Infused Oils: Capturing the Healing Power of Herbs
Ancient Wisdom, Everyday Use
For thousands of years, people have turned to the plants around them for medicine, beauty, and nourishment. One of the simplest ways they did this was by steeping herbs in oil — a practice that appears in ancient Egyptian papyri, Greek medical texts, and folk traditions across nearly every culture.¹ These oils preserved the life of the plant long after harvest and provided a gentle, skin-loving way to apply herbal medicine.
Long before modern skincare chemistry, infused oils were the foundation of healing balms, massage blends, and beauty rituals. Ancient healers anointed wounds with herbal oil, midwives rubbed it into sore muscles, and women massaged it into their skin as part of daily care. The concept is simple: dried herbs are immersed in oil, which slowly draws out their fat-soluble compounds — resins, antioxidants, and essential oils — creating a preparation that carries the plant’s healing essence directly to the skin.²
Infused oils might not look glamorous sitting in a jar on a windowsill, but they are the quiet workhorses of the apothecary. They’re the humble beginning of remedies that have soothed families for generations — a jar of calendula salve tucked in a diaper bag, a vial of St. John’s wort oil rubbed into tired muscles, or a violet body oil that softens skin and lifts the spirit.
Why Infused Oils Work
Plants contain a wide range of active constituents, but not all of them dissolve well in water. While teas and tinctures extract vitamins, minerals, and some plant acids, the real magic for skin often lies in the fat-soluble compounds — things like resins, flavonoids, and essential oils.³ Oil is the perfect medium for capturing these gifts. It gently dissolves the plant’s protective and restorative elements and holds them in a form the skin can easily absorb.
When applied topically, infused oils penetrate the skin’s natural lipid barrier, delivering nutrients directly where they’re needed most. They nourish the surface while also supporting deeper tissue repair. Scientific research even supports what herbalists have known for centuries: oils like calendula promote wound healing and collagen formation,⁴ while St. John’s wort has anti-inflammatory and nerve-supportive effects that make it a valuable ally for soreness or bruising.⁵
Each herb offers something unique:
• Calendula (Calendula officinalis) soothes irritation, encourages cell repair, and helps calm inflamed or chapped skin.
• Plantain (Plantago major) is a classic “drawing” herb that supports the skin’s natural detox process and provides relief from bites or stings.
• St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) lends a deep red hue to oil and supports muscles, nerves, and bruised tissue.
• Violet (Viola odorata) is cooling and moistening, providing gentle lymphatic support and comfort for sensitive skin.
Beyond the herbs themselves, the oil base plays a vital role. It not only transports the plant’s active constituents but also forms a protective barrier that locks in moisture and promotes elasticity. A good infused oil comforts the skin twice — once through the plant medicine it carries, and again through the nourishing touch of the oil itself.
Methods of Making Infused Oils
Making an infused oil is simple, but it rewards patience and intention. There are three main approaches, and each produces beautiful results in its own time.
The solar infusion method is the most traditional and perhaps the most romantic. Dried herbs are placed in oil and set in a sunny window for several weeks. Each day, the warmth of the sun coaxes the plant’s goodness into the oil while you occasionally swirl the jar to mix the contents. Over two to six weeks, the oil deepens in color and aroma, transforming into something rich and golden. This slow method connects the maker to the rhythm of sunlight and season — an act of mindfulness as much as medicine-making.
The double infusion is a wonderful way to create a more concentrated oil. After your first batch of herbs has steeped and been strained, you add a fresh round of dried herbs to the same oil and repeat the process. This layering builds potency, especially for plants with subtle properties like violet or yarrow.
When time is short, a warm infusion offers a quicker route. Herbs and oil are gently heated using a double boiler, slow cooker, or dehydrator set on low. The key is to maintain gentle warmth — ideally under 120°F — so you don’t destroy delicate compounds. After several hours, you’ll have a ready-to-use oil that carries all the herb’s vitality.
Tip: Always start with thoroughly dried herbs. Fresh herbs contain water, and even a trace of moisture can lead to mold or spoilage in your oil over time.
Everyday Uses for Infused Oils
Once you start making infused oils, you’ll find yourself reaching for them constantly. On their own, they make wonderful body and massage oils, deeply hydrating and aromatic. A few drops can be used as a gentle facial oil, baby oil, or hair treatment for shine and scalp health.
With a little beeswax, your infused oil becomes a salve or balm — perfect for dry skin, cuts, or minor irritations. Blend it with water and an emulsifier, and you’ve created a cream or lotion. Or add a splash to your bathwater to turn an ordinary soak into a luxurious, skin-softening ritual.
Part of the beauty of infused oils is their versatility. Once you understand the base process, you can adapt it endlessly — changing the herbs, oil type, or purpose. Olive oil makes a stable, nourishing base. Jojoba mimics the skin’s natural sebum. Sunflower and grapeseed absorb quickly for lighter blends. There’s no single “right” way — only the one that best fits your herbs and your intention.
Infused Oils in My Apothecary
In my own apothecary, infused oils form the foundation of nearly everything I make. My Healing Herbal Salve begins with a base of calendula, plantain, and yarrow oils — herbs that comfort, cleanse, and restore the skin. My Violet Dew Body Oil blends violet, dandelion, calendula, and yarrow for a product that supports both lymphatic flow and emotional ease. And every seasonal body oil I craft begins with this same timeless process: soaking herbs in oil, letting time and nature do their quiet work.
There’s something sacred about it — the rhythm of checking your jars, the subtle shift in color as the days pass, the scent of herbs steeped in sunshine. You can’t rush it. It takes patience, presence, and care. And that’s part of what makes it so healing.
Final Thoughts
Infused oils are one of the simplest yet most profound ways to bring herbal medicine into everyday life. They teach slowness, observation, and gratitude — and in return, they give you a shelf full of remedies that comfort and restore.
With only herbs, oil, and patience, you can create something that connects you to the rhythms of nature and the wisdom of those who came before us. It’s ancient medicine in its most humble form — still as effective and beautiful today as it was centuries ago.
✨ If you’d like to experience the beauty of infused oils, explore my Herbal Salves, Body Oils, and Body Butters that are made with a base of infused oils here in the skincare section or here in the salves and balms — each one begins with this gentle, intentional process.
References
Totelin, L. (2009). Hippocratic Recipes: Oral and Written Transmission of Pharmacological Knowledge in Fifth- and Fourth-Century Greece. Brill.
Gladstar, R. (2012). Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Storey Publishing.
Green, J. (2000). The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook. Crossing Press.
Parente, L. M., et al. (2012). “Anti-inflammatory and wound healing activity of Calendula officinalis L.” Brazilian Journal of Medicinal Plants.
Barnes, J., et al. (2001). “St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.): A review of its chemistry, pharmacology and clinical properties.” Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.