INFUSING OILS

Preparing an oil infusion is one of the easiest methods to transfer the power of a plant into an oil, which you can then use to make any number of different skincare products. 

TO INFUSE YOUR OWN OIL, YOU NEED:
- Dried flowers or herbs of your choice
- An oil of your choice to fill up your jar
- Optional vitamin E ( about 1 teaspoon per 100g)
- A couple of clean jars (one to infuse the oil in and one to strain the infused oil into at the end of the process)
-  Something to strain the oil though like a cheesecloth/muslin cloth/coffee filter or clean stocking!

METHOD
- Fill up a jar with the herbs or flowers of your choice (Never fill it all the way to the top. You need to be able to close the lid comfortably.)
- Add your carrier oil and the vitamin E oil if you are using it. Close the lid tightly.
- Leave the jar to infuse for 2 to 6 weeks. The longer you let it stand, the stronger the infusion will be.
- You can occasionally check on your infusion, gently stirring the dried herbs before replacing the lid.
- When your oil is fully infused, carefully strain the oil into a clean jar and close the lid.
- Make sure to label the jar with the ingredients you used. 

You can apply the infused oil directly to your skin straight away or you can use it in your other DIY skincare recipes like body lotions or solid lotion bars.

TIPS FOR MAKING FLORAL AND HERB INFUSED OILS:
While making your own floral and herb infused oils is a pretty fool-proof process, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind for making the healthiest, and highest quality infused oil possible. Like any recipe your end product will only be as good as the ingredients you started with and the care you take along the way.

• Always use high quality and sustainably sourced herbs and flowers for your herb infused oils. Ideally you always want to opt for organic certified sources as well to ensure that no harmful pesticides or other chemicals came into contact with the herbs and flowers you are using for your infusions.
• Choose a carrier oil that feels good on your skin! Each oil is unique. Some carrier oils will feel better than others on your skin. So, pay attention to which oils feel the most moisturizing for your skin and focus on utilizing those in your herb oil infusions.
• Opt for dried herbs over fresh herbs for making herb oil infusions, especially if you envision storing your herbal oils for extended periods of time. Using fresh herbs introduces moisture to your herbal infusions and can lead to mould growth and a wasted oil.
• For long term storage, always store your herb infused oils in dark amber jars that will limit the amount of light that reaches the oil. This will keep the herb infusion from denaturing.

SOME OF THE BEST FLOWERS/ HERBS TO START WITH:

• Arnica-Great for thinner skin types and healing bruising
• Calendula-Very Healing, goods for sunburns, itches, and rashes
• Rose Petals – Soothes irritated skin and reduces redness
• Lavender-Healing and calming. Reduces inflammation
• Chamomile-Healing and calming. Reduces inflammation

 
RECIPE IDEA: BODY CALMING HERBAL OIL 
25g Dried Lavender 
25g Chamomile 
50g Olive Oil 

Place the dried herbs into a 100g jar and cover with the olive oil.
Close the jar and leave the herbs to infuse for 2-6 weeks. Once they are done, strain the oil into a clean jar and replace the lid. Use the oil as you would a body lotion.