A vibrant collection of freshly harvested Calendula flowers.

Utilize the sun to naturally infuse oil with the goodness and essence of herbs.

Simply infusing oil with herbs will transform them into healing, soothing, and relaxing medicinal preparations. There are several ways to infuse oils, but my favorite is the Folk or Simpler’s Method which relies upon the sun to naturally infuse the oil with the goodness and essence of herbs. You can utilize countless herbs, listed below are some of the most popular choices. Other carrier oils may be used, but Jojoba oil and Olive oil are wise choices because they have a long shelf life and are suitable for a variety of applications.

Folk Method for Solar Infused Oils

1. Place herbs in a clean quart jar. If using fresh herbs, then wilt them first for 12 hours to remove most of the moisture (too much moisture will cause your oil to go rancid), cut into small pieces, and crush with a mortar and pestle before adding to jar. You can skip these extra steps if your herbs are dried.

2. Pour oil into the jar, making sure to cover herbs by at least 1” of oil and leaving at least 1/2” of space at the top of the jar so that the herbs will have room to expand. If your herbs soak up all of the oil, then pour more on top to ensure that the herbs are well covered.

3. Stir well, and cap the jar tightly.

4. Place the jar in a sunny and warm windowsill, and shake once or more per day.

5. After 4-6 weeks, strain the herbs out of the oil using cheesecloth. Make sure and squeeze every precious drop of oil out!

6. Pour into glass bottles, and store in a cool dark place. The oil should keep for at least a year.

A calming blend of Chamomile, Lavender and Hops infusing in oil.

Herbs to Infuse:

Arnica flowers (Arnica montana) - indispensible for the external treatment for physical trauma, sprains, bruising and other injuries. Use immediately after strenuous exertion or injury to prevent, relieve and reduce swelling, bruises and pain.

Calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis) - one of my favorite oils with a myriad of uses. Oil infused with Calendula flowers is wonderfully healing and is suitable for sensitive skin and for babies. It helps clear complexions, heal cuts, scrapes, insect bites, diaper rash, and inflammations.

Cayenne peppers (Capsicum annuum) – Used for pain, muscle aches, and arthritis.

Cedar Tips (various species) – For treating fungal infections and skin irritations.

Chickweed (Stellaria media) – Skin disorders, psoriasis, eczema, minor burns, rashes, and other skin irritations.

Comfrey root and leaf (Symphytum officinale) – Deeply healing, used for wounds, bruises, and skin cell proliferation.

Goldenseal or Oregon Grape root (Hydrastis canadensis or Mahonia aquifolium)– Antibacterial, used for treating wounds and skin conditions.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) – Soothing for the skin, and good for cold sores.

Mullein flowers (Verbascum densiflorum) – A classic oil used to soothe, relieve pain, and fend off ear infections.

Myrrh gum (Commiphora myrrha) – Antiseptic, used for scrapes and cuts.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) – Great for massaging into sore muscles.

Plantain (various species) – Soothes and helps speed the recovery process of damaged skin, blisters, insect bites, and rashes.

Poke root (Phytolacca americana) - A powerful woman’s ally traditionally used for mastitis and breast lumps.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) - a stimulating oil for hair treatments, sore muscles, or even for culinary use.

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) - craft this red-colored oil made from freshly gathered St. John’s Wort. The oil is anti-inflammatory and can help speed the healing of wounds, bruises, varicose veins, swellings, sunburns, bee stings, nerve damage, scrapes, diaper rash, pain, and mild burns.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) - A strong antiseptic used externally for cuts and scrapes, and it is great for sore muscles.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – Used for cuts, scraps, rashes, and for minor cases of eczema.

Feel free to combine herbs or infused oils to create special blends:

Floral Oil
An aromatic oil which will lift the spirits and smells divine. Apply to the skin after a shower, bath, or during a massage. The oil will be moisturizing, soothing, relaxing, and calming to the skin. To make, infuse organic Rose Petals, Lavender flowers, or Chamomile flowers in organic Jojoba Oil.

Relaxation Oil
A fragrant blend of relaxing herbs, use after a nighttime bath or shower to help with relaxation, tranquility, and sleep. Or, rub on temples at night before retiring to bed. Infuse a mixture of organic Hops, Chamomile flowers, and Lavender flowers in organic Olive or Jojoba oil.

Happy infusing! 

~ irene

This entry was posted on 22 September 2010 at 3:15 pm and is filed under Misc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.