Above: Dried red clover and yarrow flowers ready to be infused in oil.
This blog post is part of my 2021 Herbal Oil Blog Series, and addresses what herb-infused oils are, which herbs to use, and the specific usages of each.
What are Herb-Infused Oils?
Herb-infused oils, or just herbal oils, are made by gently heating a combination of dried herb(s) and base oil(s) to of your choice (olive, grapeseed, etc.) together at 110-120˚F for about 2 weeks using the hot water bath method (more on this in the next post, Make Your Own Herbal Oils). With this process, the fat-soluble constituents of the plant are extracted. With few exceptions, fresh plant material is not used, as the high water content do not mix with the oil and makes the oil go rancid very quickly.
Herbal oils can be applied externally for skincare, wound healing, and pain relief. Many are useful massage oils that help relieve pain and enhance circulation, others are incredibly healing, moisturizing, and nourishing to the skin and can be included in a skincare regimen, and some are even applied as a first-aid oil for wound healing.
In my opinion, herbal oils are safer and more sustainable and accessible than essential oils (see box below). They may not smell as strong as essential oils, but they do pick up the aroma, energetics (warming or cooling, drying or moistening), and oil-soluble healing properties of the herbs. Herbal oils are usually used externally, with the exception of culinary herbal oils. They do not go into your essential oil diffuser.
Herbal Oils and Essential Oils
Herbal oils are not essential oils. Essential oils are the concentrated volatile hydrophobic chemical compounds of plant material attained by distillation. The popularity of essential oils has skyrocketed in the last couple years, with the global market valued at 5.6 billion in 2019 and expected to grow to 7.1 billion by 2027.[1]
Sustainability concerns
Essential oil production takes a large amount of energy and plant material, making it less sustainable. For example, 27 square feet of lavender plants is required to make just 15 mL of its essential oil, and 250 pounds of lavender is required to make 1 pound of its essential oil! [2] [3]
Growing health and safety concerns and misuse
There are toxicity concerns regarding the external application and even prolonged inhalation of some essential oils for both people and animals. With the prevalence of MLM essential oil companies, unqualified salespeople can become “Aromatherapists” overnight without any training, encouraged by companies that overstate the potential of essential oils while downplaying their risks. Essential oils can be potent and powerful medicine when used under the direction of an Aromatherapist and should be treated with respect. Aromatherapy is currently not licensed in the US. However, 3 major organizations exist that set the standards for education and practice of aromatherapy: The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) requires 550 total hours of approved education for Certified Clinical Aromatherapists®; The Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA) require 200 hours of approved education to qualify as an Aromatherapist; and the Aromatherapy Registration Council (ARC) works with NAHA and AIA and requires 200 hours of approved education to become a Registered Aromatherapist (RA™). I suggest only receiving aromatherapy advice from an Aromatherapist qualified from these organizations.
Why Use Herb-Infused Oils?
Herbal oils are useful in beauty and skincare routines, and for healing and pain relief. A plant’s anti-inflammatory, anti-septic/bacterial, expectorant, and insecticidal properties, as well as their volatile oils (essential oils), resins, fat-soluble vitamins, plant waxes, and camphors are extracted into the oil. We generally use a warm method of infusion as the healing resins of plants are only soluble in warm oil. These plants include violet, yarrow, calendula, plantain, rosemary, and others.
Herbal oils can also make a great base to a salve or cream (a post for another time).
Case History- Herbal Oil to the Rescue
A client of mine has severe peripheral neuropathy and is sensitive to alcohol, so cannot have tinctures. Very few herbs are effectively made into a glycerite, and not all herbs are pleasant in tea, so I’m more limited as to what I can give my client. St. John’s Wort, a highly indicated herb for my client, interacts with a medication that they take, so it cannot be taken internally. Fortunately for my client, St. John’s Wort is very effective for nerve pain topically and applying St. John’s Wort infused-oil every night helps them manage their pain.
A quick overview of the benefits of the herbal oils I will be discussing in this series (and will link to them here as they become available):
(February) Violet leaf and flower oil: anti-inflammatory, nourishing, and extremely moisturizing for the skin, violet oil makes a great massage oil that stimulates lymphatic circulation and drainage and nourishes lymphatic tissue, and relieves painful, inflamed or infected lymph nodes. It is traditionally used for breast and lymphatic tissue health.
(March) Dandelion flower oil: anti-inflammatory and nourishing for the skin, Dandelion flower oil makes a great massage oil that stimulates lymphatic circulation and drainage and is traditionally used for breast and lymphatic tissue health.
(April) Wild Rose oil: healing and nourishing for the skin with vulnerary, anti-septic, and anti-bacterial properties, Rose oil makes great first-aid or massage oil that relieves pain and infection, is cooling in situations of heat and inflammation, and smells divine.
(May) Yarrow oil: an incredible first-aid herb, Yarrow oil heals the skin with its vulnerary, anti-inflammatory, styptic (halts bleeding in its tracks), antibacterial, and antiviral properties, and relieves pain and infection.
(June) Red Clover oil: healing, nourishing, and moistening to the skin, Red Clover oil makes a great massage oil that relieves inflammation and promotes lymphatic circulation and drainage. It is traditionally used for breast and lymphatic tissue health.
(July) Calendula oil: the great vulnerary (skin healing) herb, Calendula oil is anti-inflammatory and nourishing to the skin (with high levels of antioxidants), its antibacterial nature makes it great for wound healing, and it promotes lymphatic drainage and circulation.
(August) Cayenne oil: quite different from the rest of the herbal oils addressed, Cayenne enhances circulation and acts as a rubefacient or “counter-irritant (produces local irritation to counter pain in another part of the body) to relieve local pain (strains, sprains, and bruises). Cayenne is also anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, and styptic, though I only recommend using it on areas that do not have broken skin.
Other herbs not covered in this series that also infuse well in oil: plantain, rosemary, sage, thyme, eucalyptus, St. John’s Wort, comfrey leaf and root, thuja, and mullien leaf and flower.
[1] Global Essential Oils Market worth USD x7.1 Billion by 2027 (maximizemarketresearch.com)
[2] Lavender Essential Oil | Young Living Essential Oils
[3] 1 Pound of Essential Oil = 250 Pounds of Lavender – EcoWatch
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