Reviewed By: Kacie La
Making your version of cosmetic oils can be an interesting job especially if you are adding ingredients that help boost the oil’s overall skin benefits. As it is known, herbal ingredients including dried botanical flowers , help enhance the aroma, colour, texture, and skin-nourishing benefits of whatever cosmetic products we are making. This is incredibly beneficial especially for DIY skincare and eco-household enthusiasts that are planning to create products intended for personal or commercial use.
Begin by choosing the best oils
There are a lot of cosmetic oils to choose from and each of them have unique properties that cater to various skin types and cosmetic preferences.
- Sweet almond oil – has skin moisturising properties; excellent in helping the skin look fresh
- Borage oil – reduces facial redness; helps in maintaining moisture levels in the skin
- Olive oil – softens and hydrates the skin; helps clear out skin impurities including acne scars
- Apricot kernel oil – contains high amounts of vitamin E and vitamin K; softens the skin
- Coconut oil – contains fatty acids that maximises the total appearance of your skin
- Grapeseed oil – promotes glowing, healthy-looking skin; and is light and non-greasy
- Jojoba oil – best for sensitive skin as it is the closest oil to your skin’s natural oil
Then, look for the best herbs and floral ingredients to add to your cosmetic oils
Floral ingredients are dominating today’s line of cosmetic products including oils, soaps, lotions, shampoos, and many more. Not only are they added to improve your products’ overall quality but also to attract consumers through its alluring colours and captivating scents.
- Calendula flowers – helps reduce facial redness; adds a beautiful yellow tone
- Chamomile flowers – helps lighten dark spots and acne scars; mild-scent
- Lavender flowers – provides skin lightening benefits; offers a soothing scent
- Red rose petals – retains the skin’s natural moisture; provides a scarlet tone
There are many ways to make herbal oils but, in this article, we will be featuring the top 3 ways of doing it. One good thing to note is that all these methods share one common thing - add as many botanical ingredients as you can to fit into the container and pour the oil.
Sun-infused Oil
Put in all the botanical ingredients into a jar (we prefer using mason jars). Completely seal the jar and expose in the sun for 6-8 hours. Overheating the oils can possibly eradicate their good benefits, so make sure to check the jar every 2 hours to prevent that from happening.
Stovetop Oil Infusing
Heat the oil with botanical ingredients in a double boiler. Do this by placing the botanicals on top of a double boiler. Add some water in the bottom pot of the double boiler and set on low to medium heat to warm up. While heating, pour the oil over the botanical ingredients. Then, lower down the heat when the oil starts to release its combined fragrance.
Slow Cooker Oil Infusing
Among all other methods, slow cooker oil infusing takes longer but it requires less attention. To do this, grab your slow cooker and add the herbs into the ceramic bowl. Set your slow cooker on the lowest setting for 8-12 hours.
Important note! Condensation on the lid of a crock pot is the biggest thing to watch out for when making herbal oils. Never let condensation drip into the oil as it can usher in mold and bacteria. The most advisable thing to do is to keep the lid off after adding in the herbs and oils directly into the crock pot.
If you wish to do a number of different herbs in separate oils, set up the herb/oil mixture in mason jars and transfer into the slow cooker. As noted above, leave the slow cooker lid off but put a lid on each of the mason jars. Again, infuse in a slow cooker on the lowest setting for 8-12 hours.
