Making your own oils

Post by **GenevieveDawn** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 10:33 pm

Does anyone here know much about making your own oils? I've been looking high and low on the net for some info. I keep finding recipes, but they only tell you which essential oils to mix together to make the oil you need. I'm looking for a way to use herbs or flowers etc. along with the base oil to make it. Did that make sense? Essential oils are so expensive so I'm trying to find the cheap way to do this. I was thinking that maybe you could grind the berbs or whatever it is as fine as possible and mix it with a base oil and let it sit for a period of time. Do you think that would work?

Post by **poetry_princess** » Sun Jun 20, 2004 2:52 am

virgin olive oil makes a GREAT base...never use vegetable or mineral oil. other great bases are almond, palm, seasame, sunflower, and jojoba.

always make them in small amounts..because they dont last that long.

try putting a base oil into a glass container...and as you add the ingredients visualize the intent. then swirl the mixure around...then you should store it in a dark place for up to two weeks. you may have to strain the oil with cheesecloth.

hope this helps

Post by **GenevieveDawn** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 7:17 pm

Thanks poertryprincess. I did finally find some recipes where you can use dried herbs. I thought I'd post it here in case anyone else is interested.

1/2 cup olive oil
1 t. each herb, dried
Combine put in jar w/ lid and shake well
Let set in sun for 7-10 days. Shake a few times a day.
When done strain with cheesecloth or coffee filter.
Pour oil in clean jar.
Add one capsule of vitamin E to preserve
Store in cool dark place

As she mentioned visualize your intent while you mix your herbs.
Make sure to consecrate your oil when done as well.

I was so happy to find this!

Post by **poetry_princess** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 1:41 am

kewl. that vitamin E thing should be a good trick. i never thought of or read that. thanks for the recipe.

Post by **GenevieveDawn** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:19 pm

No problem. They are too much of a pain to make it you can't preserve it. I'm not sure how long the vitamin E makes them last for. I've noticed something, you can't really substitue herbs when making an oil can you. I was making one and I didn't have something so I thought I'd try an herb w/ a similar magickal property. It didn't work.

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 5:06 pm

To make essences you need ethanol or a similar alcoholic base. When i make burning oils i use cheap whiskey or methylated spirits. Say i'm making lavender essence.

Take flowers usually about 15 to 100 would do it. Place the flowers not the stems (Important no stems) in a shallow dish which they fit tightly into. Pour whatever alcohol base you are using so it barely (And i mean barely) covers the flowers. Leave covered until most of the alcohol is abosrbed. Once liquid is absorbed, mortar and pestle time, Grind the liquids out of the flowers and hickery doo lavender essence for you.

For lavender oil the process is far to time consuming that the preffered option is to purchase your own oil. Whilst olive oil is a good substitute for pure oil, i prefer to just cast lavender blossoms around my area of effect they look prettier and such.

Post by hedge* » Mon Jan 24, 2005 10:12 am

I do know you can distill the oil of Plants by placing the chosen Plant/Flower/Herb in a big pan of water and boiling it continuously with the lid on, and collecting the residue from the lid with a cotton bud and then squeezing this into a clean,sterilised jar or bottle. But this, as you can imagine, is a very long,time consuming process.
You can buy a distiller but I think they are expensive. Worth looking into though if you're planning on making a lot or large quantities of oils.

hedge