DIY Herbal Infused Oil

Creating your own body care items can be both cost-effective and beneficial for your health by infusing herbs into oils. This process requires just the herbs you wish to use and the carrier oil for infusion.  You can also infuse oils for cooking.

The herbs required will vary based on the specific recipe you are following. I recommend sourcing them from a trusted vendor or cultivating them yourself. Some suppliers I rely on include Mountain Rose Herbs, Starwest Botanicals, Oshala Farm, and Foster Farms Botanicals. Additionally, consider checking out local small businesses that offer herbs. It’s important to use dried herbs for oil infusions to avoid the risk of mold due to excess moisture.

Now, when selecting a carrier oil, it’s important to pick one that suits your skin type or follow the recommendation provided in the recipe. For a brief overview of various carrier oils, take a look at Heidi Villegas blog post on Infused Oils.

After gathering your herbs and carrier oils, you can choose between two techniques for infusing the oil: the slow approach or the quick one. Heidi outlines both techniques in greater detail in her blog. Personally, if time isn’t a constraint, I prefer to go with the slow approach.

Make sure to label your infusions! I include details such as the herb used, the type of carrier oil, the infusion date, and occasionally, the carrier oil’s expiration date. At times, I only note the expiration date in my spreadsheet.

I’ll be adding recipes that use these infused oils as I make them.