Herb Infused Oils Tutorial
Herbally Infused Oils 🌿
A few of my posts lately have mentioned using oils that have been infused with herbs and so I thought I would share some simple instructions on how to prepare some for yourself 🥰
Quite simply-you take a clean jar, fill it 3/4 of the way full with an herb(s) of your choice (so that there is 1-2 inches of space left at the top of the jar), and then fill the jar all the way full with an oil of your choice and let it sit for 6 weeks before straining through a cheesecloth and setting aside for use. Easy peasy.
Now of course not all herbs are beneficial when infused in oil, and not all herbs are for every person. Also-certain herbs, and certain oils, are better used topically (externally) while others work beautifully for internal use (culinary-get witchin’ in your kitchen 😉) You have to do a little homework and figure out what you would like for yourself.
Additionally certain herbs work better, or even only work, if they are infused fresh and not dried (St John’s Wort is one of these). Be aware when using fresh herbs that they have a higher chance of going rancid because of the water content in the fresh plant. It is advised to only use organic or fresh picked wild foraged herbs so that you don’t have to wash them-you want them to be as dry as possible before immersing them in oil. You can roughly chop them up first as well for easier infusing.
Some oils are also not very shelf stable (like rose hip seed oil) so if you choose to use an oil like this be aware and either add a stabilizer like vitamin e (which will make it only good for topical use) or check it each time before use.
Common oils and herbs for culinary use include: olive oil or avocado oil, and thyme, rosemary, garlic, and/or chili flakes.
Common oils and herbs for topical application include: olive, jojoba, sunflower, fractionated coconut, and calendula, cleavers, dandelion, rose, lavender, hops, chamomile, lemon balm, & plantain.
Of course many of the herbs and oils in the above lists are switch hitters and good for both external and internal use ⚡️
Now comes the fun part-when making medicine I like to not only choose my herbs for the medicinal and magical properties (like calendula is for wound healing and a gentle lymphatic mover, but also for self esteem and the courage to be seen) but I also love to make a little ritual out of it and say my intentions for my own healing and that of the planet infusing my oils with not only herbs but a little of my own special magic✨🔮✨
With Wild Affection 🌹
