Whole Plant Infused Oils vs. Essential Oils
Most of our products start as whole plant infused oils, but we also use a small amount of essential oils and we wanted to explain the difference between the two.
Essential oils are what some may call the ‘spirit’ of the plant, captured through steam distillation. Essential oils are aromatic, phytochemical compounds that plants call upon for an array of reasons: attracting pollinators, communicating with other plants and protecting against predators to name a few. Plants also use these compounds in response to stress because many essential oils (or we might call them terpenes while they are still a part of the plant) have antioxidant, immune supportive and antimicrobial properties. Most interestingly, humans use essential oils in many of the same ways the plant used them. This is such a lovely reminder of how we are all weaved together. For this reason and sustainability purposes (it takes a large amount of plant material to make a tiny amount of essential oil) we use a limited amount of essential oils in our products.
Whole plant oil infusions make up the bulk of our products and are obtained through a very different process. If you think of a plant as a puzzle, essential oils are just one piece, but a whole plant oil infusion is most of those pieces (not all, but a lot). Retrieving this medicine is gentle and slow. We start by covering the plant material, usually flowerheads, leaves and/or roots in cold-pressed, unrefined oil. This mixture sits for about a month and is sometimes supported by an application of low heat. After this extraction period, the plants are strained from the oil, leaving a wide range of medicinal components behind. When we make a whole plant infusion, we’re allowing the wisdom of the plant to come through in all of its synergistic glory. A beautiful practice in letting go and trusting the immeasurable.
Our products that contain essential oils:
Our products that contain whole plant infused oils:
A recipe for making your own infused oil:
You will need-
A clean, sterilized mason jar
Plant material (chamomile, calendula, lavender, rose are all nice options for skin)
A stable, plant oil like extra virgin olive oil, unrefined sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil
Cheesecloth or a clean t-shirt
Fill your jar with the plant material, no need to tightly pack it in. Pour your oil of choice into the jar until the plants are thoroughly submerged. If you are using large pieces of plants you can throw this mixture into a clean blender to expose more of the plant’s surface area, but this is not necessary. I like to label my jar with the date and ingredients. Leave it for a full month to infuse, giving it a nice shake periodically. If you want to speed up the process you can place the jar into a slow cooker filled with water for a few hours on the lowest setting. If you have a candy thermometer you can check the temperature of the water, it should stay around 100 degrees fahrenheit. To strain the oil, place the cheesecloth over a bowl and pour the oil onto the cheesecloth. Once gravity has done it’s work, use your hands to squeeze the rest of the goodness through. Yay, you made a whole plant infused oil! Enjoy this topical medicine in abhyanga, before a bath or anytime your skin needs some extra moisture. Store your finished oil away from the sun, in a cool area. Depending on the oil you used, it should last about a year but you can keep it in the fridge to make it last longer. Make sure to keep an eye out for any mold or odors that smell off, this could indicate the oil has gone rancid.
