7 Steps to infuse natures Wild Flower, Leaf & Root Oils

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP – Living in Natures Love Lifestyles @insideawareness.com

Wild Flowers in Olive Oil

Filtered Oils

Daises

Daises in Oil

A flower oil is a remedy that has infused the properties of fresh plants preserving and concentrating their qualities in liquid form. I believe flower oils can be effective and that energetically they are in alignment with our own bodies electrical system. Have you ever considered that any product you use on your skin and hair is absorbed into your internal organs?

Infused Oils

Infused oils can be used in recipes, as massage oils and in skin & hair products.

Picking Fresh Ingredients

In making my oils, I use fresh ingredients. This makes it a seasonal activity. I pick the flowers and leaves during their growing season ensuring to leave a greater amount growing than I take. Here is a list of fresh plants that have been explored:

Bamboo
Basil
Bay Flower
Calendula
Cedar
Chickweed
Comphrey
Dandelion
English Daisey
Feverfew
Forsythia
Gingko
Gumweed
Hollyhock
Lavendar
Lilac
Mullein Flower
Mullein Leaf
Mullein Root
Oregon Grape
Parsley
Rose
Rosemary Flower
Rue
Self Heal
Shasta Daisy
Tea Tree
White Birch
Wild Violet
Yellow Dock

More on plants foraged for oils in the Pacific Northwest visit Inventory of a Backyard Forager.

Materials

Any size mason or recycled Jars with lids
Oil
- Almond, Coconut, Olive
Plant Material – enough to fill jar 3/4’s full

7 Steps to infuse natural oils

1st Step – Jars

Sterilize the jars by boiling them in a large pot or canning pot for 5 minutes to create steam. Let dry and cool to room temperature.

2nd Step – Plants

Fill dried jars 3/4’s full with your fresh flowers or leaves.

Currently I do not combine different species of plants. My interest is in exploring and learning about one plant at a time. I do combine the oils however when making products that I use.

3rd Step – Oil

Pour to cover plant material completely and continue to fill to the top of the jar. Filling your jar with oil leaves less room for oxygen which reduces the chances of mold growing.

I have noticed that to begin with the plant material expands as it absorbs the liquid and then shrinks down in size.

4th Step – Setting

Some suggest letting the plant and oil set for 5 to 6 weeks in a sunny window before filtering and decanting, while others suggest a warm place out of the sun.

I have set it in a sunny window (except through record heat waves), in a window that receives the morning sun and on a counter out of the sun. I believe that the sun’s solar heat speeds up the process and adds it’s own benefits to the oil and plant mixture, however it also heats the oil up which could speed the process up to just a few weeks. I prefer a window with morning sun as I love having the oil where I can see it and my choice is to not have it get as hot as in the full sun.

5th Step – Jostling

It is recommended to lightly jostle them each day to move the material about.

This step is my favorite! I love jostling the jars each day as I can observe the changes inside.

6th Step – Filtering

Use cheesecloth and/or a coffee filter to strain the oil and *plant material into a sterilized mason jar. If necessary strain the oil a couple of times to remove any fine dust like material.

*Filtered plant material – I use the filtered plant material as a skin or hair oil before discarding.

7th Step – Storing

Store the oil in a cool cupboard or fridge until ready to use making salves and creams. I have had oil stored for up to a year with no complaints.

Living in Natures Love

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