above. Leave out the lavender essential oil if you have concerns about skin sensitivity. Consult a medical professional immediately, if adverse reactions occur.

CHAMOMILE INFUSED OIL

Chamomile is also a useful oil to have around for skincare.

*Use either Roman (Chamaemelum nobile) or German (Matricaria recutica) chamomile plant.

Combine the chamomile-infused oil with the essential oils. Apply the oil blend to dry or cracked skin.

Cautions: Do not apply to open wounds. Possible skin sensitivity.

PEPPERMINT & ROSEMARY INFUSED OIL

This is a more complex recipe that involves combining two infused oils. Both peppermint and rosemary are great for mental stimulation and for calming the soul.

*Infuse both the peppermint and rosemary as separate infusion blends and combine together for this recipe.

Combine the peppermint and rosemary-infused oil with the essential oils. Pour into a roll-on applicator. Fix the roller ball applicator and cap. Shake well. Apply to wrists and temples in times of brain fog and confusion.

Cautions: Avoid during pregnancy. Avoid with high blood pressure. Possible skin sensitization. For adult use only.

THE USE OF HERB-INFUSED OILS

Herb-infused oils can often be used in place of essential oils, although therapeutic properties may vary due to the different extraction methods. Herb-infused oils can be made at home with relative ease and are less expensive to make (and use) than essential oils. However, combining both herb-infused oils and essential oils adds a different dimension to aromatherapy blends, and the possibilities are limitless!

References:

https://www.naturallivingideas.com/herb-infused-oils/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa6ziDGN0U0

Stories Contributed by N. Morgan



Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!


Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST


Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!

HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.

Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.

MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)

Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser!  Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!

Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.

Smart Meter Cover -  Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).

Report abuse

    Comments

    Your Comments
    Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

    Total 1 comment
    • Slimey

      We use doughnut-infused oils at Charlie’s. We sell our used oils to the diesel guyz in the back in 55-gallon drums. They say our oils smell really good when burned in their engines.

      Makes them think about doughnuts all day. And guess what? They come in the front door and buy doughnuts by the dozen!

      So I make money through the back and out the front.

      Life’s good, man. :lol:

    MOST RECENT
    Load more ...

    SignUp

    Login

    Newsletter

    Email this story
    Email this story

    If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

    If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.