How to Make An Infusion or A Decoction
Whilst both carrier and essential oils have a purpose and bring therapeutic and beneficial properties to your skincare products, they can be boosted by the addition of herbs.
The easiest and most aesthetic method of including herbs in your cosmetic products is to infuse them in oil or in water.
Making a water herbal infusion is as simple as making a pot of tea!
Water/Herbal Infusion - Method
Take 1 heaped teaspoon dried herbs (or two heaped teaspoons fresh herbs) and 1 cup boiling water
Pour the boiling water over herbs and leave for 10 minutes. Strain through a very fine mesh sieve or use a piece of muslin cloth. Use infused water instead of water in your cosmetic product recipe.
Note that using a herbal infusion will reduce the shelf life of your products to one week (unless you use a preservative). If possible, keep the product in the fridge and if using in your skincare product, make the skincare product on the same day as you make the infusion.
Shelf Life: 3-7 days
Making an oil herbal infusion is just as easy.
Oil/Herbal Infusion - Method
Take 1 heaped teaspoon dried herbs (or two heaped teaspoons finely chopped fresh herbs) and place them in a bowl.
Cover the herbs with your chosen carrier oil (such as olive, sunflower, sweet almond etc) and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Keep warm for one hour. Let the oil cool down, then bring it up to a warm heat again (do NOT let it get so hot that it starts to cook) and keep it warm for another hour.
As an alternative to the bowl over a saucepan method, you can use a slow cooker and leave it on slow heat for 4 hours.
Remove from the heat and strain using a fine mesh sieve or piece of muslin cloth to remove any traces of leaf or plant matter. Allow the mixture to cool before bottling.
You can re-infuse the same oil several times with a fresh set of herbs/dried herbs to make double or triple strength oils.
Place in a bottle and label with the product name and date of manufacture.
Shelf Life: This oil will be fine for use for 12 months.
Sun Method
Another popular method of creating a herbal/oil infusion is to pack a jar as full as you can with chopped herbs. Completely cover the herbs with your oil and place the lid on the jar.
Leave the jar in direct sunlight for two weeks. Shake the jar twice a day to encourage the herbs to crush into the oils.
Strain the oils and repeat the process with new herbs. Leave for another 2 weeks, shaking twice daily.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve or use a muslin cloth and put into your container. Label and date the container.
A decoction is the method in which you boil up the more fibrous, woodier parts of the plant such as roots, berries, seeds and bark.
Decoction - Method
Take two heaped teaspoons chopped plant and place them in a stainless steel saucepan.
Pour over enough water to immerse the chopped plant and bring to the boil. Allow the water to simmer for 15 minutes and then strain using a fine mesh sieve or through a piece of muslin.
If possible, keep the product in the fridge and if using in your skincare product, make the skincare product on the same day as you make the infusion.
Shelf Life: 3 days
All the cosmetic products made following a Plush Folly Little Lesson can have the recommended oils and waters replaced with a herbal infusion or decoction.
Please remember to adjust the product’s shelf life accordingly.
