Herbal Infused Oils: How to Use Them for Skincare, Healing, and Self-Care
Gentle Magic for Skin & Spirit
One of my favorite ways to preserve the medicine and spirit of a plant is by making an herbal-infused oil. This process involves "steeping" whole plants in a menstruum (carrier oil) to extract their aromatic and medicinal constituents. While I consider it a folk preparation—medicine for the people, by the people—there is certainly an art to it!
When done properly, the result is a shelf-stable, potent, and often fragrant oil, rich in nutrients and active medicinal compounds. While these oils naturally capture trace amounts of essential oils during the whole-plant extraction, no additional essential oils are added, making them gentle enough for sensitive skin, children, babies, pregnancy, and more!
The aroma of a whole-plant infused oil often resembles its essential oil counterpart, but sometimes it takes on a beautifully complex and unexpected character. For example, to me, fresh lavender-infused oil smells more like warm cinnamon than traditional lavender soap!
Mother Nature, in her infinite wisdom, creates each plant with a perfect balance of constituents, working together in harmony. I like to think of whole-plant infused oils as the herbal equivalent of whole foods!
The Menstruum
I almost always use local, organic olive oil as the menstruum for my herbal-infused oils. Olive oil is a powerhouse for skin health, and I have yet to encounter anyone sensitive to it. It provides deep hydration and protection, supports skin elasticity, soothes redness and irritation, and promotes wound healing—all while offering gentle, nourishing care.
However, any fatty oil could serve as the menstruum for an herbal-infused oil, like coconut or jojoba oil. Solid fats like tallow, shea butter, or ghee can also be used, though they require gentle heat to facilitate infusion.
Oil as Love: An Ayurvedic Perspective
In Ayurvedic traditions, oil is viewed as more than just a substance—it's a nurturing elixir for the skin, much like love nourishes and soothes the soul. The Sanskrit word “sneha” beautifully encapsulates this connection, as it means both oil and love. Just as love sustains the spirit, oil sustains and protects the body, offering a deep and soothing nourishment to your skin.
Uses for Herbal-Infused Oils
Whole-plant infused oils are more than just skincare—they are little bottles of magic, medicine, and comfort. Whether used in daily rituals or in moments when extra tenderness is needed, they offer simple, potent nourishment for body and spirit.
Massage & Rituals
- Warm a little oil between your hands and massage it into tired muscles or aching joints
- Offer your lover a sensory massage (and ask for one in return!)
- Apply as a daily skincare moisturizer
- Give your baby or child a gentle oil massage— a wonderful way to calm emotions, soothe both parent and child, and create a sense of safety and connection while grounding the nervous system
- Incorporate it into an Ayurvedic-inspired Abhyanga ritual
Baths & Soaks
- Apply to your whole body before sinking into a warm bath, allowing the oil to nourish your skin as you soak and unwind
- Massage into your feet before a foot bath for extra relaxation
- Pour a small amount into a bath, for sensory pleasure and hydration
Emotional Support & Comfort
- Carry it with you to offer comfort to a grieving friend, a new mother, or an elderly loved one
- Use after long study sessions to reset your mind
- Support before or after an audition, interview, or stressful experience - apply to the soles of the feet, pressure points, belly, throat...
- Reach for it whenever you need grounding, support, or coming back into center
Hair & Scalp
- Massage into the scalp to relieve itching and provide hydration
- Massage into the ends of your hair before or after washing, depending on your hair’s needs
DIY
- An essential foundation for homemade salves, creams, body butters, lip balms, and soaps
A Gentle Invitation to Connect
More than just a skincare product, whole-plant infused oils invite us to slow down and engage in moments of mindful care and intention. They offer a way to reconnect—with ourselves, with the plants that nurture us, and with the timeless traditions that honor the healing power of nature.
Whether you use it for physical relief, emotional grounding, or as a daily ritual of self-love, let your oil be a gentle reminder: to calm and come to center, and remember to breathe.
If you’re feeling inspired to experience the beauty of herbal-infused oils for yourself, I offer a thoughtfully crafted collection made with love, intention, and the wisdom of whole plants. Each bottle is infused slowly and traditionally, capturing the full essence of the herbs for deep nourishment and care.
Explore my herbal-infused oils