Infusing oils

[mutinyintl]

I'm just starting to experiment with infusing olive oil with herbs from my garden and local area. So far I have some lavender and meadow sage drying. I'm not entirely sure what those yellow flowers are

What have you infused successfully? And did you infuse it dry or fresh?

 

[Obsidian]

Always, always infuse with dry herbs. Any moisture in the herbs can cause mold to form in the infusion.

 

[mutinyintl]

Thanks for that information. I watched a video on making Dandelion oil and they used fresh. But I can see how that could be a bad idea.

 

[Obsidian]

If you were going to hot infuse and use the oil within a day or two, I suppose fresh would be ok.
If you are going to cold infuse, it will sit around for weeks and needs dry.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

I'm just starting to experiment with infusing olive oil with herbs from my garden and local area. So far I have some lavender and meadow sage drying. I'm not entirely sure what those yellow flowers are View attachment 47533

What have you infused successfully? And did you infuse it dry or fresh?

I have always used dry material and I let them sit for about 30 days. I shake them every few days so that I get a better infusion.

 

[Obsidian]

I have always used dry material and I let them sit for about 30 days. I shake them every few days so that I get a better infusion.

Thats how I do it to. If I'm in a hurry, I will do the simmer a jar in warm water but I find it doesn't make as strong of a infusion.
I actually need to get some calendula going so I can make soap sometime this summer.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

Thats how I do it to. If I'm in a hurry, I will do the simmer a jar in warm water but I find it doesn't make as strong of a infusion.
I actually need to get some calendula going so I can make soap sometime this summer.

Like minds.

 

[penelopejane]

I use a dehydrator to dry seaweed. I’m too impatient to wait for it to dry out.

When making an infusion I use the low heat method with a ss bowl over just simmering water. Again because I’m impatient to try whatever new soaping idea I have.

 

[Shirl]

I always use dry and I’ve made rose, lavender and calendula. I put them in a mason jar in my windowsill for at least a month, shaking them once a day. I then end up adding EOs to make a perfume oil.

 

[Elizevt]

I wonder if you can infuse the dandelions in the water part of the soap mixture.
Make a dandelion tea using warm distilled water. Let it seep well and then mix the dandelion tea with the Lye before mixing it with the oils.
Maybe then you can do a double infusion. Infuse the water part and the oil part of your recipe.

I'm a total noob here, so I'm just speculating.

 

[Iluminameluna]

I wonder if you can infuse the dandelions in the water part of the soap mixture.
Make a dandelion tea using warm distilled water. Let it seep well and then mix the dandelion tea with the Lye before mixing it with the oils.
Maybe then you can do a double infusion. Infuse the water part and the oil part of your recipe.

I'm a total noob here, so I'm just speculating.

@Elizevt I do this quite often with my chamomile soaps, a favorite of my family. When I add the dry flowers to my oils I also add some turmeric and annatto, to accentuate the orange-tan color, then make a strong chamomile infusion when it comes time to make the soap. I keep the flowers instead of straining them out. I've found that the family likes the slight exfoliating effect they have when bathing.
Edited to add: I wouldn't use warn water to make your dandelion infusion. You wouldn't get much from the plant that way. Use boiling water as you would to make any tea. Create your soap recipe and see how much liquid your recipe requires, then add that much plus maybe an ounce or two more for what you'll lose to the plant from straining it. Or if you're using grams, add 30 to 60 grams more. Just my suggestion. You don't need to chill the resulting tea, but I'd strongly suggest you'd at least let it come to room temp. I usually leave my chamomile infusion in the fridge the night before, but that's just me, and only because I live in San Antonio, TX where it's usually in the 90's and I have to soap outside.
Happy soaping, and welcome to the addictive world of soap!

 

[Elizevt]

Oooh, chamomile! That sound fantastic too. Thanks so much for your advice I cant wait to try it out.
I'm just waiting for my digital scale to arrive on Friday. Then I can start soaping again.

 

[God~Given Gifts]

Hello to all! I'm new here! Does the smell of the herbs and roses actually last in the soap? I use only essential oils to fragrance and was wondering about making hydrosols. I wasn't sure if the scent would last. But I hadn't thought about herb infused oils in soap. Thanks

 

[Obsidian]

Hello to all! I'm new here! Does the smell of the herbs and roses actually last in the soap? I use only essential oils to fragrance and was wondering about making hydrosols. I wasn't sure if the scent would last. But I hadn't thought about herb infused oils in soap. Thanks

No, the scent of infusions, teas and hydrosols won't survive the lye.

 

[God~Given Gifts]

Aww shucks ok. Thanks

 

[Iluminameluna]

No, the scent of infusions, teas and hydrosols won't survive the lye.

Actually, @Obsidian, even though the whole scent of the chamomile doesn't survive the saponification process, maybe because I add the infused oils, a strong water infusion (about 1 tbsp to e/oz of water) then stick blend the flowers into the oils before adding the lye, there is a faint honey scent to the soaps even after 3 months of cure when I don't use anything that has a scent at all. Or hardly a scent, like lard. I wouldn't advertise it, of course, but it's one of the reasons my kids like the addition of it. They call it butterscotch.

 

[Janewoc17]

Do the properties of the herbs survive the saponification process? I've tried using infused oils as well as "tea" for the lye water, but did not find the aroma to last. I'm still a new soaper, just for family and friends not for sale.

 

[Green Man Cosmetics]

So am I to understand that if making a perfumed soap that will have a long lasting and strong fragrance, essential oils are the preferred method? We've made some infusions, rose, lavender, spearmint and marigold, even adding powders like pumpkin spice and wheatgrass, cold processed over two weeks, and found that the soaps have little to no scent. Is this generally accepted to be the case with infused oils? =)

 

[AliOop]

@Janewoc17 it is generally believed that not many active herb properties survive saponification. Interaction with lye (and the heat from saponification) changes most things. The only way to know for sure would be expensive testing. That doesn’t mean you can’t use them, but it does mean that you might want to save them for salves if you are hoping for something more than color or label appeal.

@Green Man Cosmetics correct, most people use EOs of FOs to get a strong scent. You can get a faint sweet scent from honey or molasses, and a faint chocolate scent from cocoa-butter in some cases, but that’s about it. Oh, neem oil smell also comes through, for sure.

 

[mamansavon]

I've of often wondered about herb properties surviving saponification. I tend to save my infused oils for non-soap things