Infusing herbs can be a great way to make the most of your carriers and compliment the use of essential oil in your homemade products!
For example, arnica is great for sore muscles and stiff joints as well as being useful for bruising. Perfect for a muscle rub for high school or college sports players. When combined with marjoram, it can provide soothing relief for sore muscles. Another great example is comfrey, which is excellent for bone health and can be useful when dealing with a break or fracture, combined with essential oils for pain management it’s a winning combination. Calendula is soothing for the skin and Chamomile is wonderful for itching, irritated skin. The list is endless!
A great resource for all things herbal is The Herbal Academy of New England. I have taken the Intermediate Herbal Course through their on-line school. It’s a fantastic course and I really learned a lot. Of course, as with essential oils, learning about herbs is a lifelong pursuit. This is a great start! You can learn about different herbs that may boost the blends you are currently making or learn about something new!
Why don’t we take a closer look HOW to create herbal infusions.
What you’ll need:
- Carrier Oil
- Herb of choice
- Glass jar, quart size is preferable
- Lid for glass jar
- Cheesecloth (not immediately, but necessary for straining later)
- Additional, smaller, jar for storage
What you’ll do:
- Add herb of choice to your quart jar
- Pour carrier oil over your herbs until they are covered
- Choose method below to complete the process
- Use this infused carrier to boost the benefits in your essential oils blends!
There are two different methods you may use cold (or solar) infusion and heat infusion.
The first method, you simply add the herbs and oil to your jar and allow to sit in a warm place for approximately 6 weeks. Strain, bottle and store in a cool dark place until ready for use.
For the second method, add herbs and oil to your jar then place in a heatproof pan in the oven. TO prepare your oven, heat to 250 degrees then turn it off when you place the jar inside. Allow the jar to remain in the oven, closed, for 24 hours. Remove the jar, strain and store in a cool dark place. Additionally, you may add the oil and herbs directly to a pan on the stove, set to low) and warm that way. Be very careful not to overheat (or burn) your oils/herbs. Heat for approximately 45-60 minutes. Once cool, strain and store in a cool, dark place.
I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about herbal infusions. Herbal learning and essential oils go well together, and many times compliment each other beautifully. There are many benefits to using essential oils, but sometimes they simply aren’t the answer you need. For those times, we turn to herbs and food to be truly holistic and to live vibrantly!
If you have questions or concerns, please contact on of our on-staff aromatherapists at Aromatherapist@planttherapy.com
