Make Your Own Herbal Infused Oils for Life’s Bumps & Bruises

Do you have aches and pains or does your skin needs some TLC? Instead of buying chemically laden store bought products, make your own infused herbal oils with just dried herbs with your choice oil to soothe the inflammation.   Let me show you how. 

Some of my favorite herb infused oils are calendula, comfrey, dandelion, St John Wort, and lavender.  You can make infused herbal oils from any herb.

First Hand Experience

I recently fell off a chair while reaching for a book.  The chair had rollers.  As I was falling the chair swung around, and I hit my head on a desk, and then fell right on my tailbone.

Ouch.

Double Ouch.

Followed by, that was such a dumb move on my part.  I was hurrying and not thinking.  I grabbed my office chair instead of a stool.

My tailbone was numb for a day.  I was in so much pain, you can’t imagine.

As soon as I could get up, I grabbed an ice pack and stuffed it down my pants.  Then I reached for my goldenrod oil and my comfrey oil for my neck and rear and rubbed it in.

My neck was crooked.  And thank goodness I didn’t break anything.

My Chiropractor continued to adjust me and apply stimulation to both my neck and rear.

For over 3 weeks, I haven’t been able to crouch, sit on the floor, or go up stairs without pulling myself up with the stair rail.

I owe my partial recovery to the continued use of  oils, the ice, and my Chiropractor.

Now, I can walk up the stairs better and lateral movements are easier.  I still can’t raise my right leg well but I am healing.

So from my experience, you want to have an assortment of oils on hand for what life brings you.  {Cuts, bruises, pain, dumb chair accidents, etc.}

What are the Different Types of Herbal Oils for?

As I mentioned above, there are many herbal oils that you can make.  Listed below is a brief discussion of some of the most popular herbal oils:

• Lavender-calming, anti-fungal, and healing.  Great massage oil.
• Calendula- helps to heal skin issues such as rashes, sunburns, chapped hands, slow healing wounds, burns, boils, rashes,  herpes zoster, and varicose veins according to the Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd Edition.
• Comfrey-helps to heal minor burns, rashes, insect bites, and cuts.  Do not use on deep cuts.
• St John Wort-helps to heal bumps and bruises.
• Feverfew- helps with sore muscles, aches and pains.
• Goldenrod-helps with muscle, aches and pain.
• Rosemary-used in salads and great for itchy scalp and dandruff.
• Chickweed-helps with skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
• Chamomile- helps with wound healing and skin inflammation including dermatitis.
• Arnica-according to Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition.  heals “sore muscles and joints, bruises, insect bites, boils, inflamed gums, acne eruptions, and hemorrhoids.”   Do not ingest this oil.

With any herbal product, be sure to check with your medical or holistic practitioner to be sure these oils don’t contradict any medicine or condition that you may have or if you are pregnant or nursing.

Herbal Infused Oils vs Essential Oils

Herbal infused oils are different than essential oils. Essential oils are much more concentrated and rendered from a large amount of herbs.

They are used in aromatherapy, flavoring, and perfume.  Generally, they are made through a steam distillation process.

Herbal infused oils on the other hand are soothing to the skin and can also be added to bath and homemade beauty products.  They can be infused in different types of oil such as sweet almond, olive, jojoba,  and apricot.

To Make your Own Herbal Infused Oil:

There are several ways to make your own herbal infused oils.  Everyone seems to have their preferred way of making them.  However, I prefer to use dried herbs instead of fresh with the exception of St John Wort.  Fresh herbs contain water.  Introducing water into any mixture can create mold issues.

For this article, I followed the method in the Beeswax Workshop by Chris Dalziel.  (Just a quick note, her beeswax book is amazing.  I will be featuring a beeswax based salve on the blog soon.)

Materials Need:

• Mason Jar or Jar that your Blender base fit into.  (See here on how to blend with a mason jar.)
• Dried or Fresh Herbs
• Oil of Choice (Olive, Almond, etc.)
• Blender

Instructions:

1.  If you are using dried herbs, fill the jar up half way with the herbs.  (Note some people fill up their glass container 3/4th of the way. Others measure 1:10 dried herbs to oil.)
2. Pour oil over the herbs.  If you are using olive oil, make sure it isn’t a blend of canola and olive oil.  Canola oil can be genetically modified. I like to use cold pressed organic olive oil.
3.  Screw the bottom of a blender on top of the jar.
4.  Blend the herbs into a slurry.
5. Cover with a nut bag, tea towel or other cloth.  I used a cloth with a rubber band around the top.  This allow moisture to leave the bottle if there is any.
6.  In addition, place it on a plate or something that you don’t care if oil leaks out of the bottle.

Check Periodically:

1. Check periodically to see if your oil is above the plant material.
2.  Let it sit in a warm place for 2 to 4 week.  (Again, many people have different time periods. Some use a moon cycle and others use 6 week cycle. Do what makes you comfortable.)  Don’t put it in a sunny place unless you use an amber bottle or paper bag over the jar to protect it.
3. Shake it often.
4. Strain with a cloth to remove the herbs.  I cut large squares of cotton cloth that I use to strain the oil.  (Don’t wash your oil stained clothes with your  regular clothes!  I hand wash and air dry my clothes.)  You can easily buy a yard of muslin fabric at a fabric store and cut the squares yourself.  Some people use cheese cloth but I find this method cheaper.  Don’t squeeze too hard since you might get some of the herbs to return to the oil.  Then you need to strain it again.
5. Keep it in a cool place and use it.  The oils are good for at least one year.

Quick Method + Using Fresh Herbs:

According to Chris, if you want to use fresh plant material then let it wilt for several hours or overnight.  Then use a quick heat method listed below.  She thinks that the heat for the quick method may decrease the chances of mold occurring when using fresh herbs.

Often times, people use the heat method if they are in a hurry and can’t wait 4 weeks. Chris warns that the oil won’t be as  potent as the slow method.

Heat Method:

1.  Create a double boiler by inserting a glass Pyrex measuring cup in a large pot.
2. Add about a 1/4 inch of water.
3.  Add your oil and herbs to the Pyrex dish.  (Chris suggest to add 2 tablespoons of herbs to 4 tablespoon oil for a single batch formula.  Most of the recipes in her book use this formula.   However, if you want to do a big batch of infused oil, I suggest following the Herbal Academy’s measuring method.)
4.  Put plastic over the Pyrex cup with the oil/herb mixture.
5. Let the water simmer for 1 hour on low heat.
6.  Turn off the flame and let the oil come to room temperature.

If you want to use your crock pot, see HERE for instructions.

Would you love to make your own infused herbal oils but don’t grow your own herbs?  No problem.  Buy dried herbs at Starwest Botanicals.  They have a huge selection.

Join the Conversation:

Do you make herbal infused oils and if so, how do you use them?

PS.  Don’t ever use a chair with rollers as a ladder.   Get that thought right out of your head….

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