How to make your own macerated oil
Macerated oils, also called infused oils, are carrier oils that have been used as a solvent
to extract the therapeutic properties of a certain plant or plants. The base oils commonly
used are almond or sunflower but other stable oils can work and the process is quite
simple. Dried plants are most commonly used to avoid any contamination of the oil with
water.
Use these oils in your lip balm to give some botanical boost to your formula.
How to make a macerated oil | Step by step process
Prepare a large glass jar by rinsing it with isopropyl alcohol or vodka and
allowing to air dry.
Select your herb/flower and make sure they are completely dry.
Fill 3/4 of the glass jar with your chosen plant.
Top up with your chosen carrier oil, leaving space at the top and making sure
the herbs are covered. Shake vigorously.
Leave the jar on a sunny windowsill, radiator top or airing cupboard (the heat
helps to extract the herbal properties).
Shake the jar daily to assist transfer of oil-soluble compounds into the oil.
Repeat for 2-4 weeks.
Once the oil has taken on the properties of the plant - the oil will have changed
colour and will smell somewhat of the plant - you will need to strain and filter
the oil.
First, strain through a clean sieve to remove the bulk of the plant material.
Next, strain through a muslin-lined sieve.
Pour into a bottle and leave to stand for 24-48 hours until a sediment has
formed.
11 Now pour into a final bottle leaving the sediment behind.
12 Add 0.1-0.5% vitamin E / tocopherol or 0.05 - 0.1% Rosemary CO2 extract as
an antioxidant to help protect the oxidative stability of the oil.
13 Label and date.
14 Store in a dry, cool place, out of direct light.
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Macerated oil vs essential oils
If you’re wondering why we should be making macerates when we have essential oils, it
is important to know that not every constituent of a plant is transferred during essential
oil distillation. Only the smaller molecules transfer over using that method and so we
never quite capture the essence of the whole plant.
Maceration captures the heavier larger molecules. Other extraction techniques will
capture other chemicals too - water extracts will harness the water-based compounds
for example. So the more ways you have to extract the properties of a plant, the closer
you get to accessing everything that plant has to offer. When making a cream that is
based on lavender, for example, then you can enhance the beneficial effect by also
including macerated lavender oil and even the fluid extracts or hydrosols too.
Also you may have access to a plant that doesn’t have a corresponding essential oil,
lilac or elderflower for example, or perhaps you wish to use a plant the essential oil of
which is expensive, such as distilled jasmine. By using maceration you can access the
healing chemical compounds in these plants and use them in your skincare. Your
products will also be very unique because no one else will be able to source those
ingredients.
Choose your plant
Plants you can use for oily infusions:
- Calendula - gentle, soothing
- St John’s Wort - calming, anti-inflammatory
- Rosemary - gentle, fragrant
- Lavender - relaxing, fragrant
- Rose petals - moisturising, can give subtle fragrance
- Marshmallow root - moisturising, soothing
- Chickweed - calming, anti-inflammatory
- Peppermint - gives lovely flavour, anti-viral
- Vanilla - sweet, fragrant
When making oily infusions, you don’t need to stick with one plant per macerate. Why
not be creative and choose various herbs to create your own unique blend? Here are
some ideas:
- vanilla and lavender
- lavender and calendula
- peppermint and rosemary
- St John’s Wort, calendula and lavender
Do your research and create your own signature blends to use in your lip balms or any
other skincare product.
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Why use macerated oils?
Macerated oils which are well-filtered, well-stored and have an antioxidant added to
them should keep for 12 months. They can be used in your formulas at 5-10% as an
‘active botanical’ or used in larger quantity as a replacement for a plain base oil.
Macerated oils are a great way to utilise ingredients that are not commonly available or
that you have gathered and grown yourself. The sky is the limit, as long as you use safe
and/or edible herbs (nothing poisonous) then you can make a maceration out of
anything you like.
You can also macerate oils using a slow cooker or bain-marie, please see this blog post
for more information on this method:
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