Botanicals can have incredible benefits for the skin, both inside and out. We can eat plant-based food, and our bodies use its nutrients to nourish our whole being. Plants – timeless, wise, mysterious, and universal – can guide us to a holistic approach to radiant beauty and health.
Plants with their many complex principal constituents, or “active ingredients” can repair tissue, address inflammation, increase circulation and stimulate collagen production.
While there are many ways to harness these constituents, traditional herbal oil infusions can be an easy way to add richness to your skin care product line. These infusions are simply plant material “steeped” in oil to draw out their therapeutic properties, offering your skin both the benefits of the nourishing base oil and of the plant itself. You can utilize herbal oil infusions as a complete treatment, as a carrier for essential oils, or to prepare a simple healing salve or cleansing balm that will nourish and rejuvenate.
From the inception of the herbal pharmacy, herbal traditions throughout the world have favored the simple infusion of medicinal plants as their predominant form of extraction.
Benefits of Herbal Oil Infusions
Infusions:
- Penetrate to the dermal layer of skin where new cells are developing, to help stimulate and regenerate.
- Produce healthy skin cells quickly following sudden damage burns, wrinkles, or the healing of wounds.
- Reduce bacterial and fungal infections, acne and other related skin problems.
- Smooth delicate, sensitive and inflamed skin regulate sebaceous secretions, balancing over or underactive skin.
- Promote the release and removal of metabolic waste products through lymphatic stimulation.
- Contain plant hormones that help balance and alleviate hormone related skin problems
- Exert a positive influence on the mental and emotional state, thus alleviating stress related skin problems.
Contribution by Kim Manley
Kim Manley’s enthusiasm for formulating personal care products developed while awaiting the arrival of her beloved daughter, Bonnie Rose. Concerned about the harsh chemicals used in mainstream baby care products, she instead created her own collection of gentle and soothing formulas, planting the seed from which her business has since thrived. Always at work expanding the scope of KM Herbals through channels of production and education, Kim continues to commit herself to providing luxury products crafted with intention, wisdom, and passion.
Tools For Preparing Herbal Oil Infusions
In preparing to make an herbal infusion, we will use the “folk method,” to keep it easy, simple, fun, and inspiring. We will use dried herbs only.
Dried Herb: Suggestions: Arnica, Calendula Blossoms, Chamomile Flowers, Cannabis, Comfrey Leaf or Root, Dandelion Leaf & Root, Echinacea, Elder Flowers, Lavender, Red Clover, Rosehips, Rosemary, St. John’s Wort, Peppermint
Coffee Grinder or Mortar & Pestle
Alcohol to Clean
Wide Mouth Jar with Lid/Mason Jar
Enough Vegetable, Nut, or Seed Oil to completely cover herbs in a Jar
Cheesecloth, Muslin, Strainer, or Dish Towel
We will begin by macerating (steeping) herbs in your favorite vegetable, seed, or nut oil. Firstly, crush or coarsely grind enough herb or plant material to fill ¼ of the jar that you will be using.
Fill a clean and sterilized wide mouth jar with dried herbs or flowers. Cover the dried flowers or herbs with a menstruum (carrier oil) of organic extra virgin Olive (Olea europaea), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), Grapeseed (Vitis vinifera), Avocado (Persea gratissima), Apricot Kernel (Prunus armeniaca), Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) oil, Sesame (Sesamum indicum), Sweet Almond (Prunus amygdalus), Kukui (Aleurites moluccanus) or Macadamia Nut (Macadamia ternifolia)
Cap the jar tightly and shake twice a day for two weeks.
Label Bottle
Name of Herb/Flower
Menstruum (What kind of Oil)
Date Infused
Date of Pressing/Straining
Care of Infusing Oils
Check the mixture in a day or two, you may need to add a bit more oil. You want to make sure the herb is always completely covered in oil. Keep the mixture in a warm place and shake daily. Let the mixture infuse for two weeks. By this time the oil should have taken on the color or aroma and healing properties of the herb. Strain or press the oil through a fine kitchen strainer with cheesecloth muslin or a thin dishcloth. Most of the oil will drain out, but to get every precious drop, press with the back of a spoon or wring out as much as possible. Compost the herbs and store the infused oil in a dark glass bottle. As for shelf-life, you should use your herb-infused oil by the best-by date of the carrier oil or menstruum.
A Few Good Herbs
Calendula Blossoms are called the herb of the Sun and are prolific and reseed themselves often. Calendula provides great joy, bringing sunshine to the heart and mind. It is a calming and cooling, antimicrobial (both antiviral and antibacterial), anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and vulnerary herb. Clinical trials have shown that calendula increases cell proliferation and encourages the granulation process of wound healing.
Comfrey leaf and root is Nature’s allantoin, a known cell regenerator. Comfrey begins cell regeneration quickly, hydrates, and moisturizes.
Rosehips helps to boost collagen, reduces inflammation, protects against sun damage, reduces hyperpigmentation, and is abundant in Vitamin C.
7 Benefits of Herbal Oil Infusions
- Penetrate to the dermal layer of skin where new cells are developing, to help stimulate and regenerate.
- Produce healthy skin cells quickly following sudden damage burns, wrinkles, or the healing of wounds.
- Reduce bacterial and fungal infections, acne, and other related skin problems.
- Smooth delicate, sensitive and inflamed skin regulate sebaceous secretions, balancing over or underactive skin.
- Promote the release and removal of metabolic waste products through lymphatic stimulation.
- Contain plant hormones that help balance and alleviate hormone-related skin problems
- Exert a positive influence on the mental and emotional state, thus alleviating stress-related skin problems.
Herbal Oil Skin Care
Herb-infused oils are a brilliant starting place to make your own products for personal use or your back bar. That includes lotions, creams, lip balm, massage oil, serums, haircare, and salves. They are the grounding active ingredients or foundation of many precious botanical skin care lines.
Try combining a couple of the herbal oils like calendula for scarring, cleansing, and soothing, and comfrey for cell regeneration, or rosemary and dandelion for congested, dry or acne skin, or elderflower, red clover, and rosehips for mature skin and fine lines. Combine and shake aloe vera gel and an herbal oil for a cleansing facial oil. Adding a combination of herbal oils with a bit of beeswax to create a facial balm. Arnica and St. John’s Wort combined with calendula for sore muscles and bruising. There is a myriad of skin and body care products that can be made with herbal oil infusions.
A Way to Connect
Growing herbs in your garden, or in pots on your ledge at the office or your apartment, can offer an aromatic and joyous way of connecting to a plant’s rich array of colors and textures, crafting herbal infusions is a simple, easy, safe, and inspiring way to soothe the spirit and uplift the emotions.
