How I Make Oils and Salves
Simply an extraction of an herb into an oil, which can then be made into a healing salve.
Herb-infused oils vs. essential oils
An herb-infused oil is not the same thing as an essential oil. Here are some differences:
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An herb-infused oil can be easily made at home. An essential oil requires extraction using chemicals or hot steam. There are several sites that give ideas for how you can do this at home. I tried it once when I grew lots of lavender, but it was a lot of work for a very little bit of oil. This is not something that qualifies as folk herbalism in my opinion.
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An herb-infused oil uses very little plant material as compared to an essential oil. For instance, 10,000 roses are necessary for 1 small bottle of essential oil.
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An herb-infused oil is typically used externally, but can be taken internally without incident. Most essential oils are for external use only and can be fatally poisonous if taken internally in quantity. Most essential oils are for external use only and typically need to be very diluted to avoid irritation, and they may cause allergic reactions both to the user and to others who are exposed to the scent.
You may be able to tell I prefer using infused herbal oils as I can make and control exactly what it going into them and its final quality. However, essential oils are used widely and worth investigating if you are interested. Just be aware they are not the same product, and do not use them in the same way as herb-infused oils. In short, use great caution when using essential oils and keep them away from children.
Making an herb-infused oil
Step 1
Loosely fill a clean glass jar with chopped, partially wilted fresh herbs.
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I know some very fine herbalists who use only dry plant material for making oils to avoid mold. I use partially wilted fresh herbs.
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All of my herb-infused oils are crafted in small batches using fresh plant material from herbs that I have either grown myself organically, or wild-gathered locally, ethically, and in "clean" areas to avoid contamination.
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Gather the correct part of the correct plant, at the correct phase of its growth, at the correct time of day, using only healthy and vibrant plants.
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Gather on a dry, sunny day when there hasn't been rain for at least 2 days. Moisture is the number-one enemy of an herb-infused oil and is almost certain to cause mold.
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Discard any diseased or soiled plant parts. Do not wash the plant as there are medicinal constituents on the surface of the plants, also.
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Tear or chop the plant material into tiny pieces.
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Always use clean jars with tight fitting lids to avoid contamination.
Step 2
Spread the plant material onto a plate or wax paper for a day or so at room temperature to evaporate moisture.
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Allowing some of the moisture to evaporate will reduce the chance of mold developing.
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You could also place it in a dehydrator at low temperature for a few hours.
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I don't let the plant material dry out completely though, as I think some of the energetics of the plant are lost when it is dried. But that is my personal opinion.
Step 3
After a day or so, place the herb pieces back into the original jar. They will have reduced in size and only partially fill the jar, but don’t add more because that is the correct amount of herb for the jar you are using.
Step 4
Herb-infused oil is a result of steeping dry or fresh herbs in a carrier oil for several days to weeks. Any oil can be used.
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Options include olive, grape seed, apricot, and coconut oils.
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Olive oil is my personal choice as it rarely turns rancid, is absorbed easily into the skin, adds its own healing benefits to the preparation, and is inexpensive. I use first-pressed, cold-extracted, organic, extra virgin olive oil.
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Friends who make skin care products often choose specific oils for certain skin issues.
Step 5
Since herbs contain a lot of medicinal properties, herbal oil can be really powerful for nourishing and healing the skin, and other health and beauty treatments. Some common herbs for oil infusion and their benefits, are:
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Calendula (facilitates wound healing)
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Cayenne pepper (contains a constituent called capsaicin which relieves muscle pain)
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Dandelion flower (great massage oil for muscle stiffness
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Lavender (soothes and calms irritated skin)
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Plantain (relief of itching from mosquito bites and other insects as it draws out the histamine)
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Yarrow (stops bleeding and prevents bruising)
Step 6
Fill the jar completely with oil and screw on the lid securely.
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Cover the plant material in the jar with your choice of oil, releasing air bubbles with a knife to make sure the oil penetrates all layers of the herbs. Fill the jar completely to the top with oil because air space encourages mold to grow.
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Screw on the jar lid tightly. Label the jar with the name of the plant and set aside at room temperature. An occasional shake can help to extract as much of the medicinal constituents of the herb as possible.
Step 4
Herb-infused oil is a result of steeping dry or fresh herbs in a carrier oil for several days to weeks. Any oil can be used.
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Options include olive, grape seed, apricot, and coconut oils.
-
Olive oil is my personal choice as it rarely turns rancid, is absorbed easily into the skin, adds its own healing benefits to the preparation, and is inexpensive. I use first-pressed, cold-extracted, organic, extra virgin olive oil.
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Friends who make skin care products often choose specific oils for certain skin issues.
After steeping for 4 to 6 weeks, strain the infused oil and pour into a clean glass jar.
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Squeeze out as much oil as possible.
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Store the oil in a dark location at cool room temperature or refrigerate for longer storage.
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Pictured here are my oils of plantain (left) and St. John's Wort (right), both infused with olive oil.
Making herbal salves
Herbal salves are simply herb-infused oils combined with some type of wax to thicken into a solid state at room temperature.
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Gently heat the herb-infused oil in a water bath in order to not burn the plant constituents in the oil.
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Add melted wax (I use beeswax) and stir gently with a toothpick.
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I add a few drops of Vitamin E oil to help extend the life of the ointment.
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Pour into a container and let it cool and solidify uncovered.
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Then place the cover on and label your product.
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Small tins or tubes can be used as handy, portable containers of herbal ointments. For example, plantain sticks for bug bites, yarrow for bumps and bruises, calendula as a baby diaper cream.