Infused oil, also called Macerated oil, is when you gather a herb or flower (preferably dried) and soak it in carrier oil for an extended period of time. This allows the beneficial chemical compounds from the herb to extract/infuse into the oil.

Carrier oils have been used as a solvent to extract the therapeutic properties of a particular plant or plant. The base oils commonly used are Sesame, Olive, Sunflower and other carrier oil like almond, avocado, coconut, rapeseed, rice bran, safflower, etc.

Some plants do not have much essential oil in them, and in those cases, it is rare or impossible to find an essential oil for that plant species commercially. Infusing the herb into a carrier oil can be a suitable way to still use the herb for aromatherapy purposes.

The process is quite simple:

The traditional way of doing this involves putting your dried plant matter and oil in an airtight container such as a glass jar and placing it in a warm sunny location for up to three weeks. The sunshine will gently heat the oil and extract many of the plant’s properties.