Medicinal Infused Oil- double boiler method

Have you wondered how to make a medicinal oil infusion right in your kitchen? 

Today we are going to be talking about how we can easily make a medicinal oil with a few simple tools you probably already have in your kitchen.

Medicinal Infused Oil

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Let’s begin by talking about what a medicinal infused oil is.  They are infused oils that consist of a carrier oil that has been infused with one or more herbs.  While we could definitely use a non-infused oil as a carrier oil, why not make our medicines all the more powerful by infusing them with plant allies?  

One question you may have now is: why would we want to do this?  The answer is simple, by infusing the oil we will be gaining the benefits of the herbs themselves plus the benefits of the oil.   Today I am going to be using olive oil but you can use any oil you have such as almond, sunflower, grapeseed or jojoba to name a few depending on what result you are looking for.  

For example olive oil could be too heavy if you were making a massage  oil, so you might want to use jojoba oil instead because of its moisturizing, antioxidant & non-comedogenic (non-pore clogging) properties.  If you were making an oil for your hair you might want to use avocado oil because it’s rich in biotin, vitamins A, B-5 & E that are essential to a healthy head of hair.  One more thing avocado oil can do for hair is seal the cuticle & prevent future breakage.

In order to choose the appropriate carrier oil you must consider 3 things.

1. What you are making.

2. The absorption rate you are looking for (if any).

3. The viscosity you are wanting in the finished product.

Here’s the thing, if you aren’t sure you could go ahead & use olive oil.   Olive oil is a common staple in most medicinal oils because on its own it’s soothing & rich in oleic, omega 3 & 6 fatty acids.  This means it hydrates, nourishes & moisturizes the skin.  For this particular infusion I plan on making a healing salve so olive oil will work perfectly.

In any formulation & really anything life brings to you, you are only as limited as to how far you think you can’t go.  This means it is us & only us who puts the glass ceiling over our head & simultaneously it’s up to us to break through that ceiling the moment we’ve outgrown it.  So what does this piece of life advice have to do with a post of formulating medicinal infused oils?  We have the opportunity to make our formulations, medications, concoctions etc all the more powerful by consciously choosing the ingredients you want to use.  Each part of the formulation is just as important as the next.  So think outside of the box when you feel called to do so. Allow the plants to tell you which ones want to be used. Allow the oils that want to work with you to step forward. This can be a magical process if you allow for it.

So what are the benefits of using a medicinal infused oil?

Apart from the benefits of the oils themselves when adding plant materials to be infused you will then be gaining those benefits as well.  This means that the actual benefits are almost infinite depending on the materials used.  You can customize your formulas & meet specific needs based on the plant materials chosen & address certain concerns.

For example infusions that could benefit the skin would be:

Infusions with chamomile or lavender can help soothe sensitive or irritated skin & help with stings or burns

Infusions with rose or jasmine can provide deep hydration

Infusions with arnica or comfrey can help reduce redness & inflammation

Infusions with rosemary or green tea can help combat the signs of aging.

Infusions made with calendula & plantain can help aid in the recovery of minor cuts, scrapes & bruises.

Medicinal Infused Oil

Once you make your medicinal infused oil how do you use it?

You could use the oil itself as an ointment or a base for salves, massage oils, hair serums, creams & lotions just to name a few.  But remember we’re only as limited as to how far we think we can’t go so really the sky is truly the limit once you get out of your own way, at least that’s what my experience has been so far.

There are many plants at our fingertips that are excellent for cuts, bites, scrapes, stings & more so you could always find a concern & choose to address that.  If you were wanting to make body butter for relief of dry skin you could use an olive oil infused with echinacea which is an excellent ally in boosting your collagen production, providing hydration & it even helps protect the skin.

If you didn’t want to only use your medicinally infused oils for healing purposes there is one more thing you could use them for which is in the kitchen.  You could infuse olive oil with garlic or oregano & really up your cooking game, then your olive oil will be full of benefits such as a boost in the immune system, lowering of  blood pressure & cholesterol while improving liver & kidney health.  

That’s enough information for the time being, so let’s get to the process.

And by the title of this blog post you probably guessed today's method of choice is a double boiler.  So all you need is a pot & a stainless steel bowl that you can set over it if you don’t have an actual double boiler pot.

One thing I would like to mention about this method is you need to make sure that the bottom of the double boiler never runs out of water.  Once when I was making a medicinal infused oil I was distracted & ended up boiling all the water out of the pot & had to say goodbye to my favorite pot.  I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.  

Also I do have a post coming out shortly about how to make a medicinal infused oil in an infusing machine like a Levo II,  so keep an eye out for that if you're interested in learning another way to make infusions.

Directions:

1. Chop the herbs finely using a spice grinder, blender or a knife & put them in the top part of a double boiler.  Make sure the bottom never runs out of water.  

2. Cover the herbs with an inch or two of high-quality oil.

3. Slowly bring the oil to a very low simmer. 

4. Simmer gently for 30-60 minutes, checking frequently.  When the oil looks & smells “herby” we know that the medicinal properties have been transferred to the oil.

5. Strain out the herbs, using a stainless-steel strainer & cheesecloth.  

6. Let the oil cool, then pour into a jar or bottle.

7.  & label it.  Be sure to include the plant matter used, the oil used, the amount of time it was infused, the method of infusion & the date; or whatever information you feel is going to be relevant & important to know.  We can’t use infusions if we don’t know what they are & we can’t always rely on our memory to recall what we did during the infusion.

Watch the video & tutorial HERE.