Herbal infused oils are a common ingredient in both herbal medicine and herbal magic. The oil I made today will be used in shampoo, lotion, hair treatments, and probably to anoint several candles for summer Work.
I chose to use olive oil as my carrier oil, but you can use apricot, almond, jojoba, coconut, or really whatever you’d like. Do some research and find out what would be best for your purposes, or simply fall back on what’s available and practical. I prefer organic, but you may not feel the need to be so picky.
There is an even wider selection of herbs to choose from. Pick based on your needs. I used red rose petals, calendula blossoms, and chamomile blossoms. The rose and calendula help soften the skin, and encourage healthy growth and red and gold highlights in the hair, especially with exposure to the sun. Chamomile is nourishing to itchy skin and scalp and dry frazzled hair, and encourages hair growth as well. All three are special to the spirits with whom I work. Rose is excellent for soothing the saddened heart and for bringing passion and love into your life. Calendula is an energetic plant blessed by the sun. Chamomile is just as much a spiritual medicine as a physical one. I find all three scents very soothing and healing, and they blend together very well. Find herbs that resonate with you - they may well tell you what the best blend is.
What you’ll need:
- dried herbs
- carrier oil
- a clean glass bottle
- a label
I used an empty honey jar - I’m a big fan of recycling glass bottles and jars. If they smell funny, wash them out with vinegar, then soap and water. Labels can usually be removed with hot water or alcohol. If you’re at all worried about what was in it, you can fill the bottles with water, set them in a pot full of water, and then boil the whole thing for an hour or two, and that will kill everything that might be in or on the glass. Do not try this with plastic. I don’t like using plastic bottles for any of my herbal work anyway, but obviously boiling plastic is a bad idea.
Some people measure their herbs and oil. I’m totally not one of those people. Just 
use a handful of each. Crumble them, mix them, and put them into the jar. Then pour the oil over them, completely submerging the herbs. There should be roughly an inch of oil above the top of the herbs, and be sure sure that you leave about an inch of room at the top of the bottle to give the herbs room to expand as the oil soaks into them.
Cap tightly, and label with the name of the mix, if you have one, the ingredients if you care to, the date you made the oil, and the date six weeks from now, when the oil will be ready.
It will take six weeks to steep, and you should shake the bottle enthusiastically every day to help diffuse the herbal essences into the oil. Keep the jar on a warm, sunny windowsill to further aid this process. Putting energy, enthusiasm, prayers, Reiki, or whatever you’d like into this process will make it that much more potent. Take time to admire the color, enjoy the smell, and appreciate what you’ve created.
Happy crafting!
