Making Herb Cosmetics

There are plenty of cosmetics you can make using herbal ingredients. Body lotions, masks, toners, face creams--all these and more can benefit from the addition of soothing, toning and healing herbs. However, getting the herbs into your cosmetics can be a challenge if you don't have essential oils on hand. Learn how to make herbal infused oils and you'll never be caught without herbs to add to your cosmetics.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Herbs (dried or fresh)
• Oil
• Double boiler
• Crock-Pot
• Mason jar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Sieve
• Cheesecloth

Cold Herbal Decoctions

1. Fill a Mason jar halfway with herbs. The herbs should be crushed or torn but not powdered. Make sure that your herbs are completely dry.

2. Add 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of oil. Shake the vinegar and herbs. Adding vinegar helps bring out the essence of the herbs.

3. Pour in the oil. Use an oil with a long shelf life, such as high-oleic sunflower oil. Fill the jar completely and secure the top.

4. Keep your herbal oil in a warm spot (over 110 degrees F) for the first day. After that, place it in a sunny spot or in a low-heat Crock-Pot (under 120 degrees F) and leave for 4 weeks.

5. Pour the oil through a sieve to remove the herbs, and then repeat with cheesecloth.

Hot Herbal Decoctions

1. Place the herbs you're using into the top half of a double boiler.

2. Pour oil over the herbs until the herbs are just covered. Sunflower and almond oil work well.

3. Simmer the oil over very low heat (using the bottom of the double boiler) for 2 hours. Check the oil regularly to make sure it doesn't burn.

4. Pour the oil through a sieve to remove the herbs, and then repeat with cheesecloth.

Tips & Warnings

• Cold herbal decoctions are especially useful for flowers. Hot herbal decoctions are suited more for woody herbs. You can use fresh herbs in a hot herbal decoction, but make sure to remove any water that comes out of fresh herbs; if you don't, the water will ruin your herbal cosmetic. If you want to make an extra strong herbal oil for your cosmetics, repeat the decoction using the already-made herbal oil to get it to double-strength.