CHAPTER 7INFUSIONS
Herbal infusions have been used for centuries in natural healing. Soaking
seeds, flowers, leaves, roots, or bark in liquid is a time-honored and very
easy method of transferring the beneficial properties and gorgeous scent
(or flavor) of the plant material into a usable medium. You can infuse
plant material into alcohol, water, or oil, depending on the type of plant
you wish to infuse and the desired application of the finished product.
While some infusions in this chapter—like the Old-Fashioned Rosewater
and the Layered Lavender Flower Water—will be made with water, the
majority will be made with oil. We recommend using jojoba oil for the oil
infusions, as it works well in all skincare recipes, can withstand sustained
heat if required, and has a comparatively long shelf life of two years or
more. If you’d like, you can substitute another carrier oil (base oil) for the
jojoba, but this will lessen the infusion’s shelf life to that of the carrier oil
you choose.
All of the infusions in this chapter can be safely used on the skin in a
variety of preparations without being diluted like essential oils and are
incorporated as ingredients into various recipes throughout the book. The
infused oil will have both the properties of its carrier oil and the properties
of the plants that were used in the infusion. Use these gorgeous infusions
daily in your skincare regimen for face and body and have fun creatively
incorporating them into the fabulous spa products you make from this
book. Your artisan infusions will also make beautiful handmade gifts for
family and friends.