How to Make Herbal Infused Oils with John Gallagher

Learn how to make herbal infused oils that you can use for herbal salve, lip balm recipes, or by itself as an herb oil. In this video we make calendula oil by using calendula with sweet almond oil and comfrey oil by infusing comfrey in olive oil. You can use bulk herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs for these remedies.

Join our community!

Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world.

[mountainroseherbs]

I would recommend using the crock pot method for coconut oil (also called the warm, hot, or quick infusion method) and perhaps lavender or rosemary which are classic hair herbs. It really depends on your personal hair needs. You can find instructions for making infused oils using the quick method on the Mountain Rose Blog. Hope this helps! ~Erin

[azaaritepriestess]

This man's voice is very soothing and informative, thanks.

[nomane]

Place a square piece of natural waxed paper on top of the jar, then seal jar with a lid (this protects the infusion from an chemical coating that may be on the lid.)

[mountainroseherbs]

Hi Lisabeth~I am so sorry your project turned out poorly!  Coconut oil is not really the best oil for doing infusions.  I generally use olive oil or almond oil~as suggested in the video. Additionally, I have never actually tried heating the oils in a crock pot, but I let the oils infuse at room temperature for several weeks.  If I was going to heat them, I'd probably gently warm the olive oil and herb mix and then turn it off and let it infuse at room temperature for a few weeks. You'll also want to make sure your herbs are completely covered with oil.  I hope this helps and good luck on the next project ~Kori

[coneill]

Painter's tape on tops works really well

[harleymichelle]

Proud mountain rose herb customer here ❤ i love your channel!

[CheMoniAlt]

I LOOOVE ordering my herbs from this place! The packaging is very neat, clean, and organized. Really good customer service. Just an amazing, quality place overall.

Question, if I was to infuse water with oils, and then boil the herbal infused water to create something else (specifically, I'm going to boil flax seeds with the herbal infusion). Will boiling the herbal infusion make the water lose it's benefits that the herbs provided, or will it be ok?

[mountainroseherbs]

@NaturallyGoodSoaps The "cooked method" is another technique for oil infusions that is quicker, but still effective. One concern is that heating sensitive oils can sometimes cause an unpleasant odor or rancidity if the heat is too high. I like the slower, solar infused method, but usually add Vit E oil to help against rancidity and to increase shelf life. If stored away from heat and light, your oil should last a year or 2 if not longer. You can also smell before use. Hope this helps! ~Erin

[mountainroseherbs]

Hi Sarah! Dried lavender is a perfect choice, but a quart is a big quantity of oil to make at one time, so it will likely take longer and more herbs to make a stronger infusion. You'll notice that in the video the jars were pints of half-pints? I would suggest using a smaller jar and filling it 2/3 full of dried lavender flowers and then filling the jar with oil. You can also gently heat to boost the start of the infusion. Good Luck ~Kori

[PeaceLoveAndJoy]

Mountain Rose Herbs are my go to natural herb company of all times. I just placed my order and it was sent quickly. Yay! I've heard so many great things from all of my natural hair sisters about the various butters (shea, illipe, mango) on the site. Now I'm sharing this website with my other natural hair sisters. Please continue to provide quality products. I'm going to place another order very very very soon. Thank you for excellence.

[babyln]

This video saved me! I just started my studies as an apprentice witch and I really needed help with my infused oils. Thank you so much!

[mountainroseherbs]

Hi Luc! Thanks for the question. Aloe vera is not a great plant for infusing~especially fresh. It will get super goopey and it is not oil soluble. I have been told that even dried aloe vera will get gelatinous and goopey when it is rehydrated. Since it is the gel part of the plant that is most used in cosmetic and skin preparations, most folk simply put that on their skin. I hope this helps! ~Kori

[mountainroseherbs]

HI Sylvia! Our suggestion is that you infuse the herbs and oils separately. Roots, leaves, and different herbs behave differently and, on order to extract the most of the healing properties, it is best to let them each infuse without having to compete with each other! You can then use the different oils in your recipe :) I know it sounds like it would be easier to do it altogether, but it just doesn't work as well. Good luck! ~Kori

[natashalindner]

Thank you - I will go and do this now :)  I have dried lavender and dried calendula, and I now plan to extend my herbal garden.

[mountainroseherbs]

Great question! You can speed up the process by gently heating the oil on the stove to get it started and then letting it rest. I've never used a pressure canner, but I would worry that the herbal properties might be destroyed instead of being gently infused into the oil. I have used a slow cooker (crock pot) to make infused oils and that has worked well too. I would suggest doing a little research as it will depend on whether you are infusing leaves, roots, etc. and your use ~Kori

[mountainroseherbs]

Hi Gilbert, that is a great question. The process for working with glycerine is quite similar to making other extracts. Different books and recipes will give you slightly different instructions and recipes. Basically, you'll want to simmer your herbs in the glycerine for several hours. You could also use a crock pot and keep it at a low heat for a few days. We have some great books available on our web site! ~Kori

[mountainroseherbs]

Hi Lark~You can use flowers and herbs fresh, but they can be a little temperamental. Fresh herbs have a higher moisture content and you'll need to watch out for spoilage while they are infusing. Fresh calendula does work pretty well, however, so it might be worth a try. As for harvesting lemon balm, I've been told it is best right before the blossoms appear. It's leaves can be harvested at any time, however, and, like many herbs, it is best harvested in the morning. I hope this helps! ~Kori

[mountainroseherbs]

Hi there~Thank you for your question. Yes, you can accelerate the process by gently heating the oils. Some folks prefer to use a slow cooker for this while others will heat the jars in water over a low heat (placing the jar in water helps it heat evenly without getting too hot.) Good luck! ~Kori

[joelmichaelful]

thanks for this post. This man's intelligence is soothing and informative.

[mountainroseherbs]

Hi Martina~Thanks for checking in with us. There are actually two different "camps" on this question. There are those who like to infuse their oils in the sun and those who advise keeping them in a cool, dark location~thinking they will keep longer. I tend to keep mine out of the sun, but you are welcome to do it in whichever way you like. If you keep them in the sunlight, they probably won't keep as long, but you can use them quickly and make more! Good luck~Kori