Solar-infused Oils for Skin Care

Solar-infused oils make wonderful skin-care products. I use them for lotions, creams, and salves. A few of my favorite solar-infused oils to use in skin-care products are calendula, lavender, plantain, comfrey, and rose.

Directions for Making Solar-infused Oils

• Pick the fresh plant materials such as flowers, leaves, or roots; and make sure they’re not wet, to avoid mold in your oil. With fresh herbs, let them dry wilt for a few hours before using them. Or use dried herbs. With hard plant material, such as roots, you may need to grind them briefly in a spice grinder or mortar with pestle.  

• Add herbs to a mason jar and pour oil over them. Oils to include are Grapeseed Oil or Jojoba for oily skin; and Apricot, Almond or Olive Oil for dry-to-normal skin.

• Be sure that the oil covers the herbs completely by at least one inch..

• Label the jar and leave it in the sun, such as outside in your garden or on a windowsill, for 4-6 weeks.

• Shake the bottle every day as this helps with the infusion.

• Then strain the mixture by pouring it through a cheesecloth-lined colander over a clean pot.

• Discard the herbs or add them to your compost.

• Pour the infused-oil in a clean mason jar, label it with the name of the herb, the oil, and the date.

• Store the jar in a cool, dark place, such as your cupboard or pantry, for future use in making your own skin-care products.