Herb-Infused Oils vs. Essential Oils

• Infused oils can be made at home with little effort or time; essential oils require extraction using chemicals or hot steam.

• Infused oils use very little plant material; essential oils require large quantities for a small amount of oil.

• Infused oils are typically used externally, but most can be taken internally without incident; most essential oils are suitable for external use only and typically need to be very diluted to avoid irritation.

 

Oil for Extraction

• Any type of oil can be used when making herb infused oils: olive, grape seed, apricot, coconut, jojoba, whatever.

• 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 prefer an organic, cold pressed, first pressed, extra virgin olive oil. However, several close friends use jojoba oil or coconut oil and they are just as effective.  All are good.

 

Basic Steps

• The most important step is to make certain you are gathering the correct plant.  

• Know which part of the plant to use.  In various cases, it may be the bark, leaves, flowers, seeds, or roots.

• Use a clean glass jar, oil of choice, and a tight-fitting lid (if metal will contact the oil, use wax paper as a barrier).  

• Tear or chop the plant material into tiny pieces and loosely fill a jar with this.

• Dump this all out onto a plate or wax paper and let it sit out for a day or so to allow some of the moisture to evaporate, reducing the chance of mold developing.  I don't let it dry out completely, though, as I feel some of the energetics of the plant are lost when it is dried. However, many herbalists use only dry plant material for making oils to avoid mold.

• In a day or two, put the partially dried herb back into the jar. The quantity of the herbs will have slightly reduced in size, but that is the correct amount for the jar you are using; don’t add more.

• Add oil, releasing air bubbles with a knife to make sure the it penetrates everywhere.

• Fill the jar completely with oil.  Air space at the top encourages mold to grow.

• Put the lid on, label the jar with the name of the plant and the date, and set aside at room temperature for 6 to 8 weeks.
  An occasional shake helps the oil extract all it can from the plant.

• Strain the infused oil, and store in a dark location at cool room temperature, or refrigerate.  

• Vitamin E oil may be added to help preserve the oil.

 

When to Gather

• Gather above-ground parts soon after dew has dried.

• If it has rained, wait 2-3 days to

-  allow the plant to dry completelys 

- build up the constituents present on the surface of the plant again, so important to a complete/effective extraction.

• On a hot summer day, try to gather before noon.

• The different parts of the plant are gathered when the energy of the plant is focused on that part.

• Barks: gather in late winter or early spring, before the leaves emerge.  Use suckers or young branches.

• Leaves: gather while looking vibrant and before flowers form.

• Flowers: gather while young and vibrant, not wilting or spent.

• Roots: after the top of the plant has died back, focusing the energy back into the roots.  I prefer after a hard frost in Minnesota.

 

Making Salves

• Gently heat your herbal infused oil.

• Add beeswax, using ½ to 1 teaspoon of beeswax per 1 ounce of oil, depending on seasonal temperature. 
  A general guideline is 1 teaspoon of beeswax in the summer and ½ teaspoon in the winter.

• Continue gentle heating until the beeswax has melted completely.

• Gently stir to make sure it is well combined.

• You may add a few drops of Vitamin E oil to extend the life of the ointment.

• Pour into a container.

• Let cool and harden uncovered.

• Cover and label.

 

My Favorite Herbal Salves

• Calendula flower — facilitates wound healing

• Dandelion flower — great massage oil for muscle stiffness

• Plantain leaf — relief of itching from mosquito bites and other insects as it draws out histamine

• Yarrow flowers and upper leaves and stems — stops bleeding, prevents bruising, and offers pain relief