Use the Bounty From Your Garden to Make Herb Infused Oils
I’m sharing one of my favorite basic herb skills today. One that you will be glad you learned. Knowing how to make an herb infused oil is useful for a variety of health, skin care, and culinary reasons. Once you’ve mastered this simple technique, you’ll use it over and over.
You can use it to make a tasty garlic or rosemary infused oil, which will make a wonderful addition to your salads this summer. NOTE: Culinary herb infused oils made from fresh herbs will only have a shelf life of up to a week (I’m cautious). Because it is so easy to do, make what you need for short term use if you plan to use it in cooking.
You can also use herb infused oil as a base for many herbal preparations. The possibilities are endless, and I’ve suggested a few ideas further down in this post. I’m using fresh rosemary for this tutorial, but dried herbs work just as well. These herb infused oils will have a shelf life of at least one year when stored in a cool, dark cupboard.
What Kind of Oils Should You Use? Oh My! The Choices Are Endless.
Olive oil lasts longer, is readily available, and is less expensive than other oils. According to this post at Olive Oil Times, it boosts your immune system and is effective against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Olive oil is really good for your skin too. People have used olive oil for centuries for personal care. It is a great skin moisturizer, in part because it contains linoleic acid, a compound that prevents water from evaporating. Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Amazon
Grapeseed oil, made from crushed grape seed (of course), will be lighter on your skin. It’s easily absorbed and gentle on the skin. Known in the cosmetics industry as a carrier oil, the grape seed oil is used in a wide variety of commercially available creams and lotions. You can use this to your benefit when making your own quality infused oils. Grape Seed Oil on Amazon
Sesame Oil is known for its warming and medicinal properties. It has natural sunscreen properties and is often used as a moisturizer to repair damaged skin cells. It is safe to apply sesame oil to inflamed or wounded skin and is used for treating skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema. It has anti-inflammatory properties and can help prevent bacterial infections. Sesame Oil on Amazon
It is not necessary to add other ingredients or mix it with other types of essential oils. As the oil is extracted from sesame seeds, it is already an antibacterial substance.
Almond oil is good for dry, mature, and sensitive skin. Skin irritation, such as itching and swelling, can also be reduced with topical applications of almond oil. There are many skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, that cause inflammation of the skin, as well as redness and an itchy rash. Apply almond oil to temporarily relieve the inflammation and the irritation associated with these conditions. For some, however, almond oil can be a skin irritant, so before applying it to the skin, a small patch test should be done to determine if you have an allergy or sensitivity to almond oil. Sweet Almond Oil on Amazon
Palm oil is the second most common vegetable oil produced worldwide. It has benefits for your hair and skin as well. It contains Vitamin E, which is a strong antioxidant that helps the skin to fight the agents that damage your skin and cause fine lines and wrinkles.
It is useful in shampoos, soaps, and lotions for its ability to remove oil and dirt from hair and skin. It also contains an agent that helps restore the natural oils that most soaps and shampoos strip away. Palm Kernel Oil on Amazon
Coconut oil is the newest “go to” oil in the cosmetic business. It has properties of all the above oils combined. It has strong disinfectant and antimicrobial properties. As a result, when applied on the skin, coconut oil protects you from microbial infections that can get into open wounds or even enter the body through the pores. Do some research for yourself and see where you can incorporate coconut oil into your diet and skin care regimen. Organic Coconut Oil on Amazon
Other oils you might consider trying – castor oil, avocado oil, red palm oil, shea butter, walnut oil, even organic vegetable shortening has its own set of good for your skin properties. Check your local grocery store and see what kind of oil they carry. Most of these other oils and kinds of butter can be found at the local whole foods store or online at Amazon.
Make Your Own Herb Infused Oil Using the Double Boiler Stove Top Method
Choose a type of oil and herb to use. This batch is made with 1 cup extra virgin olive oil and four stalks of rosemary from my garden.
Lightly chop the herbs, removing any woody stems. Make sure your herbs are clean and dry. If you are using fresh herbs, collect them in the morning after the dew has dried and let them wilt for an hour or two before using. That will ensure that you won’t introduce water into your oil, and it will last longer.
Place dried herbs and oil together in a double boiler. If you don’t have one, you can make a substitute from two different sized saucepans, with water in the bottom pan.
Slowly warm the herbs and oil, at the lowest temperature you can manage, for 30-60 minutes. Make sure the oil does not get too hot. You are not cooking the herbs but heating the oil. The longer you are able to warm at a low temp, the stronger your infusion will be.
Let the oil and herbs cool and strain them through a strainer or cheesecloth. The herbs go in the compost.
Keep your herb infused oil in a glass jar, and don’t forget to label it with the kind of oil and herbs used—storage time 1 year.
I like to keep a notebook with my favorite herb and oil blends. I keep specific notes about the amount of herbs used, how long I heated it for, and even what the temperature and humidity were on the day I created it.
How to Use Your Herb Infused Oil
An herb infused oil is perfect for your body, Use it to remove makeup, make a creamy lotion, a lotion bar, or add it to your own sunscreen.
Depending on the type of oil and herb you’ve chosen, it may be just the creation you need for cooking. Consider adding basil, mint, lemon, pepper, or garlic to your oil. There really is no limit to the things you can add that will be fabulous in the kitchen.
Know the medicinal uses of the herbs you add to your infused oil. After the infusion. You can mix it with beeswax to make a salve. Some of the best herbs to enhance skin and hair are:
Infused Oil Uses
Follow the link to Bulk Herb Store and purchase a mix of herbs to make an arthritis massage oil or salve. This mix has Ginger Root, Echinacea Herb, St. John’s Wort, Boswellia Serrata, and Cayenne.
Sore Muscle – St Johns wort, ginger, and a touch of cayenne to increase circulation
Dreamtime – Mugwort, lavender. and chamomile
Wound healing and chapped skin– calendula, yarrow. and plantain
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does herb infused oil last?
Keep your infused oils refrigerated. Olive oil will last about a month; other oils will stay fresh for about two months.
For herb oils, use whole, fresh leaves. For spiced oils, either whole or ground will do. If you choose ground spices, strain the oil through a cheesecloth before bottling it. Whole spices and herbs can be left in the oil for decoration. They will keep strengthening the flavor over time.
Are infused oils as good as essential oils?
If we’re talking solely in terms of strength, then essential oils are far better than infused oils. This why essential oils should be applied solely in small quantities. Essential oils should always be diluted when used for topical applications.
However, that doesn’t mean you should discard herb infused oils. They are highly effective in their own right, and they can also be used internally without any worries.
Why is my infused oil cloudy?
There are several reasons why infused oil, especially infused olive oil may be cloudy.
Many times this happens because you might have not filtered the oil correctly and you can still see the pulp. Just because the infused oil is cloudy doesn’t necessarily mean it’s undrinkable.
If you don’t feel safe drinking or using it as is, you can just filter it again to get it to look as clean as you want.
How long can garlic infused oil last?
As long as you store garlic infused oil in a cool place, preferably the fridge, it should be good for two or even three weeks. If you want to keep a little oil handy for when you’re cooking, you can keep it on the kitchen counter, but be aware that it will last you a maximum of one week this way.
Final Thoughts on Herb Infused Oil
Do a search “herb infused oil recipes” and see what other fantastic ideas you can find online.
I promise, if you take the time to learn this useful skill, you will use it for years to come. An infused oil is useful for many healthy home remedies and complements your herb garden nicely. Leave a comment below and tell me about your favorite herb and what oil you like to use.
Hi, I absolutely love your article. I happened to make herb infused oil with my mother a few days ago. This was our first go at it. It was also before I found this article. I left the herbs in the oil whole because it just looks absolutely amazing to me. Is there any way to do this without the herbs going bad later???
Thanks for your information and I look forward to your thoughts on this.
Great post. I am also exploring making preparations with herbs that I grow in my garden. Last year I made a couple of tinctures from the herbs, and my favorite was a lemongrass tincture. This year, I am growing Holy Basil, so I’m excited to try that one next.
I made a tincture with an extracted plant resin and grapeseed oil. I’m just curious how you make your tinctures and if you have any insight on how long the oil will stay good after using the heat method of infusion. Thanks in advance!
Hi Rachel. Grapeseed oil is one of the short storage oils. Your tincture should be stored in the refrigerator, where it will last for about 6 months. You will know if the oil goes rancid by the “off” smell that oil gives. It is unmistakable. Thanks for stopping ny! Shelle
Hi Shelle,
I have been thinking about making infused oils so your wonderful tutorial has motivated me to start creating some this summer. They will enhance so many of the dishes I love to make! I am so delighted that you shared the process for making healthy and delicious for Herb Infused Oils with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop! I appreciate it!
I have thought about making an oil for this coming Christmas, but I haven’t gotten that far yet. Thanks for sharing. Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party.
Hi, this I think would help grow my natural hair a lot. I’m in Africa, Ghana to be precise. And the Rosemary on the market are all dry. However, the most common herbs found here are moringa and neam. I don’t know how that could help. Thanks.
hi, i know about neam plant boil it together with olive oil just the leaves when the oil turns green remove it from the hot and let it cool down then put in a clean bottle and use once or twice a week in hair. hope it it helps.
I just cut some of my lavender for a friend who makes the salve and oils and numerous other things. I just happened to find your site and I am very impressed. I have wanted to find out how to do these projects with all of my lavender and I find it’s not as hard as I thought. I do have one question. When you go to cut the lavender I know you leave the stem on, but what do you look for on the flowering part that tells you it is a good time to cut the lavender? I hope I haven’t waited too long. The bees were still pollinating the flowers as I cut them.
Great article, I’ve learned a lot. I’m new in using oil and your homemade diy is so easy to follow. I will definitely do this and use it on my hair and skin. Thank you very much for sharing you tips and information.
I would like to know can you drink this rosemary herb with something. I was experiecing, I had put too much rosemary herbs in my juicer, kinda weird, cause I am new on knowing about herbal plants. Yes sounds crazy, I had strained all it contents deluted with water, but it’s so strong. So what do I do? Its in a Jug, is it worth keeping it, sad for it to go to waste. Its an organic plant. Please help me.
You could use it as a hair rinse.
Hi there, I want to make a infused oil for nausea that is edible. Which herbs should I use and once it’s made how much would you take for nausea? I can’t find any info anywhere on dosage for taking infused oils.
Love your website and thanks!
Can I make infused oils with the root of herbs, such as ginger, comfrey and Solomon’s seal root? If so, how much of the chopped root needs to be added to the base oil please. Is it the same method as for using dried or fresh herbs adding herb to jar and then covering with oil? Thank you for a reply, I’ve not used root of herbs before, they are organic and chopped