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 flowers or leaves (make sure they’re not wet, so as to avoid mold in your oil) and grind them briefly in a mortar with pestle to get started on releasing the essential oils from the flowers. You could also use dried flowers if you don't have fresh.

• Add mashed flowers 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 flowers completely.

• 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.

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