Herbal Oils and Salves

Hi friends
Hope today finds you well. In the last few years, I've been cultivating and adding to my herbal garden, and I'm ready to reap some of the benefits! I have a ton of lemon balm and sage ready to harvest, so I plan to start there. I'm hoping to add yarrow, chamomile, lavender, and calendula oils to my medicinal cabinet when I have some more flowers (the first are for the bees).
Next step is to melt some beeswax and combine to make salves!
To make lemon balm oil, blend the fresh leaves/stems/flowers with olive oil until pesto-like then pour into a clean, dry jar. Add enough oil to cover, then cover/seal and store for a month (at least). Strain through a cheesecloth and pour back into jar to store.
For the salve, use a double boiler to melt beeswax then combine (see link below for more info).
www.herbazest.com...
Here's some of the benefits of sage oil:
www.newdirectionsaromatics.com...

Any suggestions? Have you had any luck making herbal oils or salves?

a reply to: zosimov

I would love to see pictures of your finished products. Step to step photos would be even more amazing.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

I'm about to start. I'll take and share pics.

Someone gave me some nettle in alcohol potion, I was coughing and running nose for days I decided to try it and I stopped coughing and mu nose stopped running all day so far!

Done with the first part of the process and pics! I'll post soon.
Now to wait about a month till step 2.

www.newdirectionsaromatics.com...
a reply to: SeaWorthy
Glad to hear you're feeling better Nettles are strong medicine I think and I'd love to learn how to use them.
A bit leery of the sting, so I do want to learn how to do it first.
I planted horehound and anise hyssop (but the latter never took) so I could make my own cough medicine. Thyme (or even better maybe) lemon thyme makes a great tisane for sore throat or respiratory stuff. I steep about a tablespoon of fresh thyme with hot water (adding honey and ginger to the mix) and it does wonders. I think it tastes great, too.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Got a few pics

I harvested a bit early for optimal benefit. I read that the best time to harvest is when the plant is about to flower or just flowering. I took about a third of the plant for this batch.
Here's all the ingredients/tools (minus the cheese cloth) I'll be using! (In better days I'd buy good organic olive oil but this will have to do)

I shook the leaves/stems gently in order to shake off any bugs
I just had to wing it regarding lemon balm/olive oil ratio

Then all blended up

Poured this mixture into two jars, covered with about 1 1/2 inch olive oil and tightly sealed the jars.

I'll update when it's done in a month.

a reply to: zosimov

I make tinctures, salves, healing oils, and medicinal gummy bears from plants in our garden. My GF only grows asparagus but I'm really enjoying horticulture as a hobby.

With the basic infusion agents either coconut oil or Bacardi 151.

a reply to: olaru12

Just started asparagus this year.

As for that beautiful plant which makes medicinal gummies, etc... was hoping to grow one or two of my own this year but that didn't pan out.

originally posted by: zosimov
Done with the first part of the process and pics! I'll post soon.
Now to wait about a month till step 2.

www.newdirectionsaromatics.com...
a reply to: SeaWorthy
Glad to hear you're feeling better

Nettles are strong medicine I think and I'd love to learn how to use them.
A bit leery of the sting, so I do want to learn how to do it first.
I planted horehound and anise hyssop (but the latter never took) so I could make my own cough medicine. Thyme (or even better maybe) lemon thyme makes a great tisane for sore throat or respiratory stuff. I steep about a tablespoon of fresh thyme with hot water (adding honey and ginger to the mix) and it does wonders. I think it tastes great, too.

I don't even know what the nettle is supposed to be for, a guy gave me a bottle at the Farmers Market, he is no longer there so if I want more will have to go elsewhere.

Meds from nature seem to be the way to go.

originally posted by: zosimov
Hi friends

Hope today finds you well. In the last few years, I've been cultivating and adding to my herbal garden, and I'm ready to reap some of the benefits! I have a ton of lemon balm and sage ready to harvest, so I plan to start there. I'm hoping to add yarrow, chamomile, lavender, and calendula oils to my medicinal cabinet when I have some more flowers (the first are for the bees).
Next step is to melt some beeswax and combine to make salves!
To make lemon balm oil, blend the fresh leaves/stems/flowers with olive oil until pesto-like then pour into a clean, dry jar. Add enough oil to cover, then cover/seal and store for a month (at least). Strain through a cheesecloth and pour back into jar to store.
For the salve, use a double boiler to melt beeswax then combine (see link below for more info).
www.herbazest.com...
Here's some of the benefits of sage oil:
www.newdirectionsaromatics.com...

Any suggestions? Have you had any luck making herbal oils or salves?

this interests me too, would really like a decent recipe for salves. I've used rose geranium, turmeric, eucalyptus, ginger, clove, tea tree oil, magnesium oil, and CBD in various combinations and tinctures.

I use one tincture on my scar tissue and it really gives me instant and long-lasting pain relief, Ive mixed it aloe vera gel but it seemed to lose some of it potentcy

a reply to: putnam6

I'll let you know if this salve works out Most recipes I've found combine melted beeswax with herbal oils, but the OP's link to the lemon balm oil also has a recipe in which the beeswax, oil, and fresh or dried leaves can all be added to a double boiler.

I'd love to grow some geraniums and try them out!

I planted my sage seeds and it doesn't look like they will produce good plants. By now they should be about four inches tall, but they are just breaking the ground....not a good sign.

I like sage in cooking, I have not tried the oil at all, the leaves are good enough of a medicine.

a reply to: rickymouse

I bought a plant about a year ago and it came back strong.

I agree that it's a great plant to cook with. Though I use it sparingly.

food diet and lifestyle are the key !

a reply to: zosimov
Now, as a Clinical Aromatherapist, I would be very negligent not to point out that the link you supplied in the post I am responding to, is to the Essential Oil not the infused oil of Sage which you are making.
Very often people think that the herb, infused oil, essential oil have the same chemical and thus healing properties, they DON'T! Not only that, the Essential Oils have contraindications which in their plant or herbal or even infused form very often (but not exclusively) do not.
Rainbows
Jane

a reply to: angelchemuel

Thanks for the info!

a reply to: zosimov

What do you have that I can rub on my liver? It's gonna be a long weekend....

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Pretty sure olaru's blends would do the trick!

originally posted by: zosimov
Pretty sure olaru's blends would do the trick!

I could make a cocktail out of his stuff.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Could you make an extra for me, please?